The first hour of wedding coverage is details and getting ready. How that hour looks is decided the night before, by whether the room is ready for a camera. A few small preparations make all the difference.
Build a detail box
Put everything the photographer will shoot in one box: both rings, the full invitation suite (invite, envelope, RSVP card, any wax seal or ribbon), perfume or cologne, cufflinks and tie, watch, jewellery, vows if handwritten, the garter or any heirloom, a few loose flowers or greenery from the florist, and any “something borrowed.” Hand it over when the photographer arrives and they can style and shoot it while you finish getting ready.
Chase the light, hide the clutter
Get ready near the biggest window in the room and keep that side clear. Ask everyone to consolidate bags, garment covers, water bottles, phone chargers and food into a closet or one corner out of frame. A tidy room with good window light photographs beautifully; a nice room strewn with Chick-fil-A bags does not.
Time it with hair and makeup
Ask your stylist for a schedule and share it with the photographer. You want to be finishing — final touches, into the dress — when photo coverage is at its peak, not still in a robe with wet hair. Build a 20–30 minute buffer; hair and makeup almost always run long.
Wear something nice while you wait
A matching robe, a button-down (so it comes off without wrecking your hair), or a slip. Group photos of everyone in coordinated robes with coffee are a getting-ready staple and they only work if someone planned the robes.
Keep it small and calm
The getting-ready room photographs best with just your closest people in it. It sets the tone for the day — and it’s the start of the timeline everything else is built on.
Richard Black Studio covers weddings, Bar & Bat Mitzvahs, Sweet 15 & 16 celebrations and special events across Long Island and New York — photography, films and professional live streaming from one team. Tell us what you’re planning and we’ll send availability and a quote.