How to have AWESOME wedding detail photos!

It may surprise you to learn that one of my favorite parts of the wedding day is photographing all. the. details! When I first arrive to the venue, after I’ve given my bride a big bear hug and met all of her beautiful bridesmaids, the first thing I do is get all the pretty pretties out for detail shots!! I love to arrange and style all the bridal details in beautiful flat lays that will make stellar additions to blog posts, wedding albums, and gallery slide shows. My brides put SO much work into their wedding day details, and I love capturing them!

To make this process totally painless and super smooth, I ask my brides put together a “detail box” before their wedding day. The detail box (or it can be a bag!) can have basically anything in it, depending on what kind of details you have. Detail boxes help make for fantastic wedding photos, and my brides love that they can do something before the wedding day to help ensure fantastic photos. Here are a few ideas for putting together your “detail box” and making sure your wedding photographer gets some awesome shots! 

WHAT GOES IN YOUR DETAIL BOX?

1. PAPER PRODUCTS

Make sure to keep an extra invite or two for your wedding day. I love shooting these amongst the flowers or even a bridesmaid dress or veil! If you have an extra envelope, slap a cute stamp on one. Grab a program and any other paper details too! 

2. WEDDING AND ENGAGEMENT RINGS

You’ll want to wear your rings in your pre-wedding portraits (even if you aren’t technically married yet!) but they can start the day with me. Ring shots are the best! Don’t forget to have them cleaned for the big day. You want that baby to shine!!!

3. JEWELRY AND GARTERS

Determine ahead of time exactly what jewels you’ll be wearing on your wedding day (if any) and set them aside for me before you get ready. Bling always makes for good photos! If you’re wearing a garter, that can be a great item as well.

4. SHOES

Wear your flip flops and Crocs to the hair salon and leave the fancy shoes for me! You can also leave a pair of your bridesmaid’s shoes if those are super sweet, too. 

5. A CUTE DRESS HANGER

This one is easily forgotten! Y’all, the plastic hanger from the dress shop just isn’t cute. I always bring wooden hangers to every wedding, but if you want something more custom, like these personalized hangers or this cute one showing off your new last name, that would be awesome!

6. FAVORITE PERFUME

Another one that people forget often, but it makes for fabulous photos! Even if you aren’t a perfume chick (like me!) a really pretty bottle that matches your wedding colors looks amaaaazing. Bring if your great-grandmother’s antique perfume bottle if you don’t have our own. Family details always make for a memorable photograph!

7. GROOM DETAILS

See if your groom minds giving up a few of his details a bit longer and stick a bow tie or some cuff links in the box too! 

8. FLOWERS

Now these guys don’t have to go in the box, but if your flowers can be there within the first hour your photographer arrives, I love working them into some detail shots. Flowers always give a fantastic pop of color and usually tie your wedding colors in throughout the detail photos. If your flowers can’t be there bright and early, no worries! We get plenty of shots throughout the day.

9. HEIRLOOM PIECES

Any heirloom pieces that are special to you are the perfect sorts of things to include. Whether you have something old, new, borrowed, blue or all of the above, I’d love to capture it. Our families are a huge part of who we are and are often a huge part of the wedding. I love being able to incorporate any and everyone you love into your photographic story!

10. ODDS AND ENDS

I always bring a styling kit to help pull everything together, but if you have any elements from your wedding that you’d also like photographed, throw them in the box! Some fun ideas, depending on the theme of your day, are wine corks, succulents, seashells, loose ribbons, jewels, loose florals or greenery, and ring boxes. Again, I bring a lot of these things, but if you have anything that’s specific to your day’s theme and colors, definitely bring them along!

Happy Planning!

xoxo,