Photographer: Liliya Gorlanova
A thoughtful image, inspiring details, suitable music and a good mood are the key to a pleasant morning for any bride. But what exactly can these details be and how can you use them to create truly stylish outfits and a beautiful setting for a photo shoot? We learned from Liliya Gorlanova, the founder of the wedding agency Gorlanova Event.
Photographer: Liliya Gorlanova
Flowers
The search for a wedding concept is carried out by a team of professionals, which includes an organizer and a decorator. It is important that all elements of the wedding intertwine with each other, creating a complete picture. The bride's morning is no exception. Selecting floristry for this part of the wedding day is based on the general concept. Therefore, the flowers and shades used in the decor of the hall and ceremony area are best chosen for spending the morning.
Liliya Gorlanova:
“When preparing for the wedding morning, we usually rely on those elements that will be used in the overall concept. Thanks to this, everything looks harmonious on the wedding day, and in the photographs after the celebration, a light and elegant aesthetic can be seen.”
Photographer: Liliya Gorlanova
What things you might need
To avoid unnecessary hassle and loss of time, prepare in advance all the things that may be useful to you on the wedding morning:
- Mirror (the best option is a white dressing table);
- Drinks, cups and napkins;
- Playlist with your favorite music;
- Sockets;
- Additional light sources;
- Table for stylist's tools;
- Two chairs with backs: the first is high, the second is low (for the stylist)
- Patch;
- Sewing kit: threads, needles, pins;
- Set for morning beauty treatments;
- Favorite perfume.
Furniture and dishes
The choice of these details largely depends on the place where you decide to spend your morning. The interior of the shooting space should be laconic and free so as not to overload the frame. Otherwise, the agency team is always ready to develop a special background for shooting.
When choosing tableware, pay attention to porcelain or crystal - such “timeless” things always look like a win-win. These also include soft velvet chairs or sofas, small vases, neat tables and stands made in shades of silver or gold. It’s very easy to find them in rental services like Go Rent, which Lilia created together with her team.
Photographer: Liliya Gorlanova
Details: shoes
These can be either the treasured Badgley Mischka or spectacular shoes from a little-known brand. They, as a rule, participate in subject photography of rings, bouquets and dresses, so you can’t do without them. Photo: Photographer Anna Bykova
Light
An unobvious, but obligatory detail of the bride’s morning is the right light. You can choose the most luxurious presidential suite, but if there is not enough light in it, then the shooting is unlikely to turn out romantic and tender.
Liliya Gorlanova:
“When a couple wants to escape from the hustle and bustle of home and spend the pre-wedding night at a hotel, we give a recommendation in advance when choosing a room with good and favorable light. It is important to take into account the number of floors and the presence of buildings nearby. The same applies to other locations: photo studios, country houses or open areas.”
Photographer: Liliya Gorlanova
Details: invitation
If you make sure that one copy of the invitation remains as a young memory, then it can also be used in the morning photo shoot. Even if the couple invites guests verbally or through their wedding website, it is better not to be lazy and make at least one stylish invitation card for the photo shoot. Better yet, order a set of calligraphy that will match the style and color palette of the wedding. Photo: Photographer Anna Bykova
Accessories
Popular wedding accessories usually include the bride's jewelry, a ring box, invitations, or a pair of wedding shoes. But it can also be diversified if you approach the selection of parts outside the box. An interesting solution could be details that reflect the character and hobbies of both lovers. For example, if you love to draw or write poetry, then an easel with paints or handwritten letters with wedding vows and a feather will harmoniously complement your morning shooting.
Photographer: Liliya Gorlanova
What is needed for the bride's morning photo shoot before the wedding?
Let's start with clothing - given the woman's preparation for the wedding, this is a rather intimate detail, the choice of which should be approached with all responsibility. The emphasis is primarily on naturalness, tenderness and attractiveness: the bride should look beautiful, alluring and at the same time stylish. Classic clothes for the bride's morning are a lace peignoir or spectacular lingerie. Special mention should be made about underwear: this option is recommended for young girls with an ideal or almost ideal figure, who will feel natural in front of the camera lens.
Do you have certain problems with abdominal folds, too full hips and cellulite? Choose a boudoir dress or peignoir - and it will highlight the beautiful female form, and the imperfections of the figure will not be visible, while looking very sexy, seductive and mysterious.
Are you embarrassed to appear half-dressed or do you want something more original? A men's shirt is a great and unexpected option for a morning wedding photo shoot! If the scene is staged correctly, photographs in a shirt can turn out very different - from very erotic to daring and perky, even though at the photo shoot the bride looks very different, but always attractive. This choice is not only beautiful and attractive, but also practical, since this piece of clothing is inexpensive (or even can be borrowed from a lover) and can be worn later. The bride's boudoir can be decorated in completely different styles and not necessarily in a romantic one.
If you have already done your hair, you should choose clothes that can be easily removed over the head - for example, a peignoir or the same shirt, underwear
In addition to clothes, photographing the bride's preparations, of course, requires a lot more: manicure and pedicure, gentle natural makeup, hairstyle and, of course, a good night's sleep the night before! The best photos are taken when the bride is calm, happy and looking forward to meeting her future husband. The degree of openness of the body depends only on the personal preferences of the bride - the main thing is that she feels comfortable and at ease .
In addition to individual morning photo sessions, before the wedding you can choose a morning of the bride with her friends - this is also an interesting option: both personal photos will remain for a long memory, and with friends dear and close to your heart. Naturally, the rest of the girls should not deviate from the general style of the photos : you should think through both clothes and hairstyles in advance, so that you don’t have to guess later - where is the bride in the photo?
For a full photo shoot, each photographer may ask you to prepare additional attributes : wedding invitation cards, wedding rings, wedding dress and shoes, bouquet, ribbons, perfume and jewelry - these and other items may be needed for interior decoration. It is important to properly decorate the space intended for filming: beautifully decorate a sofa or bed, choose a vertical full-length mirror in a light (preferably white) design, add flower arrangements, decorative candles, and pearl threads. And don’t forget about the music - let a playlist compiled in advance of your favorite tunes create a great mood for the whole day!
Breakfast
Forgetting breakfast on your wedding day is one of the common mistakes brides make. It can be carried out aesthetically in the photographer’s frame by discussing the details with the organizer in advance. Especially considering that breakfasts in good hotels are usually not only hearty and healthy, but also beautiful. If you still prefer to leave hearty dishes behind the scenes, then we advise you to pay attention to your favorite dessert: sorbet, coffee with chocolate or a box of crispy meringue cakes perfectly complement the photos.
Photographer: Liliya Gorlanova
Details: decorations
They play a huge role in creating the image of the bride. A comb, necklace, earrings, bracelets, veil and even perfume - all this should be prepared in advance and left on the table so that the photographer or mother of the bride does not have to look for them around the room or bags. Photo: Photographer Anna Bykova
Cloth
Today, it is not at all necessary to spend the bride’s morning exclusively in a wedding dress. The organizer shared with us that most often girls choose a separate morning outfit. For those who want to spend the morning with their girlfriends, pleasant to the touch pajamas or dressing gowns are perfect. Lace lingerie or a silk dress is the choice of romantic and elegant brides.
Photographers: Igor Gerasimchuk, Liliya Gorlanova
Where to hold a morning photo session of the bride: original ideas
According to many wedding photographers, the best place for a bride to get ready is a good hotel : a change of scenery, tranquility of the girl herself, pleasant and unobtrusive service - for example, a ready-made breakfast, which you don’t have to worry about yourself. The interior of the hotel room is just right - an open space not filled with household trifles, huge windows letting in much-needed light, high ceilings. A spacious, furniture-free room can easily be decorated in any style; there is enough space for installing photo and lighting equipment, for a stylist and hairdresser, and, if necessary, a videographer and bridesmaids. The bride's preparations in a hotel or inn always look luxurious and stylish in photographs and videos.
Of course, a morning photo session of the bride at home will cost less and everything you need is at hand - sometimes a girl getting married feels cozier and more comfortable within her own walls , rather than in an unfamiliar foreign room. It’s possible to make even an ordinary room in a residential apartment unrecognizable: remove excess furniture, decorate it with light draperies and flowers, borrow an elegant chair or coffee table from friends. If you have a country house, a morning photo session of the bride can be organized there too - natural wood, a fireplace, tree branches and greenery, floral arrangements will make the photographs natural and not banal.
Another interesting option with its own advantages is the bride’s morning in a photo studio. Perhaps this is unusual and not at all homely, but the bride will feel like a professional model, and the interior created according to her wishes, the correct lighting and everything necessary at the fingertips of a professional photographer will make the photographs true masterpieces. A photo shoot in a studio is, in fact, an interesting solution if your own apartment is inconvenient or too small, and a hotel or luxury hotel is beyond your financial means.
For obvious reasons, a bride's wedding morning in nature is only possible in summer, warm spring or autumn. Natural greenery, a beautiful pond, a hammock, an elegant wooden house and a cozy soft blanket for breakfast look original in wedding photos. Such a photo session can be carried out in winter, but in order to avoid such an inappropriate cold now, it is worth providing warm clothes - beautiful underwear or a peignoir will not look quite appropriate for the weather.
Natural look
For a harmonious picture, you need to think about the image of the bride - natural and gentle. Light makeup and an elegant hairstyle will be quite appropriate and will highlight your beauty. It is best to ask a makeup artist to apply the base and contour lines, and a hair stylist to curl natural curls, which will later be collected into a wedding hairstyle. For boudoir photography, you will also need a delicate peignoir or nightgown in the color of the wedding. And to emphasize your femininity and give your image a special charm, prepare stylish accessories. In addition to wedding shoes, you can show a bottle of perfume, a beautiful jar with powder and a brush, a vintage jewelry box or other cute girly things.
Scenario for shooting training camp
To get interesting, varied shots, it is best to subordinate your shooting to a single scenario. So you woke up and smiled at the sunshine. Here you are looking in the mirror or combing your hair. You can leisurely drink coffee or look at a wedding magazine. This can be any stage of the women's toilet - the main thing is that the action is visible in the frame.
You can involve the groom in the photo shoot to highlight the couple's breakfast together. Both mother and little sister can help with getting ready for the bride. And shots with a pet dressed up for the holiday in your arms are simply doomed to success! After all, as you know, the most sincere and sweet photos are obtained with children and animals.
