Woohoo!  It’s time for another post in my “Wedding Wednesdays” series!  My own wedding is less than 100 days away, so I figured this would be the perfect time to discuss allllll the details that help tell the story on a wedding day.  Fair warning- this is going to be a long post!  Whenever I book a wedding, my goal is to not only capture meaningful moments for my clients, but also provide a wonderful client experience from the time they sign their contract to when I deliver their final gallery.  This includes a bit of client education; what I mean by this is helping my clients learn what to expect from a photography aspect during their wedding.  Today I will be discussing wedding details.

I like to begin each wedding day by photographing the details.  You may be wondering what I mean by the term “details”… let me explain!  The details are the elements that help convey the theme of your wedding.  This can be the florals, the colors in the decor, the bridesmaid dresses, reception signs and decor, the rings and the invitation suite.  Of course, these are just a few of the many possibilities!  While some of the details might not seem all that significant, they play a role in telling the couple’s individual, unique story.  I provide each of my couple’s a list of details to make sure they have ready for the photographer.  Here are some examples of details that I have captured!

1.) Rings and jewelry!  Ahh one of my favorite parts of every wedding day!  Let’s talk about rings first.  I’ve never photographed the same ring set twice, and I love getting to hear the stories behind the ring choices!  Some are family heirlooms, some are custom designs, all are incredibly special!  If you want to read more about rings, check out this post I blogged about a few months ago (also in my Wedding Wednesdays Series).  Tip: make sure to clean the rings right before the big day to ensure they are extra sparkly!  I also love hearing how the groom picked his wedding band!  Was it part of a matching bridal set?  His own design?  Wooden wedding rings have become quite popular, so it is always fun to get to photograph something unique and different!  Necklaces, earrings and bracelets are equally as important as the rings, and often tie into the “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue tradition.”  Some brides may opt to wear their grandmother’s pearls, or maybe splurge on a new pair of earrings or a necklace for the big day.  These are all important parts of the bridal look, so they definitely deserve to be photographed!

2.) Florals!  I am always mind blown at the amazing creations some florists can make, so I strive to capture these works of art to the best of my ability!  From bouquets to floral crowns to floral arches, I just love seeing the combinations of greenery, petals, flowers and even ribbon.  Another cool aspect of the florals is how much they can change from season to season. When you are planning your wedding timeline, try to have your florist deliver your flowers as early in the day as possible, so that way the photographer has plenty of time to photograph them, and they will also be ready to go for the bride and bridesmaid’s photos.  Tip: if possible, ask for some spare blooms- they can make all the difference in your detail photos (the rose in the above photo was the perfect way to photograph the bride’s necklace).  It is also nice to have a few back-up flowers.

3.) Invitations! An invitation suite refers to the entire paper collection that is mailed out to guests!  This can include the actual invitation, the outer envelope, the response card, inner envelope, a card information about the couple’s registry and cards with any other pertinent wedding information.  The design options for wedding invitations are endless, so there are plenty of ways to get creative with the photography!  Also, I love getting photos for the invitation designers to use!  Tip: always make sure you have 2 copies of the full invitation suite for your photographer!  And make sure they are not wrinkled!

4.) Accessories: shoes and perfume! While these next two details may seem a bit silly to photograph, I think they are important because they do play a part in the bridal look.  Shoes and perfume might not be as exciting as the rings and florals, but they are significant because you have to be comfortable in the shoes you wear, and you want to smell nice on the wedding day- LOL!  At least from my own experience, I was very careful in selecting a shoe that is not only comfortable, but also pretty!  As I mentioned earlier, I capture these details because I imagine other brides carefully selecting shoes and their favorite perfume, just like I have done, and I should take time to photograph them because of the thought that went into planning all the accessories.

5.) Decor and signs!  Two words that make me super happy because I love a good DIY project!  To reference my own wedding planning process, these are some of the details I am working on now.  I have checked items 1-4 off my wedding to-do list, so now I get to be super creative with the signs and I am loving it.  The signs and decor really help convey the wedding theme, and have the ability to take a wedding to the next level, at least in terms of overall aesthetic! Whether the wedding is a rustic affair with wooden signs and burlap accessories, or a formal event with classy elements of gold and metallics, I love seeing all the different decor styles.  From seating charts and welcome signs, to table numbers and tablescapes, it is so important from a photography perspective to capture the decor to not only represent the vision of the bride and grooms wedding, but also the creative/artist who made them!

If you made it to the end of this post, I appreciate it more than you know!  I also hope it brought some insight to the importance of wedding day details, at least from my photography perspective.  Hope everyone is having a wonderful week 🙂