I am so excited to share my complete wedding details checklist and tips! Detail photographs are some of my favorite to capture on wedding days, because they really set the tone for the entire day! Wedding details can be anything that our bride or groom have chosen to wear, paper details (invitation suites, programs, etc), heirlooms, florals, and so much more! Because this can be an overwhelming topic for couples, I am going to share what I think is the best process for planning, selecting, and preparing your wedding details.

Don’t forget to read all the way until the end, where you can find and download my free wedding details checklist!

Step One: Plan

I know it can feel enticing to start pinning and purchasing your wedding details from the moment you become engaged. Wedding details can be such pretty things, and in the midst of the not so beautiful planning elements like selecting a caterer or making a down payment on a dj, selecting details can be an exciting stress reliever. However, I strongly encourage that you plan for your details before you start purchasing anything. In one of our first podcast episodes, 5 Things to Do Once You’ve Got the Ring, we talked about making a mood board and creating an overall vibe for your wedding day. Knowing whether your wedding day is going to be boho or classic will be incredibly important as you start to select wedding details like your invitation suite or your flowers. Even thinking about the style of your wedding ring and what details would pair well with it is a great idea!

Just as important as a vibe/overall mood, you’ll want to think about a color palette that will help your wedding details feel cohesive. Pinterest has a lot of helpful resources, so try searching something like “Wedding Color Palette” or “Romantic Color Palette.” Choosing a few colors to incorporate into your wedding details will not only help your detail photographs to feel cohesive and inviting, it will help you make other wedding decisions! If you have a color story for your wedding details, you can easily incorporate that into choosing what color or style ties the groom and groomsmen will wear, what types of floral pieces will be at the ceremony, what color linens will line your tables at the reception, and so on!

At the end of the details planning process, you should have an overall mood/vibe and a color palette. Take Megan & Sebastian’s waterfront Vow Renewal at the Waters in Oshkosh for example. They chose a classic and clean vibe, with an emphasis on white and pops of navy and blush. When you look through the photographs of their wedding details, they flow so gracefully into photographs of their portraits because there were elements that tied each piece together.

Step Two: Select

Now that you have a clear vibe and color palette- it’s time to select and purchase your wedding details! As you search for the perfect jewelry, veil, shoes, ring box, and so on, I would encourage you to compile a collage of photos before purchasing. This will help you to see if it is truly an item you love that fits in with the rest, or if it stands out or distracts. Don’t forget about including both the bride and groom in this process, and think of fun ways to showcase your personalities or interests! Some details won’t need to be purchased- instead they could be meaningful heirloom items like cuff links from your grandfather or an embroidered handkerchief from your mother.

If you are feeling lost about what exactly you should be purchasing or selecting for your bridal details, take a look at some of these photos below for inspiration! And don’t forget to read to the end, because I’m including a free wedding details checklist that will give you plenty of ideas for what types of items you could include in your details photographs.

Step Three: Prepare

Cody and I want our couples to feel absolutely relaxed on the mornings of their wedding days. We typically start wedding coverage by photographing couples details. One thing that makes these gorgeous photographs possible and not stressful for us or the couple is preparation! In order to have as much time as possible to be creative with detail photographs, we ask our couples to place all of their wedding details in one location, in one box, tote, or bag. Furthermore, it is most helpful if the items can be 100% ready for photographs, meaning that all tags have been removed, all jewelry is clean, and the items are organized carefully. If you download and use the checklist included at the end of this post, you can easily grab a box and start placing your items in it and checking them off the week or two before your wedding day. This will help you be sure that each item you want captured is included and ready for your big day!

 

Download the Free Wedding Details Checklist!

I have so much to share when it comes to planning, selecting, and preparing wedding details, which is why I created this freebie! This wedding details checklist will guide you through each step, and at the end there is a comprehensive checklist that you can use as you prepare your wedding details for your photographer! You won’t want to miss it, as it contains even more information than this post, as well as my top secret solution to getting the extravagant gorgeous invitation suite you are dreaming of without breaking the bank!!

CLICK HERE TO RECEIVE YOUR FREE WEDDING DETAILS CHECKLIST!

 

I hope this post was helpful to you as you plan your dream wedding day! Be sure to check back often, as I share more tips on how to plan a stress-free and joy-filled wedding day!

To view more helpful blog posts, click here!

To inquire about our wedding photography, click here!