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After photographing over 140 weddings for years, I’ve seen time and time again, how quickly the morning can become chaotic —and how often important things get forgotten. This is stressful for everyone concerned but especially the bride!
The wedding morning sets the tone for your entire day (and your photos), so having everything ready makes a huge difference. You want to enjoy the getting ready part of your day.
This wedding morning checklist covers exactly what to pack and prepare so your day starts calmly, stays on track, and looks beautiful in your photos (without being staged!)
Bridal Details to Have Ready
I always start the morning by photographing your details. I often place these by the window because it's nice having natural light, rather than using flash and sometimes the sun is just perfect. Having these items together in one place makes everything feel more relaxed and ensures nothing gets missed.
Make sure you have:
- Your dress
- Shoes
- Jewellery
- Perfume
- Invitation suite
- Flowers
I will often hang the dress against a wardrobe or sometimes if there is a feature four poster bed in your room, use this.
Photographer Tip:
Put all your details together or in one box before your photographer arrives—this saves time and keeps everything stress-free. Ask your Maid of Honour or one of your bridesmaids to do this for you. It saves trying to find everything at the last minute - not just for the photographs but for you too!
Keeping your jewellery organised in something like this small bridal organiser can really help on the morning.
Wedding Emergency Kit Essentials
I always keep hair grips and safety pins in my photography bag but the wedding emergency kit is something I’ve seen save the day at so many weddings.
From broken straps to last-minute touch-ups, a small emergency kit can make a huge difference.
Include:
- Plasters
- Safety pins
- Tissues
- Deodorant
- Pain relief
- Small sewing kit
I've also known a bride to have a last minute dress disaster with a strap and the little sewing kit she'd bought in the emergency kit literally saved the day! Her mum was able to quickly sew the strap before she was ready to head down the stairs ready for the aisle walk!
You can either put one together yourself, or use a ready-made wedding emergency kit like this one to make things easier. I love this one because as you can see it literally includes everything you could possibly think of!
Your Wedding Timeline and Planner
One of the biggest causes of stress in the morning is simply not knowing what’s happening when. In my experience, the biggest factor to things running late is hair and makeup. It is so important to plan ahead for this. Without a clear plan everything can start to feel rushed. You don't have to feel you are on a schedule where you can't enjoy the time, but it's vital there's a plan beforehand.
The best way to start is to work backwards. Figure out the time it takes for each person to have their hair and makeup. Discuss at length with your makeup artist and work out the order in which you and your bridesmaids/Maid of Honour will do this. I cannot stress enough how important this is. Having a timeline helps everyone stay on track.
A structured planner like this wedding planner can really help keep everything organised and running smoothly. Honestly, I know it is your wedding, but you'll be surprised how quickly you will forget timings, even running up to your big day.
Getting Ready Items for Photos
These are small details that make a big difference—not just practically, but also in your photos.
Consider having:
- A bridal robe
- A nice hanger for your dress
- A handheld steamer
Matching robes like these bridal robes look beautiful in photos and make the morning feel extra special.
A simple detail like this personalised hanger also makes a big difference when photographing your dress.
Hair and Makeup Touch Ups
Even with a professional makeup artist, you’ll want a few essentials nearby throughout the morning and day. Your makeup artist will usually leave after she has 'worked her magic'. Sometimes he or she might leave you with some essentials but I find brides often like to choose their own lipstick and have some items on hand for the rest of the day. You will definitely be touching up your hair and make up.
Make sure you have:
- Lipstick
- Powder
- Hairbrush
- Hairgrips (usually in your wedding emergency kit!)
Keeping everything together in a small makeup bag like this makes quick touch-ups much easier.
Expert Tips from a Wedding Photographer
After years of photographing weddings, here are a few things that I've learnt make a real difference to your wedding morning and bridal party fun:
- Put all your details in one place before the morning starts
- Keep your getting ready space as tidy as possible (it shows in photos)
- Allow extra time—hair and makeup often take longer than planned
- Choose a room with good natural light if you can
These small things can completely change how your morning feels—and how your photos turn out. As a documentary wedding photographer, I find that most brides want their day to be natural and relaxed, where they have candid photos of everything as it happens. I've also, however, been at countless weddings where the bridal party, bride included and me! are rushing around trying to move items that just don't look great in the bridal party photos (discarded underwear, empty glasses, breakfast plates and so on it goes).
How to Have a Stress Free Wedding Morning
I am often with brides during the morning - it's a very intimate time and I find because we have met before the wedding and often communicate for quite a while leading up to the big day, I am someone close to her who she can confide in or ask for help.
In my experience, having your wedding morning organised doesn't just reduce stress, it allows you to actually enjoy the experience. My advice is always to enjoy the time because it literally flies by and the only way you can truly do that is if you are relaxed.
From a photography point of view, it means your photos capture calm, happy moments rather than last-minute panic. Ultimately, it's about your wedding day - this hugely important time in your life that you want to look back on and swell with emotion as you remember all the fun, laughter and memories.
A little planning and preparation goes a long way.
