Knoxville Wedding Photographer Tips: Where You Get Ready Matters

Preface: Offering Knoxville Wedding Photographer / Cinematographer / Videographer services, we see lots of weddings and have unique insights from our experiences that can help you plan an even more wonderful wedding experience. Sit back and enjoy our “expert” advice series to make your wedding day ah-mazing!

Knoxville Wedding Photographer Advice Starts Here!

There are SO many details to make decisions on when planning your wedding day—you, the bride, of all people know this by now. Dresses, venues, coordinators and designers, décor, and much more. To give perspective to those of you who are early in the planning process (or the bridesmaids or groom-to-bes who may be doing their homework), we have 28 unique wedding vendor categories listed on our Knoxville Wedding Professionals directory (check it out when you’re done with this post) here at Knox Wedding Creative, and you are probably going to have to make a decision to invite at least 24 of those vendors into your big day—probably more!

One thing that is very simple to not plan for (until the last minute) is where you will be getting ready for your wedding ceremony. This location is extremely important, and often overlooked! Why is it important? Think about it:

This location is most likely where you and your bridesmaids will start the day—and set the tone for at least the next few hours. Make it a good start!
Many of your most beautiful photographs occur during these preparations, and you want the backdrop to be *almost* as beautiful as you are!
There needs to be plenty of space for everyone to get ready in the same room. This time is special and social—you want to enjoy it together!
The space you use needs to have all the amenities you’ll need for preparing, from sink space to outlets to a kitchen for snacks and food.

Most of your ceremony venues will have a place to prepare already, but you should ask yourself if that’s where you want to get ready (at least the main elements of hair, makeup, and dressing—the venue’s prep room is always handy for staging and last minute adjustments). If you’re having trouble deciding, here’s a few things to look for in a prep location:

Lots of natural light! (Visit it at the time you think you’ll be getting ready to know for sure)
Lots of open space in one room (for socializing and your crew—which will be bigger than you realize)
Beautiful architecture, décor, and furniture
Necessary amenities (including a kitchen/ette if you want to prepare food—don’t forget to plan meals!!!)
Logistics: How convenient is it for your crew to get there, and how easy is it to travel to the ceremony site

Once you know what you are looking for, you can scout out your options. Here are a few of our general recommendations for prep locations:

A nice bed and breakfast (homey feel, usually good natural light, all the amenities—think the “Farhampton Inn” from How I Met Your Mother)
Loft apartments or rental spaces with large windows (warm, cozy, urban feel—think the gang’s apartment in New Girl)
Boutique hotel rooms with large windows (classy, fancy furniture, access to amenities—think The Plaza in The Great Gatsby)
Plantation/Farm Homes (natural, rustic, open spaces, and great scenery—think a restored version of “Paradiso Perduto” in the movie Great Expectations)
Cottages/Cabins/Chalets (cozy, pretty in the mornings, reminiscent of the region—think Kate Winslet’s cottage in The Holiday, but with more natural light)

Wherever you decide to get ready, just make sure you’ve planned to be there! You’d hate to wait until the last minute and be stuck in an ugly bathroom or church basement where it is very dark, the lighting is terrible, and the décor is dingy and old.

Wedding Tips Series

Part 1: Where You Get Ready Matters
Part 2: How to Pick a Wedding Photographer or Videographer – Step 1 (Why Hire a Professional?)
Part 3: How to Pick a Wedding Photographer or Videographer – Step 2 (Why Does Full-Time Matter?)
Part 4: How to Pick a Wedding Photographer or Videographer – Step 3 (What is the ‘Art of Photography’?)
Part 5: How to Pick a Wedding Photographer or Videographer – Step 4 (Why Professional Associations Matter)

Stay tuned for more great tips by getting social with us!

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