What’s the big deal about wedding details?
While planning your wedding, you likely started with the big picture: How many people should we invite? What venue can host our guests? How about the colors? The weather? Once you’ve got the macro level logistics figured out, you may want to start thinking about the little details that will help make your wedding feel like your wedding.
These unique and personal touches are ultimately what highlights your personality dynamic and partnership for your guests as you invite them in to celebrate your love. When it comes to your photos, I draw inspiration from these small touches to help craft images that feel personal and intimate to your story.
What exactly do I mean by “details”?
Before we jump into talking about details, I should clarify what we’re talking about! I tend to classify details as anything that is not a human on your wedding day, which is why you’ll see multiple spaces dedicated to documenting details throughout your customized photo timeline. It’s important for me to set aside time to capture images that showcase your hard-won design decisions, highlight any family heirlooms that you’ve included through your day as well as scene-setting photos that bottle up the ambience of your reception space. Intentional scene-setting photos are the secret sauce for a wedding gallery that fully conveys what it felt like to be in the room on your wedding day, like a beautiful frame surrounding the important emotions, moments and people.
The most common items that I photograph could include your chosen wedding outfits and shoes, decorative hangers, any veil, hat or hair piece that one plans on wearing for the ceremony, wedding day jewelry, rings, bouquets or boutonnieres, pocket squares, cufflinks, personalized socks and any stationery from your day—paper products like invitations, envelopes, programs, and save the dates.
Don’t forget about unconventional details, too, like stamps, postcards or hand written letters that hold meaning to your relationship, polaroids or photo booth strips from , “something borrowed” or “something blue,” perfume or cologne bottles.
Pre-Wedding Prep
While many of my couples identify strongly as “people people” who prioritize photos of their loved ones, styled detail photos help set the tone for your wedding album by capturing the aesthetic and ambiance of your wedding experience. I always start the day by finding a quiet space to style everything before the hustle and bustle is truly under way, so once you’ve settled on the details for your wedding day make sure to gather them all in one place before I arrive. This allows me to jump right into styling your photos so that I can re-join you for finishing touches and getting ready photos as soon as possible.
If having a checklist would help you stay organized, you can download my free wedding detail checklist HERE.
Quick Clean Up
Once I’ve completed your detail photos, I’ll return to your prep room to document you getting ready. To avoid any unwanted distractions in the background of your photos, I highly recommend asking any available wedding party members or loved ones to ensure the room or area that you’ll be getting dressed is tidy. Tucking away bags and coats away, keeping surfaces clear, removing tags and stickers from anything that will be photographed, and wrapping up any last minute steaming will make a huge difference!
For my Sentimentalists: Scent Memory
Our minds have a funny way of holding onto memories tied to specific scent. The sentimentalist in me can’t help but to suggest that my couples have an essential oil, perfume, or body spray chosen specifically for the occasion. There is something truly special about having a signature wedding scent that you can return to on future date nights to bring you back to the emotions and memories of your big day.
When you put all three of these tips into practice on the morning of your wedding, you’ve created time and space for the pre-ceremony part of your day to flow smoothly so that you can truly live in the moment. Looking for more tangible advice on planning your dream wedding day? Check out my wedding planning resources for more helpful advice from an experienced wedding professional!
