Last April, when I walked into the condo where Kristy was getting ready, I caught my breath. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the ocean, a pretty pastel color palette, lovely furnishings. It was perfect.

Not every bride is going to have such opulently beautiful surroundings as we found that morning — but they aren’t mandatory, either. There are a few things that I strongly believe every bride should have in her getting-ready room . . . well, and every groom, too. But today I’m focusing on brides. And here’s what I think they should have around them as they get ready — to ensure the best-quality photographs, and to make them feel as elegant as they’ve always dreamed they would on their wedding day.1.) Plenty of natural light.
This is the key ingredient. Natural window light is a woman’s best friend when it comes to portraits: It’s clean, classic, soft, and flattering. It automatically makes every getting-ready picture, from the bride’s fake eyelashes going on to her gown slipping over her head, look more sophisticated and classy.

2.) Clean, elegant backgrounds.
As bridesmaids, we’ve probably all done it at one wedding or another: Gotten dressed in a Sunday school room at a church, with kids’ posters on the walls in the background. (I have!) If it’s the only place to get dressed, it’s where you get dressed — but for a bride, it isn’t the ideal setting. When it comes to photographs, those posters can be distracting. The same goes for venue advertisements, dry erase boards, fire extinguishers, and pretty much anything else that isn’t standard room decor. If the photographer is shooting at angles to avoid them, it can really limit the photographer’s ability to capture the best images possible.  Brides want to feel special on their wedding day — and I want their photographs to look as special as brides want their day to feel.

3.) Uncluttered surfaces.
It’s hard to keep a room clean when a half dozen bridesmaids all have to put their personal items somewhere — but it’s important to keep clutter out of sight. A pile of hair products, keys, and flip flops isn’t what brides want to remember from their wedding morning. Choose a getting-ready room that actually has multiple rooms (one room to stash clothes and personal items, another for the bride to get dressed in), or choose a room that offers some good hiding spots, so the room looks clean and pristine — and feels organized and calming for the bride.

4.) Attractive furniture.
Whenever possible, it’s wonderful if the bride can get ready in a room with furniture that looks like the furniture you would find in a luxuriously decorated home — not plastic or folding chairs and tables. If that’s not possible, consider bringing a few decorative linens to hide the furniture and turn them into an attractive backdrop for the bride and her details.

5.)  Proximity to portrait and ceremony locations.
If all a bride has to do is step outside her getting-ready room and she’s at the location for her portraits, she’s got it easy! That isn’t always possible or even preferable, of course, but it’s is ideal if a bride’s getting-ready room is just a quick drive from the portrait and ceremony locations so that if the bride is running behind schedule, travel won’t eat into her portrait time. It’s one fewer thing for the bride to worry about!

6.) Private bathrooms.
This one is probably self-explanatory. Brides generally like to make their last pit stop or brush their teeth without a stranger congratulating them during the process.

7.) Plenty of outlets.
Having outlets to choose from is important when it comes to having hair and makeup done. If there are outlets near windows, rather than just in the bathroom, there will be a lot more flexibility in deciding where to have the bride prepped — which will result in much prettier pictures.

8.) Enough space for the entourage.
Making sure the bride — and everyone else — is comfortable means making sure there is enough space for everyone to spread out comfortably. When figuring out how large the room needs to be, count the total number of people who will be there at once: Bride; bridesmaids; flower girls; mothers and aunts of the bride and groom; makeup artist(s), hairstylist(s), and their assistants, coordinator(s); florist; and photographer(s); anyone else who happens to pop in as the bride is getting ready (which I strongly discourage, because it often flusters the bride and creates confusion and unnecessary disruptions for the bride — but that’s for another blog post).

Those are my tips — but if you’ve got anything else to add, I would love to hear it!~ Laura