There are many things to consider when choosing a getting-ready location for your wedding. Whether you are getting ready at your venue or elsewhere, we’ve got you covered with all the things to think about!
1. Consider What Your Venue Offers
We have a few top questions that we ask regarding the getting ready space at venues:
- Does the venue have good rooms to use for getting ready (e.g. a bridal suite and groom’s room)?
- Can you get into the space early enough or will you have to pay for additional hours? (Hint: depending on the cost for extra hours, another getting-ready location may be more cost-efficient).
- What are their rules regarding food and beverage? Some venues require you to buy breakfast and alcohol through them, which can add up quickly.
2. Where Do You Want the Wedding Party?
Think about if it is important that both sides of the couple’s wedding party are in the same location or if they can be at different locations. With this, you will need to consider your first look and transportation (which we will chat more about next).
3. Are You Having a First Look?
You will need to consider how your first look plays into where you are getting ready, whether you are having one or not. Will you be doing your first look at your getting-ready location? Is there a good spot to do it for photos? If you aren’t having a first look or are doing it upon arrival at the venue, how will you handle transportation so that you don’t see one another before the ceremony?
4. What About Transportation?
If you are not getting ready at your venue, how do you plan to get there? Will members of the wedding party be carpooling or will you rent a shuttle? If you and your partner aren’t seeing each other until you arrive at the venue, how are each of you getting there?
5. Getting Ready Ceremony vs Reception Location?
If you are having your ceremony and reception at two different locations, which one does it make more sense to get ready at? This can come down to room availability, food/beverage, or even how photogenic the location is.
6. How Early Does Hair and Makeup Start?
Oftentimes, people don’t realize how early you will need to start hair and makeup. This is dependent on group size, the number of artists, and your timeline. Ask your hair and makeup vendors how much time they will need and what time they will need to start to have you ready for photos on time. If the time they give you is before you can access the venue, then the venue might not be the best place to get ready.
7. How Long Do You Have Access to the Location?
Will you have access to the venue’s getting-ready space for the entirety of the evening, or will you have to be out by a certain time? If you have to be out by a certain time, where will the wedding party put all of their items? After seeing a lot of getting ready rooms we can assure you that after a big group of people spend their morning in there, it is not going to be a quick clean up!
As you can see, there are a lot of things to consider when choosing your getting-ready location. Oftentimes, each of those items impacts something else, so there are many moving parts! If you’re still feeling a bit confused, our Hair and Makeup Tips blog is also helpful with wedding morning planning. In addition to that, our Wedding Expenses You Can Skip blog can give you some additional tips.
If you’re still feeling a bit lost on a wedding-getting-ready location or other wedding details, we would be happy to chat. Reach out and see if we would be a good partner for you!
