If you’re a lover of the little things, you’re probably just as obsessed with all of those gorgeous wedding day detail photos as I am! It’s the first hour or so of your wedding photography coverage that allows us to capture all of the details you’ve worked SO hard to put together. From your perfectly shined rings to your florals, invitations, shoes, and more, I capture those special details for a few reasons that I dive into here!

With all of the things you have to plan and prep for your wedding day, there’s always a chance something will get missed! Hopefully, this checklist will help make prepping for your morning a bit easier! Try to prep these details a week or so ahead of time, so you don’t have to think about it the day of!

Here are some details you’ll want to consider incorporating into your day! Please keep these all in a box or a bag, so when I arrive, you can easily point me to your details and not have to scramble to find everything that morning!

 

All 3 Rings

I like to photograph all 3 of the rings as a set together in the morning, so please make sure to have them in ring boxes or together for me! We will make sure they get back to whoever will be holding them before the ceremony, no worries!

Florals

I always request to have your flowers arrive around the time that I’ll be doing your details so that we can show off all those gorgeous blooms in these photos! I can’t even tell you how much fresh florals spice up your detail photos!

Loose Florals

Sometimes florists don’t want your bouquet to be out of water too early, so I always ask that you request some extra loose floral stems and greenery that were used in making your bouquet to help me with styling! This adds some gorgeous pops of life into your images, while still keeping your bouquet fresh!

 

Invitation Suite

Please have a fresh, clean copy of your full invitation suite for me to photograph! If your suite has calligraphy on the envelope and an envelope liner, I want to make sure to capture it all, so please feel free to add a few copies of the invitation so I can style it in a way that shows off both sides of each double-sided piece! Some calligraphers are able to write an envelope addressed to you and your partner, which is great for these detail photos!

Any other details that made the paper introduction to your wedding day so special, like wax seals, ribbons, vintage stamps, etc. can be added in! If you have any other paper elements like save the dates, menus, programs, etc., you can also add those into the mix! Again, one clean copy is great, but if you can provide two, that would be even more helpful!

Dress & Custom Dress Hanger

Instead of photographing your gorgeous dress on a plastic hanger or with the cardboard body shape piece inside, I love to swap it out for a wooden or metal hanger! If you have a custom-designed hanger, please have your dress hung up with it when I arrive or have it in your box/bag for me to swap it for you! If you have special hangers for wedding party dresses, feel free to hang them on those ahead of time too! Plus, don’t forget to steam all dresses ahead of time!

Perfume

Whether you’re wearing your all-time-favorite perfume or trying something brand new, I would recommend getting a fresh bottle or cleaning yours up for the big day! It looks really nice in photos to have a brand new full bottle instead of one with just the last few drops left or scratches and wear and tear on it!

 

Jewelry

Any jewelry that you’ll be wearing should also go in the box (necklace, bracelets, earrings, rings, hairpieces, veil, garter, etc.) Please try to decide ahead of time what jewelry you’ll actually be wearing! I’ve had days where I photograph all of the details with the necklace provided and then at the last second, they switch to a different one, so the first necklace in all of the photos doesn’t quite make as much sense! I recommend trying everything on together ahead of time and not leaving those decisions up to the last second! No need for the added stress.

 

Shoes

Please make sure to have your wedding shoes ready to go! If you’re changing into fun sneakers or any other shoes later in the day, those are always fun to photograph also!

 

Wedding Party Gifts

Planning on giving a little something to your wedding party on your big day? Have those laid out and ready to go for them! If you want the contents of the gift photographed, ask one of them to leave their bag or box untouched, so I can capture it first!

Extras

If there are any extra details that you think may be great for styling to help make your details even more unique, please feel free to add them in! This can be anything from loose fabrics, ribbons in your colors, vintage stamps, ring or jewelry dishes, family heirlooms, etc.

Try to keep in mind the aesthetics of your wedding day – if you’re having a very modern chic day, maybe vintage stamps aren’t the vibe. So as you’re planning your big day, be on the lookout for any fun extras that can add some flare to your details!

 

Your Partner’s Details

Please help gather their details ahead of time, so they can also have a box or bag ready to go with all of their details for my second photographer! Although I will be capturing the rings and invitations, there are still plenty of details that they may have like shoes, boutonnières, ties/bow ties, unique socks, cufflinks, watch, flask/cigars, vow books, rings, family heirlooms, pocket square, etc.

 

Your Getting Ready Space

This may not seem like a detail per say, but it impacts the getting ready images greatly! Consider a getting ready room with lots of natural window light and lots of space for beautiful getting ready images! More space not only allows you to relax and not be too crammed in the morning, but also allows me to be in the room to photograph the details instead of leaving the room to find more space or better light. Being in the room means I can pop in and out to capture candids while I’m photographing details! Great light means we can capture stunning images without having to leave the room to find better light or use artificial lighting! We can always pull out into a well-lit hallway or outside if it’s a better space, though!

Timeline

Make sure to send the timeline to anyone who will be in pictures, as well as anyone at the venue who may need to know or compare with their timeline! Print a few copies of your full master timeline and give them to whoever may need it on the day of!

Box/Bag

Again, please make sure to keep all of your details in one designated box or bag so you don’t have to scramble to find anything! I can come in, give you a big hug, grab your details box and get to shooting!

As a wrap up, here is a checklist (broken up by common details for dress attire and suit attire, but please feel free to bring what works best for your style and day from either list!)

Dress Attire

1. Dress
2. Nice Hanger
3. 3 Rings
4. Ring Box
5. Shoes
6. Necklace
7. Bracelet
8. Earrings
9. Veil & Hairpiece
10. Perfume
11. Invitation suite (2 copies)
12. Family heirloom and keepsakes
13. Bouquet
14. Loose Florals
15. Extra styling details (ring dish, loose ribbons, vintage stamps, etc.)
16. Gifts
17. Printed Master Timeline

Suit Attire

1. Suit
2. Nice Hanger
3. Unique Socks
4. Shoes
5. Cologne
6. Cufflinks
7. Watch
8. Tie/Bowtie
9. Pocket Square
10. Boutonnieres
11. Gifts
12. Flask/cigars