on the wedding day, the last thing the bride should be worrying about is gathering details for her photographer! that’s why i always have the bride prepare a details box! it’s a box/bag of her details so her maid of honor can hand it to me when i arrive and i can get to work while the bride is getting ready. this eliminates stress for her and for me and it is also a great way for her to let me have my creative freedom with the items she has chosen. i always start big and go small. i start with the dress hanging, add the bridesmaids dresses, etc. then i move on to shoes, jewelry, perfume, heirlooms, and smaller details! this is a great time for me to get warmed up for the wedding day.

so here are a few tips for the bride for her wedding day to help this portion of the day go smoother!

1} have your dress and shoes ready and together! – i cannot stress this enough! i showed up for a wedding once and had the bride and bridesmaids there and i asked the bride where her dress was. she looked confused and i told her i needed to get shots of it before she put it on. her mom was bringing it and we didn’t have time to get shots of just the dress. also, make sure your shoes are clean 🙂

 

2} get your rings cleaned! – your ring is going to be the focal point for detail shots. you need to make sure it sparkles! get it cleaned from the shop you bought it at, most places include this in the deal 🙂

3} think about wedding colors when putting together your detail box – add left over ribbons and fabric scraps and even flower petals from your wedding planning! i’ve had brides include twine, jewels, etc. as a photographer i love to color coordinate, this always looks better for the flow of your album as well.

4} have a bridesmaids dress handy! a lot of times the only place i have to photograph details is on a sidewalk, a dark room, or a hallway. churches usually have ugly carpet so it’s always good to have a dress handy to use as a background for detail shots 🙂 colors are a dead on match and it just looks so pretty!

 

5} have all THREE rings with you, not the groom. i cannot stress this enough. detail shots take a while and if i have ALL of the rings with me, you’re guaranteed to get a shot of them all together. if there is only one thing in the detail box, i ask that it be the rings!

6} a bonus tip!!! bring your perfume! throughout your life, you’ll change your perfume with the different season of life you are in. plus you may forget one day and want to recreate the entire feel and emotion of your wedding day and smell is one of the best things for memory and bringing you back to a special time!