This is something I can't stress enough.

I've seen a few posts lately about how no one will ever print a photo of their wedding shoes or how ring photos seldom make it into the album. Yallllll. This makes me SO SAD! Photographs of the details you meticulously mulled over for months are so freaking important. (!!!!!!!!) These images set the whole tone of your day. Some of these things will only be really seen in the detail photos of your gallery. These will be the first images you see when you open your gallery. There aren't a lot of things that we as photographers can control about the wedding day (the venue lights, the weather, emotions, etc.), but styling your details to be photographed at the beginning of the day is really important for two big reasons. Athletes, singers, and a lot of other professionals have on thing in common before they perform: they need to warm up. Photographers are no different. Most of us are creatives by nature, but parts of our job require us to be a bit more strategic and check-list minded, when in actuality, we really just want to document your day in the best way possible.

We wake up, we have to check our bags (500 times) to make sure we have everything for the whole day. We have to make sure we eat. Make sure our cars are loaded up with everything we need. Make sure we have our timelines and our shot lists. Make sure we get where we need to be (ideally, a bit early). Check in with the coordinator. Find the bride. Then, hours after we've started working, we FINALLY pick up our camera to start shooting. Details are the warm up before we can start thinking about how to photograph getting ready, thinking about lighting and locations for every other aspect of photos, keeping the timeline in mind, literally all day. Yes, weddings are very planned and very much timed, but we still need to constantly be evolving our craft by shooting in the most creative way possible - after all, isn't this what makes us photographers and not just a rando with a camera??

For me, especially, story telling and documenting your day in a way that feels like you is my number one priority, always. The story of your day begins with everything you've preselected beforehand. So, it only makes sense that those details have a small spotlight in your gallery and/or album. It is my favorite thing in the world when scrolling through a blog post, to start with those detail photos. It sets the whole tone for the rest of the set of photographs.

This is the list of details that I send to all of my couple's for them to have ready for me the morning of their wedding. I always tell them that they can omit or add anything on this list that they are opting out of or that they feel is super important.

BRIDAL DETAILS

Rings (ALL 3!)

Bridal gown (Don't forget a good hanger!!)

Veil

Any additional jewelry (necklaces, bracelets, earrings, family heirlooms)

Shoes

Bouquet (ask your florist for a few extra loose blooms to incorporate into your detail images)

Invitation Suite

Perfume

A Letter + Gift from your groom

Family Heirlooms & any Keepsakes

A velvet ring box (not necessary, I just think they're beautiful lol)

GROOM DETAILS

Shoes

Tie

Watch

Cufflinks

Outfit on a hanger

A Letter + Gift from your bride

Family Heirlooms & Any Keepsakes

Hope this helps you brides prep for your big day!!