Wedding Details Photos

Why you want details photographed on your wedding day.

The details of your wedding day may be small individually, but when they all come together they have a huge impact on the overall feel of your day. If you don’t have time planned out for photographing them (check out Wedding Day Timeline – How it affects photos. for timeline info) you might not remember all those special little things you did and planned. The little details tell the story of your day and they should have their moment to shine!

From my own experience, I have some of the details of my day. When I got married I had no idea I would ever be a photographer. I got ready in the basement of the church with no good light. And this was before Pinterest was a thing. Yes, people in the olden days could plan weddings without Pinterest. I have some photos of the rings, my flowers and shoes. Nobody told me I should have anything else put together and it was fine. But I want my brides to have photos that are better than fine. I want them to be gorgeous and I want everything from your day to be remembered!

I like to plan at least an hour at the beginning of the day to photograph details. I know it seems like a lot. But I’m also doing getting ready candids at this time so that time goes fast. The best case scenario is when everything is gathered up ahead of time. Here’s a few things I suggest my brides have gathered for their details. You might not have some of these things and that’s okay too. But anything that took thought, money or both, you should have photos of!

• The dress! Of course you have the dress. There’s something about photos of just the dress hanging in a pretty spot that lets is shine and just … be. Also, to have the dress hanging, you have to have a hanger. I suggest you at least have a simple wooden one so we can get rid of the cheap plastic hanger it comes on. Of course if you want to have the fancy hangers that have “Bride” or your new name written out in wire go for it! They’re not as much of a splurge you might think.
• Rings – including the groom’s ring! Often times it’s the Best Man’s job to take care of the rings, which can mean they are no where to be found when all the girls are getting ready. It’s really great if the rings are with the bride before the ceremony.
• Ring boxes – if you want to make sure you have your ring displayed in a pretty box you love grab yourself one of those! You can find them on Etsy or Amazon in about any color and style you like.
• The veil – if you’re wearing a veil, I will definitely use it in some way for some of your detail photos, especially if it has a bit of lacy or beaded trim.
• The invitation suite – some brides spend a pretty decent chunk of time and money on gorgeous invitations. Keep one whole copy and have it ready for details.
• Shoes – you gotta have the shoes!
• Jewelry – Any other jewelry you’re wearing is a big part of your wardrobe too. And guys are not excluded from this! If your groom is wearing cufflinks that are special to him or a nice watch they should be there too.
• Perfume – If you have a specific scent you’re wearing on your day that’s in a pretty bottle, have it ready!
• Florals – Your bouquet, a couple of the bridesmaids’, corsages and boutonnieres, they’re all things you’ve put a lot of thought into. Have them at the getting ready location. Bonus tip – ask your florist to put in a few extra stems of the florals and greens if they have them. Just adding a little hint of the florals with other details help to give a consistent flow to your photos.
• Ribbons and materials – Especially if you’re doing a lot of DIY decorations and you’ve used some crafty materials doing it. Keep a few of those scraps! Just throw them in a box for me and they’ll add a personal touch to your detail shots.

Of course there are a ton of details throughout the day. I make sure to capture as much as I can! Table decorations, desserts, signs and memory tables. I love it all!

Okay, okay, here’s some pretty pictures!