The Prep
Quiet, funny, and usually more relaxed than everyone expects, before any of it is choreographed for a camera.
Prep is where a wedding day actually starts, and it rarely looks like the schedule suggests it will. There's usually a lot of standing around in dressing gowns, someone's mum crying over nothing in particular, and a room that smells like hairspray and coffee. I photograph all of it, not just the last five minutes when the dress goes on.
I try to arrive early enough to catch the ordinary bits before hair and makeup wraps up, the flowers arriving, the rings on the windowsill, the dress hanging somewhere with good light. None of it is staged. I'm not moving furniture around or asking anyone to redo a laugh for the camera, I'm just paying attention while everyone else is focused on getting ready.
Both coverage styles include the same attention here, whether that's a hotel room, your family home, or a suite at the venue. If you're still deciding on a morning-of location, my Top Five Cambridgeshire venues guide notes which of my favourites have the best light for this. And once prep wraps up, it usually leads straight into a first look, if that's something you want.
About the prep
How long do you spend with us in the morning?
Usually sixty to ninety minutes, enough time to catch the details and the last stretch of hair and makeup without hanging around once everyone's ready and waiting to leave.
What do you actually photograph during prep?
The details first, dress, rings, invitations, shoes, then the people, candid moments between you and whoever's in the room, not posed group shots.
Do you need a specific type of room or good light?
A room with a window helps a lot. If you can, get ready somewhere with natural light rather than a dark corner with overhead spotlights, it makes a real difference to how the photos feel.
Should we hire "getting ready" robes or matching pyjamas?
Entirely up to you, they photograph nicely but they're not necessary. I'd rather photograph the room as it actually is than a styled version of it.
Do you photograph the groom's side too?
Yes, if both sides are getting ready at the same time I'll either split my time between the two locations or bring in a second shooter, depending on distance and your coverage.
What time should hair and makeup start so this works?
Work backwards from your ceremony time with your hair and makeup artist, then build in thirty minutes of buffer. I'll always ask for your running order in advance so I know when to arrive.
Let's talk about your day
Tell me your date and how you want your wedding photographed, and I'll tell you honestly whether we're the right fit.
Get in touch