If you’re reading this blog, you and I have at least one thing in common: you swoon over those detail photos on Pinterest. The photos of the rings, invites and all the other little details you’ve spent so much time picking out for your wedding day. I’ve also been doing this long enough to know that brides tend to forget the same things over and over again (no blame, I know you have A LOT going through your head), hence the need for a wedding detail checklist!

It’s not surprising that the last thing you’re going to remember is to grab ALL of the wedding bands, your shoes, your perfume, etc. so that I can get a shot of them during the prep time.

I normally photograph getting ready for about an hour and a half before the ceremony or first look. After the details are done I move on to capturing you all getting ready and you getting into your dress! This bridal prep time is a GREAT time for me to get warmed up AND for the bridesmaids to get used to me being around. I know it’s VERY tempting for brides to cut this part short when they are only working with a certain number of hours but this time is VITAL. It’s important for ME to get warmed up, it’s important for the sake of your images and the story I’m telling through them and it’s NEVER a good idea to START rushed.

Here is a wedding detail checklist of *typical* bridal details – put them in a box for me so after I arrive and give you a big WEDDING DAY hug, I can get right to work. 

Don’t miss the free wedding detail checklist at the bottom of this blog post!

• INVITATION SUITE: It’s not secret that I’m a fan of pretty invitation suites – they’re the first design element of your wedding that gets shared with your guests and it really sets the tone for your big day, especially in your wedding album. Pro tip: Include your envelopes, save the date, etc. and ask your stationery vendor or a local calligrapher if they’d be willing to address one envelope for your photographer. Chances are they would love good photos of their work!
• DRESS + VEIL: I know… “duh!” right?! When it comes to me shooting the dress, if you don’t have a custom hanger, make sure you have a decent, non-plastic hanger for your beautiful gown. Your wedding dress deserves more than a plastic/metal hanger and believe me, having a classy wooden hanger makes a HUGE difference in your images.
• RINGS: All 3 of them! Many times, the best man ends up with the wedding bands – no bueno. I love getting the ring shots with all of the other detail shots so your final gallery is cohesive. Once the ring shots are done and the bands can go back to the best man.
• PERFUME: If you’re wearing perfume on your big day, let me get a photo of the bottle. Every time you see if, you’ll be hit with a wave of scent memory, knowing that every time you put it on, you’ll be transported to walking down the aisle.
• BOUQUETS + BOUTS: If at all possible, get your bouquet and boutonnieres delivered to wherever you’re getting ready so I can snap a few photos before the show gets on the road.
• SHOES: I realize you may have not exactly been dreaming of shoe photos when you imagined your wedding, BUT it’s a nice touch within your final gallery and album. Some brides only wear heels for a little while before they switch into flats – and HECK, I’ve even had some brides share gorgeous (albeit uncomfortable) heels that they NEVER will wear on their wedding day, but man, they looked good in the album! LOL – whatever works, right?
• JEWELRY: Give me as little or as much jewelry as you plan to wear. I will have you put it all on once you have your dress on – it makes for the prettiest shots.
• VOWS: Now, this one requires a little bit of restraint, but allowing me to take photos of both of your vows allows them to be a meaningful part of your wedding photos. I recommend writing your vows in a vow book or having someone with beautiful handwriting (like a calligrapher like Haley Wynn) write the vows out for you so that way they can be a keepsake after the wedding day!
• SOMETHING OLD, BORROWED AND BLUE (ANY OTHER HEIRLOOMS): These items are wedding day detail checklist classics and they almost always include family heirlooms! Make sure they’re in your detail box so you don’t miss out.
• GIFTS: If you’re going to be exchanging gifts, make sure I know about it so I can grab a few photos of it before it’s opened.

Love this wedding detail checklist? Check out more wedding advice HERE!