An Unconventional Look at Why You May Want To Include Getting Ready Photos on Your Elopement Day

There’s a reason you hear photographers talk about getting ready photos. But in this episode, Larissa is sharing the real reason she recommends them to almost every couple she works with – and it’s probably not what you’ve heard before.

The Reasons You’ve Already Heard

They Tell The Full Story of Your Day

Yes, getting ready photos help tell the full story of your day. And that matters. An elopement is so much more than a ceremony and a few portraits afterward. The time you spend getting ready is often when everything starts to feel real and when strong emotions can sneak up on you out of nowhere. A lot of couples look back on those quiet, in-between moments and feel genuinely grateful someone was there to capture them.

They Don’t Have to Just Be Getting In Your Wedding Attire

There’s also a bigger picture here worth expanding on. Getting ready doesn’t have to mean hair, makeup, and zip up the dress. Some of our favorite “getting ready” moments have nothing to do with wedding attire at all. They look more like:

• Snuggling on the deck with a cup of coffee, looking out at the mountains
• Making breakfast together
• Playing a few rounds of your favorite game (Larissa is a Catan person, just so you know)
• Listening to music
• FaceTiming friends or family before the day kicks off
• Here are some more ideas here

One of the gifts of eloping is that you get to build a day that actually feels like you. The getting ready window is the perfect place to do that.

The Real Reason Larissa Recommends It

Here’s the one you probably won’t hear from most photographers.

Getting ready photos mean you get to meet your photographer before the most important part of your day – the ceremony.

Think about that for a second. If the first time you’re seeing your photographer in person is at your ceremony location, you’re simultaneously meeting a near-stranger with a camera in hand AND trying to be fully present for one of the most emotionally charged moments of your life. That’s a lot.

When Larissa gets to show up at your Airbnb first, she’s not even picking up her camera right away. She’s just there. Saying hi. Giving you a hug after all the emails and calls. Letting you get used to her energy and how she moves around a space. No pressure, no performance.

By the time you get to the ceremony or your sunset portraits, you’re not meeting her for the first time. You’re already comfortable. And that comfort shows up in the photos.

The difference between couples who meet Larissa right before their ceremony versus couples who’ve already spent a few hours together is noticeable every single time.

The Bottom Line

Getting ready photos tell your story. They make space for the slow, meaningful parts of the day. And they give you a chance to actually settle in with the person who’s going to be documenting everything.

If you’re in the planning stage and thinking through how to build out your day, our Elopement Planning Guide walks through all of this and more. And if you want to talk through what a full day with us could look like, check out our Elopement Essentials Packages or our Custom Packages if you’re building something more involved.

We’d love to hear what you’re dreaming up. Come say hi. 🤙