Do You Really Need Getting Ready Photos at Your Elopement?

Read time: 2 minutes

When you think of getting ready photos at a wedding, you may envision highly curated photos of the invitation suite, a bottle of perfume, and designer heels. Maybe you think of bridesmaids laughing in matching robes or helping the bride into her dress while looking picture-perfect.

But what if these types of photos don’t match your vision? Do you really need getting ready photos at your elopement?

After photographing over 100 adventure elopements and micro weddings, I can honestly say that there’s great value in getting ready photos.

And before we dive into why, let me paint you a different picture of what getting ready can look like.

You and your partner are enjoying a slow morning together. You brew some coffee you picked up from a local cafe, and wow, it’s SO good. You two savor the brew as you sit outside on the deck of your rental house, listening to the birds chirping as you hand write your vows.

Or maybe your sister is there helping you with your hair and makeup, just like when you were in high school. You two can’t stop laughing as you reminisce about your adventures growing up. She puts your grandmother’s bracelet on your wrist, and you show her a Polaroid from your first road trip with your partner. You slip on the boots you’ve worn trekking along countless trails and lace them up with a feeling of anticipation for your greatest adventure yet.

Getting ready photos don’t have to be high stress, manufactured moments, or focused on aesthetics. Instead, the images can reflect what your experience was actually like so you can remember it for years to come.

Okay, so now that we’ve reframed what the experience could be like, let’s get into the benefits of taking getting ready photos at your elopement!

The photos tell the full story, from the beginning.

My approach to documenting your day is to tell the full story of what your elopement was really like. My hope is that when you show the photos to your loved ones, they can truly understand what your experience was like and why you chose to elope.

And it would be a little odd to start the story somewhere in the middle, right? Starting your photos at the beginning of the festivities makes your photo gallery more cohesive and authentic without leaving anything out of the story.

The photos help you remember the setting & the emotions.

Our memories fade quickly, but photos are amazing at not only sparking memories, but also bringing back senses and emotions from a particular moment. Looking at your wedding photos 20 years from now, do you want to remember how delicious that cup of local coffee was? Or the peace that you felt sitting outside listening to the birds singing?

One of my past couples recently told me that they love the photos of them getting ready because it helped them remember the setting– the cool house they specifically chose to rent, the vibe of the mountain town, and the beautiful scenery they could see out the window. Those details are easy to forget, but are definitely worth remembering!

And perhaps even more importantly, the photos can help you remember how you felt that day. The anticipation of marrying your partner soon. The excitement for your adventure. Everything you felt in the last hours before your marriage began.

The experience helps you ease into being photographed.

Do you naturally feel confident and comfortable in front of the camera? If you’re like 99% of my couples, the answer is a big “no”.

Getting ready photos can be a great way to ease into the experience of being photographed instead of diving straight into portraits.

While I’m documenting the setting and details, we’ll be able to chit-chat and you can become more comfortable with having me around. And the first photos I take of you will be candid– just you doing what you’re doing.

By the time I take any posed photos, you’ll feel far more relaxed and the process will feel more natural.

I hope these three benefits have helped you see that getting ready photos can be intentional and meaningful instead of performative and purely about getting “Instagrammable” shots.

Here are some examples from real elopements and micro weddings to give you an even better idea of what your getting ready photos could be like!