Many photos for the big day will be taken in the bride's dressing room. This room can be a big suite with great natural light and plenty of space, or it can be cramped and crowded and in need of some lighting help. There are a few things you can do to make the best of any dressing room.

Clear the clutter – Remove everything that isn't necessary and will have little significance in your images. All those extra chairs, tables, and the unused lamp in the corner need to go. Empty boxes, dress bags, makeup kits, hangers and other items are also distracting and can take a great image to a bad image in 1/60 of a second. Keep in mind the old rule that if the item isn't helping the image, then it's hurting the image. At the same time, use discretion and be sure to put items back where you found them.

Pick the best angle – Sometimes it just isn't possible to move items. Many hotels and other venues prefer furniture not be moved. Sometimes, pieces are too large to move, or moving items can be dangerous. In these instances, shoot at the best angles to minimize background clutter and distractions.

Shoot wide open – I often shoot my subjects with the lens aperture wide open, using an aperture of f/2.8 or even lower. This allows your subject to be in clear focus and the bokeh, or out-of-focus areas of the image, creates a nice blurred background.

Use a wide-angle lens – A wide-angle lens allows you to capture all the activity and commotion around the bride.

Careful with that wide-angle lens – If you use the wide-angle lens to take group shots, make sure your subjects are in the center of the frame as much as possible. Things on the edge tend to appear distorted and stretched, especially when you are using a fisheye lens or a 16–35mm lens zoomed all the way out to 16mm.

Diffuse window light – Windows and the natural light they provide can be a blessing to a bride's dressing room, as can a balcony, but remember that the very bright light from outside needs to be diffused or the tonal range in the image can be difficult to capture.

The bride has probably been dreaming about her walk down the aisle since she was a little girl. There are a lot of raw emotions present during these last moments before the wedding. Her closest friends, family members and her wedding photographer usually surround her. Now the trust you have been building with her since the first phone call really begins to pay off.

Hair and makeup. Capture the bride having her hair and makeup done, including before and after shots, and many in between. Also, be sure to introduce yourself to the make-up and hair artists. Often they get nervous when someone is photographing them while they are doing their work and worry about getting in the way of your shots. You need to learn to work around them and let them do their work; it is their time to make the bride look beautiful. Build a good relationship with them, and in most cases, if you ask them to reenact something you missed, they will be glad to do it. Always remember that during this time the bridesmaids and other family members are watching you work closely. Be professional, friendly and courteous.

Using mirrors. Many wedding shots are of the bride reflected back in a mirror. It might seem cliché, but that doesn't mean it isn't a good shot. You can be creative and capture some really unique and fun moments when you plan the shot carefully.

Get in close. Using a longer lens, like the 70-200mm lens, can help you get in close without actually getting in the way. Or use a 50mm or 85mm, which can create some great detail shots if the lighting in the room is not bright enough.

Fill flash. Working indoors means you have to add a little light sometimes to get the proper exposure. Use a little fill light so as not to get a harsh shadow. In your on-camera flash, there is usually a white card that can slide out. Rather than pointing the flash at the subject, try pointing it up with that white card sticking out. That card acts as a small reflector and will allow enough light to "bounce" onto to subject filling in the subject. Another way to add fill light is by using a third-party light modifier/diffuser, which diffuses light so that it emulates natural light.

Bounce the flash. When the light is really low and you need to use the full flash, it is best to bounce it off a wall or ceiling so as not to get the harsh lighting that comes from on-camera flash. This can be easily achieved by using an on-camera flash. Instead of pointing the flash directly at the subject, which can create a harsh over exposed result, find a ceiling corner in which you can try to "bounce" the light onto the subject creating a natural light effect. Make sure to not shoot into any dark or almost black colored corners as they tend to absorb the light rather than bounce it. Anything white or off white is ideal and can be found in almost all locations.

The wedding dress is an integral part of the wedding day and it needs to be photographed. The bride likely spent many hours choosing the perfect dress to reflect her taste and style. She will appreciate an overall shot of the dress, a shot of herself looking at the dress she picked, as well as several shots capturing the details of the dress, such as intricate lace, buttons and ribbons. Speak with the bride to learn why she chose her dress and what she likes most about it.

Be prepared for shooting images of the dress by bringing a good satin or wood dress hanger with you. Most dresses I've seen are hung on bad plastic hangers. If you shoot a beautiful dress and it is on a bad hanger, then it distracts from the whole photograph. Suddenly the cheap plastic hanger is more noticeable than the dress.

I look for areas in the dressing room good light so the dress can be lit naturally. Keep in mind, since the wedding dress is usually white, there is a chance your camera's built in light meter will underexpose the image. Pay attention to the exposure, and if necessary, manually overexpose the dress slightly. Don't be afraid to get creative with the dress shots either. Try back lighting the dress or shooting the mirror reflection of the dress. Use the environment to decorate the dress. Many times at a nice hotel, there are places to hang the dress to create a nice setting. Don't be afraid to experiment by trying different things; just be careful not to harm it in any way. The dress must be in perfect condition when the bride finally puts it on.

This would a good place to make a joke about woman and their shoes, but the truth is brides spend a lot of time picking out their shoes. I try to get at least one nice detailed straight on photograph of the shoes. Once you have the straight shot, you can also get creative with the shoes. I sometimes incorporate the shoes into the dress shot, and I often look at clothing catalogs and fashion shoes catalogs to get ideas and inspiration for the shoes and the dress shots.

When it comes to weddings and brides, it is safe to say that lots of thought went into every little detail. It might be a necklace that has been in the family for generations or an antique pair of earrings, but there is always something special. It is important to find out from the bride what is special to her so you can capture it in the best possible way. As you shoot more and more weddings, you will discover there are some things that most brides find important even if they forget to mention it up front.

I also try to be a little "nosey" and look around the room for details that will be significant to the couple. For example, when I shot a wedding in the Bahamas, I made sure to include the details that reminded them that they got married there, such as the front cover of a newspaper that shows the date, location, and some of the other events happening on their wedding day. Other details to capture can include their invitation, personal notes to each other, a family heirloom or jewelry, gifts they gave to each other on that day, or initials on the groom's cufflinks. I use the Canon Macro 50mm or 24-70mm lens to photograph many of these details because of its ability to get in really close and fill the frame with the details. One word of caution when using a macro lens; because you are usually very close to your subject, you need to closely monitor the depth of field to make sure your subject is in focus. A slight movement can cause the image to blur.

There is something very symbolic about a mother, sister, or best friend helping the bride get into her wedding dress—helping with the last button or zipper, straightening the veil or tucking a stray piece of hair back into place. While it is mainly symbolic and somewhat old fashioned, it still makes for a very strong and compelling image.

I always want to make sure the bride feels comfortable with me. When she is ready to change into her dress, I let her know that I will step outside and wait by the door until she feels comfortable being photographed again. When I come back in, if the bride already has the entire dress on, I usually ask them to reenact the detailed shots (such as zipping up or button up the back part). Even in the moment of reenacting, you can capture the emotion that is shared between close friends and family members helping the bride. This is one of the times having a female second shooter assisting me during the wedding is really useful. In those cases, if the bride is comfortable, the female shooter can stay behind and get the creative shots the brides will appreciate.

The bridesmaids are the bride's best friends and closest confidants. It might be her sister, cousin, best friend or college roommate. Regardless, the one thing you can count on is that these are the important women in her life, and they need to be captured as such.

Photographing the interaction of the bride and her entourage is easier when you are considered a friend. Be sure to capture shots of individuals as well as small groups. Once again, that rapport you have developed with the bride will pay off here, and help you to blend in without being noticed until you start to pose the group.

Every woman has a mental picture of how she will look on her wedding day, and the "getting ready moments" will be some of her most cherished shots. Shoot all aspects of the bride and her party getting ready, from the details of what she is wearing to the intimate moments with her closest friends and family. You will capture many moments she will want to remember for the rest of her life.