“Getting Ready” spaces are growing in popularity. Should you consider one for your wedding day?
Image courtesy of Racine Salon & Spa, Top Floor
Your married friends may tell you that your morning will feel like a whirlwind. When you think about it, it makes sense: you’ll be surrounded by your bridal party, your hair and makeup team, your photographers, all rushing around to get glammed and prepare for your big day.
But Brides of Long Island wants to let you in on a little secret. It doesn’t have to feel that way.
More and more brides are turning to “getting ready” spaces for their wedding morning preparations. These dedicated locations are created especially for brides-to-be, their friends, their families, and their vendor teams. Unlike cramped hotel suites with limited resources, or bridal suites that you may not be able to access until later in the day, getting ready spaces give you plenty of room — and plenty of time — to relax and celebrate those precious hours before your “I do’s.”
Why Getting Ready spaces are growing in popularity
We tapped some of BOLI’s Preferred Vendors in our newest vendor category — Getting Ready Locations — for their thoughts on why getting ready spaces have become so popular. They universally agreed that the wedding begins long before your ceremony start time.
“Many brides are realizing that the morning of the wedding should be just as special as the rest of the day,” said Linda from The Beauty Lounge LI.
“A get-ready space gives the bride something that’s sometimes hard to find on a wedding morning: time,” said Rachel with Racine Salon & Spa, Top Floor. “Time to sit down, have something to eat, laugh with her friends, take pictures and actually enjoy what’s happening.”
Image courtesy of The Lovely on Main
“Brides can spend six to eight hours getting ready before the ceremony, surrounded by their closest friends and family, so they’re putting more thought into choosing a space where they can actually enjoy that time together,” echoed Melanie with Coastal Creative Studios. “It’s also an added bonus if the space is aesthetic since so many of the candid and meaningful moments of the day are photographed there.”
“Getting ready has become an important part of the wedding-day experience,” said Victoria with The House of Makeup. “Brides want a beautiful, comfortable space where they can relax, spend time with their bridal party, and enjoy the excitement of the morning. A dedicated space also creates a much more polished setting for those special getting-ready photos!”
“Brides are realizing that their wedding day starts long before they walk down the aisle,” said Valerie with The Lovely on Main. “A dedicated getting ready space turns those morning hours into part of the wedding experience, giving brides a more luxurious, relaxed and intentional way to spend that time with the people closest to them.”
Image courtesy of The House of Makeup
Why should you consider a getting ready space?
In addition to more time and a great backdrop for photos, a getting ready space can help you stay calm and on schedule. “The right getting ready space can help the entire wedding day run more smoothly,” Melanie explained. “Whenever possible, photographers try to complete the majority of portraits before the ceremony, including the first look, couple, wedding party and family photos. Once the ceremony ends, everything moves very quickly into cocktail hour and the reception.”
“A dedicated getting-ready space allows the bride to start her day feeling relaxed, organized, and pampered. It gives the beauty team plenty of room to work, and keeps the bridal party together,” said Victoria. “It creates a calm environment before the excitement of the ceremony begins!”
“There’s something very special about having the entire bridal party together in one place,” added Rachel. “Nobody is running from room to room looking for a curling iron or trying to figure out where they’re supposed to be.”
Linda from The Beauty Lounge agreed. “Brides should consider a getting ready space so that the mood is set for the day,” she said.
“Choosing a dedicated getting ready space allows a bride to truly enjoy the beginning of her wedding day,” said Valerie. “It creates a calm, beautiful environment where everything can happen in one place, from hair and makeup to getting dressed, photography and those quiet moments with family and friends. It adds a level of luxury to the morning while taking away some of the chaos, allowing the bride to be present and enjoy the experience before the celebration begins.”
Image courtesy of Coastal Creative Studios
What can you expect when booking a getting ready space?
Consider your getting ready space your home-away-from-home (at least for those first few hours)! “A dedicated getting ready space becomes your home base for the first half of the wedding day,” said Melanie. “Your wedding party, family, hair and makeup team, photographer and videographer all have room to comfortably settle in and work, while you get to enjoy breakfast, music and time together without feeling crowded or rushed. We want those first several hours to feel like part of the celebration, not just the time you spend waiting for the wedding to begin.”
“Brides can expect to bring their dress and bridal party dresses to the getting ready space to get ready in,” said Linda. “They can expect an atmosphere dedicated to the morning of the wedding.”
Rachel echoed the sentiment. “It’s a private space where your wedding party can settle in and make themselves at home,” she said.
“Brides can expect a comfortable, organized, and fun environment where they can enjoy time with their favorite people while getting professionally glammed,” added Victoria.
“A bride should expect the space to become part of her overall wedding day planning,” said Valerie. “A dedicated getting ready space should provide the comfort, amenities and flexibility needed for the bride, her bridal party and her vendors to enjoy the morning without feeling rushed.”
Image courtesy of The Beauty Lounge LI
What BOLI’s Preferred getting ready locations offer
As you might expect, BOLI’s favorite getting ready spaces offer comfort, convenience, beautiful surroundings, and top notch professionals ready to make your wedding morning magical.
“We want brides to bring in breakfast or lunch, put on their music, have their photographer come upstairs and make the space their own,” said Rachel. “For me, Top Floor is really about taking the chaos out of getting ready without taking away the fun. We take care of the beauty and the details so the bride can be present for the morning.”
“The House of Makeup’s Sayville studio provides a private, elevated space for brides and their bridal parties to get ready and enjoy professional hair and makeup services,” explained Victoria. “Our studio is decorated bright, chic, and romantic for Bridal mornings. We are right off of Main Street just steps from coffees, pastries, and more so the morning feels very intentional! Private studio rentals are available, and we also offer touch-up services to keep the bride looking her best throughout the celebration!”
“At Coastal Creative Studios, we designed the space around both the experience of the wedding morning and everything that needs to happen during it,” said Melanie. “We have two private suites, dedicated hair and makeup stations, a kitchen, lounge areas and plenty of room for the wedding party, family and vendors. For photos, we have beautiful natural light inside, a private garden outside and Huntington Harbor directly across the street, so couples can get a variety of indoor and outdoor portraits without having to travel to another location.”
“The Beauty Lounge LI offers perfect lighting, set-up stations for hair and makeup services, a bridal attendant who serves and cleans up after everyone, and steaming for all dresses for the bridal party and the bride,” said Linda. “The bridal attendant sets up all detail shot items for the bride and helps her get dressed. We personalize everyone’s names on their champagne glasses. A beautifully decorated space meant to feel luxurious and very bridal. The morning of the wedding will be just as important as the rest of the day.”
“The Lovely on Main’s Bridal Suite was designed specifically around the entire wedding morning experience,” said Valerie. “We offer dedicated hair and makeup areas, abundant natural light that hair and makeup artists and photographers love, and a thoughtfully designed space that provides a beautiful backdrop from every angle. We accommodate early starts, welcome licensed hair and makeup professionals, and offer options that include breakfast, coffee and tea. Most importantly, we only welcome one bride at a time, creating a private, personal and luxurious start to her wedding day.”
Ready to book your getting ready space? Check out BOLI’s favorite locations here!