Was your photographer present for hair/makeup?

I didn't have a pro photographer, but in every wedding I have been involved in that did, yeah, those "getting ready" photos are completely staged.

View Quoted Comment Same. For every wedding I’ve been a bridesmaid in, the “getting ready photos“ have been completely staged. The brides have already had their hair and make up done, and their moms or BMs are not actually helping them get dressed and put on their jewelry. Same with the guys “helping the groom put on his tie or jacket”… totally staged

My photographer was there. None of my getting ready photos were staged. Some of them are admittedly very awkward (like one where I was literally brushing my teeth....)

I will tell you how and why my husband does it as a videographer, though.

1. "No bride wants to see herself without makeup." This is his number one reason. Early in his career, he did include a few shots of the bride without her makeup, and was always asked to take them out or got less-than-ecstatic responses to them. So, he stopped including them.

2. "No bride wants me, a male, in their room while they're getting dressed." Self-explanatory.

Now, as far as being "staged", I also don't think this is always a fair description, either. In his case, he asks that makeup is done - but he will often be there for the hair being completed. He gets "action" shots of the hair being finished in real time.

Same with getting dressed. He asks that he's allowed in once the bride is in the dress and "almost" zipped in (with all booties and bits covered), but he'll get the MOB buttoning the top buttons/zipping the zipper/tying the corset/whatever. Again, not staged, just planned so that he comes in at the very end.

It may be different for photographers because of expectations of coverage. In the case of video, all that's needed is 2-3 seconds of a zipper going up or hair coming out of a curler to get the point across.

View Quoted Comment Yep! These exact reasons are why I am not having coverage of me getting ready. I don’t feel the need to have professional pictures of myself without make up or hair done. You pay a lot of money for wedding photography, and I would rather put their time to better use. Plus, I know my friends will be taking candid photos during the getting ready process

No. We got hair and make up at a salon, the photographer met us back after for getting dressed. Our getting ready photos were real and candid though, not staged — but our look was already “photo ready” (pasty skin and under eye bags were covered). So, looking presentable for me is one big reason, but the other is time/money. Make up and hair are a long, slow process, and with a photographer a lot of what you’re paying for is time. I would’ve had to pay for an extra 4 hours of her time if I included hair and make up, but more problematic still is that there’s only so many of those photos one can take. Like, they wouldn’t need to take more than 5 min of photos of me getting my hair done to get a few good ones, but I was probably in that chair almost an hour…feels like the photographer is then just killing time and I’m paying for every minute 🤣

I could be wrong, but I feel like the photographer takes a bunch of other photos during the getting ready process such as your dress hung up, your rings and whatnot, etc.

Our photographer is showing up after our makeup is done but while we're getting dressed. I want him to get a photo of my mom zipping up my dress and my fiancé and his dad getting our sons ready. We booked him for 8 hours - our suites open at 2pm and our reception is over at 10:30pm. If he wasn't getting SOME getting ready pics, I'm not sure what he would be shooting so we don't even have the time for them to be 'staged'.

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Wow! I didn't know this. I actually had my photographer come after since I had her for a limited time and I didn't need getting ready photos.

I personally don't want to see myself with no makeup and half-done hair lol but I'll probably have my photographer arrive when the finishing touches are being done! I just don't see myself ever using/printing those photos. I look forward to the "staged" photos putting the last touches on!

I had a photojournalist photographer who did attend while we were getting hair and makeup done. It’s a nice memory to look back on and see us getting dolled up. He stepped out of the room when I got dressed, and then I told him when I was decent and he got shots of my dress being zipped and my mom helping me with accessories. I enjoyed it, but it’s all personal preference. I’d say think about what you may regret more, not having them and wishing you did or having them and maybe not liking them.

I did not. We contracted for so many hours for our wedding to get "important" photos like formals and during the ceremony so she didn't come until maybe about 30 mins before I walked down the aisle and then that was to get photos of the groom and his attendants. She got some finishing shots of me putting on my jewelry and that's about it.

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I also had a photojournalist photographer who was a former colleague. We didn't stage anything. However, she did give me a 20 minute or so headstart on makeup. She shot my dress and rings and shoes, etc. while my MUA applied my foundation. Then she began to photograph the rest of my makeup/hair time. She photographed candids of my mom, Pastor and the other women who were in the suite with me while I got help stepping into my gown. I didn't want getting ready photos at first, but I'm glad I went with them because of her approach. Plus, taking them in real-time captured natural moments, like my mom laughing that she couldn't fasten my necklace because I am so much taller than her. I'm glad we did them, and that it was all in real-time. I agree with Suzie's suggestion: having the photos taken and not liking them might be the smaller regret.