Getting the Most Out of Your Detail Photos

Detail photos...

Detail photos are probably one of my favorite parts of the wedding day as a photographer! Now you might be thinking details don't sound that important and maybe it doesn't matter to you if you get good detail shots or not. But I am here to change your mind on that and help you get the best detail photos possible! They truly are an important part of your day. As a photographer, I view the detail photos as a chance to capture and showcase the uniqueness of your wedding day. No two flat-lays ever look the same because no two weddings are the same. Your vision and your individuality really come out in your wedding details. Detail photos really encompass all the little things that come together to make your wedding day special and one of a kind. From the color of your flowers to the style of your jewelry, your details show the look and feel that you planned for your wedding day. They are important photos which is why I want to give you all my tips about details so you can have beautiful photos to look back on and remember all the little things that made your wedding day so special!

The best way to ensure your detail photos turn out how you want them to is to have everything all together before your wedding day. If you put everything together in a bag or a box for your photographer then you can rest easy and know that all the important things will be included in your detail photos. It is so much easier than running around the morning of your wedding and trying to gather everything up. If you do that you might miss certain items that you wanted to be included in your detail shots like Grandma's vintage handkerchief or Mom's special bracelet. It also just takes away from your getting ready time if you have to worry about the detail photos and what to be grabbing for your photographer. Just trust me on this, it is SO much easier to prepare it all ahead of time so do future you a big favor!

Detail photos are often focused around the bride's items and there is nothing wrong with that. Typically the bride has more things to include in detail photos like jewelry, hair pins, etc. But I do think the groom has a lot to contribute to detail photos as well! I love when I can capture some of the little things that are apart of the groom's attire that make it all come together. They usually have some special items picked out to wear for their wedding day just like the bride and I do think there is something special about capturing that too. So don't forget to ask your man for some items to include in detail photos too!

This tip is for the dress detail photos and the bridesmaid dress photos! One of my biggest and most stressed tips is to have some extra wooden hangers for the dresses. Nothing is more upsetting than a picture of the most beautiful wedding dress on a tacky plastic hanger. As a photographer it is kinda a pet peeve of mine! I always have 1 or 2 wooden hangers in my car as backup incase a bride doesn't have one, but I do think it's fun when the bride has a special hanger for her dress. It is also so nice to have wooden hangers for all your bridesmaid dresses too. It brings everything together nicely and there is nothing distracting from those lovely bridesmaid gowns! Even though I carry a few hangers on me I still suggest having wooden hangers for all the dresses. I typically don't have enough for every bridesmaid dress and your photographer may not have any at all so don't count on that! If you want the best dress photos bring along the wooden hangers -- SO classy!

My last tip before giving you the ultimate checklist for your detail photos is to allow time for them! Make it a part of your timeline. I always include it in the timeline when I'm making them with my brides. I keep it separate from the getting ready photos because I think it's important to dedicate time to your details. That way they will for sure get done and they won't be rushed. I love spending at least 20 minutes taking detail shots and trying out different flat-lay ideas. I definitely recommend talking to your photographer about it so you can be on the same page about details!

Save this checklist and use it as your guide when you prepare your detail box for your wedding day! This checklist obviously doesn't include every single thing you could have in your detail photos, but its got all the big ones and some extras. Use this to get your creative juices flowing and then add in any other details that are important or meaningful to you!

Hugs,

Rachel Marie