As the groom readjusts his tuxedo and counts down the minutes until he sees his love at the altar, an intricate and lengthy ritual is going on in the bridal suite. It is the last few moments of preparation for the bride who has planned each detail of the wedding up until this point. Now, she can sit back and enjoy being pampered before she joins her partner in matrimony.
The bride’s prep time is one of the most sincere and authentic moments of the wedding day, yet no one is privy to it except very close friends and family. Though tradition has long dictated that the groom is not entitled to enter this space, wedding photographers have a unique opportunity to capture these rarely seen moments before the nuptials.
Here are 5 reasons that bridal prep time is so important to photograph:
1. It is an opportunity to highlight the details that are often overlooked in a wedding.
Whether it is the wedding dress that took six months to find or the earrings that the bride’s grandmother wore on her own wedding day, the time and effort that a bride takes to finalize every detail of her wedding is often lost among the excitement of the day. Photographing these meaningful details is the perfect opportunity to spotlight and give them the attention they deserve.
2. The wedding day brings up beautiful, emotional moments for parents.
Although a wedding is considered a joyous occasion, it is also an emotional point for parents. The bridal suite is often where heartfelt moments are displayed – words of wisdom are spoken, tears of joy are expressed, a little sorrow is felt, and family heirlooms are passed down to the next generation.
3. Before and after photos of the bride are forever captured.
The wedding day is when the bride pulls out all the stops. She has chosen the most important dress of her life, sought out the best make-up artist, and picked the perfect hairstyle from dozens of options on Pinterest. Having shots that capture the bride’s before and after look is a special recap of all the energy that went into making those choices.
4. The bride will be able to reminisce the special moments.
Guests will always tell you that the wedding day will fly by in what seems like an instant. Images of the bride opening a lovely gift from her future spouse, laughing at a joke that her maid of honor told, or giving her father a prolonged hug can remind a bride of all of the special moments that occurred in the flurry before “I do”.
5. The groom will get a sneak peek into the preparation process.
Grooms will never exactly know what occurred before the “I do”, but bridal prep photography gives him a sneak peek into everything that went into his bride’s preparation process. These momentous images will be something to further bond over and reflect on when the wedding album finally arrives.
