Stress-free Wedding Prep and Engaging Imagery

The photo and/or video coverage of your day begins in the preparation time, so it's worth considering the overall aesthetic or importance of the space where you will be getting ready and how to make this time as smooth and relaxed as possible.

Location

Airbnb is a great place to start when looking for an interesting space to get ready in. Finding somewhere with a bit of character or interesting design and architecture that suits your personalities or compliments the overall theme for your wedding is a real win and adds a lot to your photos/video. Interesting spaces open up creative opportunities for photos/video and can help tell your story.

Hotels can be a convenient option to accomodate more people, but sometimes this means compromising on space. Our favourite Brisbane hotels are The Calile Hotel, Ovolo The Valley, The W and The Inchcolm. If you have room in the budget, why not splurge on a suite or larger room.

It can also be really special to get ready in your own home, the home you grew up in or anywhere that holds sentimental value, as this also adds another level to your photos/video and the story of your day.

Accessories & Sentimental items

Something we ask our couples to do the day before or the morning of is to place any important items, that they would especially love photographed all in the one spot. Even better is to have everything placed in a designated box, ready to go when your photo and video team arrives. These items could include invitations, shoes, flowers, jewellery, perfume, rings and ring boxes, love notes or cards given on the day and any other sentimental items like family heirlooms. Having all the important items together ensures that everything is documented.

On this note, if you love the idea of having a photo of your dress/outfit hanging somewhere, consider having a coat hanger where the hook can spin, this opens up a lot more possibilities for where your dress/suit/wedding attire can be hung.

Distance

It is worth considering the distance between where you and your lover will be getting ready. We know that not every couple wants to get ready in the same house, but choosing locations that are nearby can be a huge benefit when wanting to capture both of you during the preparation time. The less travel time for us, the more we can maximise our coverage time. Having two photographers or a photo and video team also helps reduce the time pressure around this.

Timing

Allowing enough time for yourself to get ready and not needing to rush is invaluable. We love when there is just a little bit of time to breathe, to take a moment and maybe a few photos rather than needing to race to the ceremony. This is the perfect time to take some portraits of you and your people while everyone is looking fresh.

One final thought is simply to be organised where you can and try to keep your space tidy and free of clutter, but on the day if you forget something or some small detail just doesn’t happen, it really doesn’t matter. Keeping perspective and focusing on being in the moment and trying not to stress is going to be far more beneficial than a checklist and rigid time schedule adhered to minute by minute.