A very popular, timeless trend in wedding photography are the “getting ready” pictures.  I was married in the Salt Lake Temple and I shoot many many temple weddings.  Because of the typical temple wedding schedule, it is very difficult to get these same images.  Does that mean that you can’t have them?  No way!  We just have to be more creative on how we get them.  Here are some ideas:

Have your photographer come to where you are getting ready. Now, this is the most difficult/costly way to get these pictures.  I have done this and it is so great.  Brides have to be at the temple 90 minutes before the sealing begins.  Many times, brides are not right around the corner from the temple to get ready.  And then you won’t see your photographer, because there are not picture inside the temple, for 2-3 hours, usually.  With this option, you need to communicate your desires to your photographer and see if this can be part of your package.  Because there is so much down time extra time will be needed, in most cases. But with this, your detail shots can be shot just like a traditional wedding.

Bring your details to the temple.  Before you leave where you are getting ready, gather up your details and have someone be in charge of making sure your photographer gets them.  Now, you aren’t going to get ALL of them this way, but many of them, you can!

Perfume/cologne

Invitation Suite

Heirlooms

Garter

Wedding Day Gifts/Notes

Wedding Dress Hanger

And many items you will have with you, and your photographer can easily capture those images also.  For example:

Jewelry

Rings

• 
• Flowers
• 
• Shoes
• 
• Veil
• 

The dress is, obviously, more difficult to photograph using this option.  One thing that you can do, if this shot is very important to you, after the pictures and you go back into the temple to change, you can bring the dress out to the photographer to photograph somewhere around the temple, if there is the option for that around the temple.

This option is great if you are only having the photographer there for the temple pictures or if you are crunched for time before the reception.

In between the temple and the beginning of the reception. Many times there will be time in between the temple and reception.  Many times the bride has changed out of her dress to travel from the temple to reception site.  Or even, sometimes the reception is on a different day than the sealing.  This is a great time to do those “getting ready” pictures.  Have your photographer arrive a little bit earlier than they normally would and have those details that you would like captured ready.  You can see the traditional list HERE.

• 

Even if you are not changing to go from the temple to the reception, this time is a great time to get, not only reception details, but also those “getting ready” pictures that were missed, even without the “hanging dress” picture.  The rest of them can, very easily, be captured to remember forever.

At your Bridal Session. Sometimes, there just isn’t any time.  Completely understandable.  There are so many reasons a bridal session is such a wonderful thing.  Not only does it give you a chance for another hour to two hours of pictures in another beautiful location, but it is also a good time to get those “getting ready” pictures.  You could have your photographer come to where you are getting ready for your bridals.  My suggestion is always to have your hair and make-up done for these just as on your wedding day and have flowers for you and your groom.  You will not be disappointed if you take these extra steps.  But your photographer can capture these images, as if it was the wedding day.  You can see all of those traditional suggestions HERE.

Sometimes photography is low on the priority list, especially when in comparison to the amazing eternal covenants that you are making.  But having a photographer that is familiar with the temple and the temple wedding schedule is so important.  This day will go so fast and these are what you will look back on your whole life and show your children and grand children and give them a feeling of YOU.  Capture these moments so you and your posterity can relive it forever.