10 Touching Shots of Getting Ready for Weddings

The second installment of our series of must-have wedding photographs focuses on behind-the-scenes instances that take place as the wedding party prepares for the day ahead. There are numerous opportunities for memorable shots during these few, short hours, whether the bride is getting dressed in her childhood bedroom or having her hair secured into an updo in the bridal suite of a luxury hotel. Because only the closest friends and family members are in attendance, unplanned, intimate moments naturally occur: a mother ties a bow on her daughter’s wedding gown, bridesmaids laugh as they don matching jogging suits, a maid of honor patiently fastens a cascading sea of buttons down the back of her sister’s ball gown, and flower girls look wide-eyed as they receive a present from the bride herself. These events cannot be recreated, so make sure your photographer is invited backstage to capture these priceless, once-in-a-lifetime memories on film. And please don’t forget about the groom, either! He’s in his room feeling just as much excitement and pressure to look his best as his soon-to-be wife down the hall!

Above, from left: Yitzhak Dalal Photography; Mike Larson Photography; Ira Lippke Photography; Nancy Cohn Photography