You’ve got all your plans in place: vendors are booked, dress is altered, hair and makeup styles are chosen, and those loose ends are tying themselves up quite nicely. You’ve thought about where you want photos of you and your hubby-to-be on the wedding day and how pretty the bouquets will look against the bridesmaids dresses beautiful pale blue hues.

Can I suggest one more thing to think about? You’re getting ready location. Is it really that important? My answer: It depends.

You’re paying a lot of money for your wedding photos and I guarantee we’ve all swooned over those crisp, clean, beautifully-lit photos of the bride putting her dress on, her bridesmaids crying as she turns for them to see, a special quiet moment between her and her mom. So if you care about getting those images, then my answer is yes, your getting ready location is important. But it’s seldom thought about.

Most brides opt for a hotel and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. However, hotels tend to have bad lighting (even with the biggest of windows) which lead to yellow-ish photos, no matter how much we Photoshop. There also tends to be a really harsh contrast with a bright sun coming into a dark room.

Another popular option is the venue getting ready space. If your venue is has lots of windows in the getting ready room and pretty neutral wall colors (white, light gray, etc.), this is a great option. When the venue getting ready room has small windows or lots of artificial lighting, this can lead to yellowish or muddy images.

So if you’re wanting clean images to match the rest of your wedding? Consider these options:

-Find an Airbnb near your venue/church location with a lot of white walls and natural light.
-Opt to do some of your photos outside. I know it seems weird but some of the most beautiful getting ready photos I’ve seen have been on the porch of a venue. Your photographer will make sure your dress is up and nothing is exposed before your mom or bridesmaids start zipping you in.
-Get ready at a friend or family member’s house where there is a lot of natural light, neutral walls and decor.
-If you’re going to get ready in a hotel, make sure you have a big hotel room with a lot of space. A lot of times, there are 8-10 people crammed into a regular-sized hotel room which makes it hard to get full body photos of the bride getting into her dress. It also leads to a lot clutter needing to be hidden thus delaying your timeline.

If your getting ready photos are important to you, be sure to communicate that to your photographer and he or she can help you make the best choice for you and your day!