- Plan/Schedule the hotel room cleaning service to come early to make the bed & tidy up the room when you start hair and makeup. You don’t want suitcases or extraneous items in the background of your photos.
- Your mom or loved one should be fully ready by this time so she can ‘help’ you get ready. ‘Help’ means we’d ideally like to have some photos of mom helping put some of the jewelry on and helping put the dupatta on. It’s important for her to be ready as the photos will look that much more brilliant and full of color and life.
Notice how Aunty is already ready and looks great while helping her daughter get ready too. 
ProTip: For most Indian weddings, the hair/makeup team is comprised of a few people. One person solely dedicated to the bride and the other artists to get the bride’s mom, sister, and bridesmaids ready. Think ahead about how many people are going to get their hair and makeup done and talk with your hair/makeup vendor team about how many artists will be needed and scheduling. Either pre-set appointments for each person or have everyone hang out in your suite/ bridal dressing room, complete with chai, nashto and other treats (super fun and all your besties are with you the whole time!)
- Most photography teams bring at least two photographers. So the same will take place in the groom’s dressing room with the 2nd photographer.
Imagine this same photo, if dad was not wearing his saffa. It just wouldn’t have the same impact. 
- Assign someone (responsible i.e. sister, bridesmaid) to gather all items; and lay them out on the bed or dresser.
- lehenga or sari
- jewelry – rings, earrings, panja, payal, tikka, bangles
- shoes
For the groom:
- achkan
- saffa
- shoes
- dupatta
ProTip: Lay out anything else you’d like photographed such as your wedding invitation, wedding ceremony program, rings, mangal sutra, family heirlooms that the bride will be wearing, bridal bouquet, bridesmaids gifts, groomsmens gifts.
Most wedding packages come with one room for the couple, the night of their wedding. When you work with us at ShaadiShop to find your venue, we can help you arrange an extra night at the hotel the night before the wedding and an additional dressing room.
{Not Getting Married at a Hotel/Resort? No Worries}
Most Indian weddings take place at hotels or resorts simply because those venues have more spaces and larger space capacity compared to other types of venues. But if you’re not getting married at a hotel or resort, the tips above, still apply. You’ll just need to arrange more help from your family and friends. Make sure the dressing rooms at the venue are outfitted with everything you’ll need – full length mirror, sink, bathroom, chairs.
{Take Aways}
- Day-of dressing room photos are a sentimental keepsake that you’ll cherish forever.
- With a little bit of planning you can get the most value out of these photos.
- Enlist help from family and friends.
- You might also like our guide on planning post-ceremony photoshoots too!
From all of us at ShaadiShop and Randery Imagery congratulations and cheers to your upcoming wedding!
Pictured left: Samta Varia, Founder & CEO, ShaadiShop.
Pictured right: Geeta Randery, Founder & Principal Photographer, Randery Imagery
Contact Randery Imagery, for your wedding and engagement shoot. They provide full service wedding, engagement and event photography. And catch tips from Randery Imagery every #PhotoTipFriday.
Brought to you by
ShaadiShop is a free service to help couples, planning an Indian or any South Asian wedding, find their wedding venue. We walk you through the whole process from discovery to booking. And, venues extend better pricing and amenities to our clients. Visit our main website or contact me to start your venue search today!
Images: Randery Imagery