I Promise It’s Okay!

Even with all my years as a wedding photographer, there is still one part of the day that gives me a flutter of nerves…having the bride get into her wedding dress! There’s so much leading up to this moment, all the fluffing, steaming, not letting it touch the floor…so why does this make me nervous? Because from that first moment the bride steps into her dress, it’s going to start getting dirty! And I’m the one that’s asking her to do it!!

Even with all the attention and care in the world, there is just no way to avoid it getting dirty throughout the day. So one of the things I tell every bride (and moms/bridesmaids who are just as attentive to the dress!) as we start getting everyone dressed is that this is the moment it is going to start getting dirty. Dresses are designed to handle it though (thank you, extra lining/layers underneath!), and as long as we’re mindful there is no reason to panic. That way no one is going to completely freak out when there’s the first speck of dirt on it.

Now when I say get dirty, I don’t mean something crazy like trekking through mud. I try my best to avoid any crazy locations for photos before the ceremony so everyone still looks perfect for the walk down the aisle in front of everyone. The dress is inevitably going to pick up dirt as it naturally drags across the ground or everyone stands close together for photos. But I promise you it’s okay! It is rare that anything like that shows up on camera, that’s reserved for lipstick or makeup mishaps or food/drink spills, which do happen. And even if it does, do you know what I believe? I like to think a dress that’s a little dirty means you’re having an amazing wedding day! You chose to have a blast celebrating the start of your new life together!!