With so many different things to plan for your wedding, so many vendors and locations, I’m betting one of the last things that’s thought about is where you’re getting ready before the ceremony. Some ceremony venues offer a room for the bride and her girls (and sometimes the guys too!) to get dressed in, but some down. And, if you’re getting married in a church, the room that’s offered is nothing more than a sunday school class room. I hate to add another task to your mile long to-do list but here’s why it’s important to also plan for your getting ready location:

1. You’ll need more space than you realize. Make sure you account for your lovely bridesmaids who are standing up with you, and possibly your mother and mother-in-law-to-be. Maybe your flower girl as well? Everyone will not only need to get dressed in the area but also have their hair and makeup done. If you’re hiring someone to come provide those services, they’ll need a space to set up and work. Will you need to eat lunch? Most people will. You won’t want food near your dress and going from room to room will get tedious. Another thought: Women and their bags, am I right? We always over pack, for good reason, but you’ll need enough space to have all of the previous mentioned AND THEN a tidy and uncluttered area for you to get into your dress. Trust me, you don’t want tennis shoes and a Victoria’s Secret duffle in your background.

2. Your getting ready location shouldn’t be more than 15 minutes from your ceremony location. Your day will already be jam packed and even if you’re not out of time, you’ll feel rushed. You need to eliminate all unnecessary tasks from your day-of-to-do list and extra driving is definitely something you can do without.

3. A blank canvas is better than a cluttered one. This one should be self explanatory 🙂

4. But if you have the option, a pretty decorated canvas is best!

5. Light, dear God, you’ll need light! Any photographer will love you if you provide them with a room full of ample natural light AKA windows! And you’ll love yourself (and your photographer I hope!) once you get your images back and see how much better your getting ready images turned out because of said abundant natural light. Your hair and makeup stylists will also appreciate it!