Julie and Brandon got ready at the gorgeous Heritage House Suites in Indiana County, PA. A beautiful victorian home located in down town Indiana, Pa with separate suites and has sooo much charm!
This brings me to one point I’d like to make for future brides.*WEDDING TIP * I know that not everyone has the ability to get ready in rooms as stunning as this, but a few simple things any bride can do to assure that their “getting ready” images can look equally as gorgeous: (just to name a few)
#1 de-clutter-take all those empty shoe boxes, bags full of makeup, purses, etc and put them out of sight for the photographs. There is nothing more distracting than having a gorgeous venue with clutter all around you.
#2 it’s all about the lighting-please keep in mind that if you choose to get ready in the basement of a church with florescent lighting and/or recessed lighting and no windows, they may not look as elegant as they would if you were getting ready in a room WITH windows or in your own home.
#3 make sure everyone’s dressed- having your bridesmaids dressed and ready to go BEFORE you get your gown on is HUGE. Your girls will look beautiful as they help you into your gown and there won’t be anyone in plaid shorts, tie dyed shirts or flip flops while helping you get dressed…this brings me to my next point.
#4 have a timeline– making sure all of your bridesmaids, etc know what time they must be ready by will help ensure things can run smoothly. ALWAYS over estimate how long it will take to have your hair done. One of the number one reasons anything runs behind at a wedding is due to hair and makeup taking longer than anticipated. Keep in mind travel time (construction, holiday traffic, rush hour etc.) when planning your timeline. To really ensure things run EXTRA smooth, have your hair stylist and makeup artist travel to YOU. Not only does it take the stress of running all over town the day of your wedding, but they are on hand for a touch up after you are in your dress. PLUS ….it’s nice to be pampered!
#5 over estimate your time-I mentioned it earlier with how long it will take for your hair and makeup, but also for how long it’s going to take you to get dressed. Sometimes things can take longer (maybe the dress won’t zipper correctly, they can’t figure out the ties, or any other reason) so having wiggle time is key. There is nothing more stressful than getting in your dress moments before you walk down the aisle…..everything turns into chaos. Instead, be ready and able to relax WAY before walking down the aisle. Take some time to laugh and enjoy the company of your bridesmaids instead of having everyone running in different directions to get this or that because time is running out.
#6 bridal portraits- following the timeline AND allowing yourself to be ready in enough time before the wedding starts will give your photographer some time to create some beautiful bridal portraits of you prior. You are paying your photographer a lot of money to capture your big day…so give them the opportunity to do what they love to do…create photographs of you at your most beautiful!And trust me, you’ll look and FEEL more relaxed in your portraits if the atmosphere around you is that way by following the tips I mentioned above.
All of these factor in to what your final images will look like. Keeping all of these in mind when deciding WHERE to get ready will ensure awesome photos! Pshhhh, and guys thought planning a wedding was easy!! lol
I love all the lace on her dress…it fits her personality so perfect! 
Just a few finishing touches before getting into her gown…..
The lighting at the Heritage House Suites was absolutely amazing! I can’t wait to go back and shoot there again!! 
Julie and all of her gorgeous bridesmaids! 
Some people might think that it only takes a few moments to get a bride into her dress…..I think any of you whom have gone thru the process would beg to differ! 🙂
A few Mom moments! 
I love Mom’s face when seeing her daughter all put together! Photos like this are priceless! 
Amazingly gorgeous I tell ya! AND….because she built in extra time, we got to have some “play time!”. My previous brides know exactly what this is. It’s the time between getting dressed and the ceremony or first look where we get to take amazingly gorgeous photos with your fresh hair and makeup! When my brides listen to me and schedule in play time……we can get some stunning results. Unfortunately, when things are running behind, this often times is one of the first things that gets cut….and it makes us photographers very sad! 
I mean…..c’mon!!! Julie, you made my job so incredibly easy!! 
Stay tuned later in the week for more pretty pictures, including the first look, and the reception….you don’t want to miss the reception photos!!
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