An homage to bright orange Sainsbury's bags
This is not a dig, I repeat this is not a dig. As a wedding photographer (and videographer!) I have seen many a wedding day prep locations. Those of you who follow me know I'm all about how the day unfolds naturally - warts and all. As much as I love gorgeous artsy portraits, when it comes to telling a story about a significant day, I want to include all the nitty-gritty bits. And that includes grocery bags all over your hotel room floor and your friends and family getting all emotional.
However.
For so many people their wedding day is an incredibly special day and that includes every last detail. Which starts with the preparation. And that, my friends, really starts with picking a great location to get ready at when your wedding comes around.
Space for all of the party and all of the bubbles
When I first heard of The Pretty Prep Studios, I was intrigued! A few of the venues I've shot at have a dedicated room for prep, but most often it's just a small area in the bride/groom/spouse-to-be's hotel room or house. And it's not a bad thing at all. But some aspects you just have to accept:
- It might be a little cramped for all of the members of your party, making it quite a balancing act for your suppliers as well. While I believe wedding suppliers definitely have superpowers, managing to not get in the way of (potentially) 2 videographers, your second photographer, hairdresser, makeup artist... is another level!
- The lighting may be less than ideal for photos. It's a pretty big one for me, and while I never shy away from a healthy amount of flash, I still prefer a well-lit prep room.
- The sainsbury's bag. When you don't have much space, you've got nowhere to put all the things you needed to bring in to get ready. I was impressed with how much space The Pretty Prep Studios has, so you can just enjoy the getting ready part of the day without worrying that your photos will look cluttered!
More flexibility with your reception venue...
Of course being in one location for your prep, ceremony and reception has an enormous advantage. But if the prep studio is within 15-20 min of your venue, then it's definitely worth considering.
I love finding about the latest in the local Kent wedding industry, so definitely take this as a shoutout to The Pretty Prep Studios. They're located super close to The Secret Garden, Eastwell Manor, Kennington Hall, Bilsington Priory Estate, Crown Lodge, to name just a few. And given that sometimes there's only space for prep at venues for only one side of the party, booking a dedicated prep studio can definitely solve that issue!
Book suppliers in one go
It can be pretty overwhelming to get all your suppliers sorted, but when it comes to getting ready for your big day - there's a million and one choices. Your venue can likely recommend some, but so can your prep studio! If you want some recommendations now, keep scrolling to read on about our feature in one of the biggest wedding magazines in the UK, Kent edition.
Featured in Your Kent Wedding
All of the content in this blog was shot on a collaborative shoot at The Pretty Prep Studios with fantastic suppliers Ruth Ashcroft Makeup Artist and Lisa Tull Artistry. We've been featured in the latest issue of Your Kent Wedding, so go check it out if you haven't yet!
MUA @ra.mua
Jewellery @navettejewellerystudio
Dresses @bridalboutiqueofjules
Model s @emmalynch1409 @jana_diedrick @elliestrikeprivatex
Photographer @nnastia.photography
Get Ready Room @theprettyprepstudios
