EVERY WEDDING HAS THESE 3 THINGS:
Love.
Laughter.
& Hairspray
hi. me again with another wedding day tip... this one I learned from a mother-of-the bride who learned the hard way, then passed her hard-earned knowledge on to me.
on your wedding day, hairspray can be your best friend, but it can quickly become a nightmare.
SO, before your and your bridesmaids all gather around your grandma's antique dining room table and start throwing down with curling irons and bobby pins, I would suggest picking up some WHITE plastic table cloths.
YES, these. from Walmart (shown above), Party City, or Dollar General. They are typically between $1 -$2, and will save you A LOT of headache.
BUT HERE IS THE KICKER. THEY MUST BE WHITE.
before you choose a blush pink or a soft buttery yellow, know that any color you choose will likely create a color cast in your photos. because these plastic table cloths are reflective, they will bounce light back into the room. choosing white will help turn your getting ready space into a life-size softbox with bright, flattering light. natural light will reflect through the room, which makes for a happy photographer and make-up artist!
BUT WAIT. there's more.
thinking back to school picture day, church directory photos, or the outdated headshot that graces your LinkedIn profile, do you remember the studio set up? I am guessing you probably saw some light stands like THESE.
essentially, this is a light with a semi-opaque fabric over it to diffuse the light, called a diffuser. sometimes they look like umbrellas, sometimes they are no bigger than a postcard, and sometimes they can have a reflector on the back. regardless, they mostly do the same thing - they soften harsh light.
SO, taping white tablecloths over the windows in your home will soften the outside light and keep your windows protected from hairspray (just be mindful of the tape on your walls and trim!) Overall, this will take very little time, cost about a dollar or two per window, and save you A LOT of time scraping and scrubbins (or eek, maybe even refinishing) your furniture. and the best part is, you can't really tell in the photos. there is enough brightness coming from the windows, and many photographers use a very shallow focus for getting-ready photos. these plastic tablecloths just dissolve into the background.
So, you've read this. And you think it's a great idea. Really.
but then you have a thousand things to remember the week of your wedding and if you add one. more. thing. to your "to-do" list, you will literally scream... i got you.
stop by me next blog post where I share my tricks for removing hairspray from just about anything.
until then, happy wedding planning,
gracie
