Usually, the first way I dive into your wedding photography is by starting with your detail photos! Your wedding day details are such a fun way to bring your whole album together + find a way to tie in your personalities! Over the years, detail photos have changed in how they’ve been documented, but one thing that I’ve seen consistent in a lot of the photos is the couple’s displaying their personalities. I love being able to deliver detail photos for couples, + hope that this can help you build your own list too!

What details to bring on your wedding day

When you give yourself ample time to prepare your details for these shots, they are able to be beautifully styled! Consider putting these items aside 1-2 months before your wedding in a box together so that you’ll have them prepared. I suggest roping in your wedding photographer and planner to help make this shot come to life as well. The more creative minds there are, the better. Often times, things are added to these shots to bring in your wedding colors, details, or theme! As wedding creatives, we would be able to bring insight and ideas that may be able to help bring some life to these photos!

In my experience as a wedding photographer who prioritizes getting amazing detail shots for my couples, I like to be able to take my time with these shots. Sometimes this means capturing them before the wedding day or getting there extra early to make sure I have enough time + natural light to capture them.

If you want to plan on having your details captured with beautiful styling, I would set aside at least 1 hour of your wedding timeline. It takes time to style your items in a place that photographs well and flows well together, so knowing this ahead of time can help you! Below, there is a list of items you can bring to style your photos, items that you can ask your photographer for and tips to make your wedding detail photos even better!

Here are the 30 items I recommend bringing to style your wedding detail photos (updated for 2024)

1. Your rings- (Make sure that all 3 rings are in one place for this photo + not spread between the two of you on the day)
2. Your full invitation suite (2 copies help to be able to get more variations of this shot)
3. Stamps that match your wedding theme + go with your invitation suite
4. Wax seals, if used with invitation suite
5. Ribbon to accent the color palette of your wedding (silk ribbon is recommended)
6. Wedding day jewelry – necklace, earrings, bracelet, rings
7. Wedding day Perfume
8. Your flower bouquet
9. Boutonniere
10. Vow books
11. Handwritten letters to each other (old or new)
12. Wedding day gifts
13. Cake toppers
14. Pet- items to include your furry friends (collars, drink tags, drink menu, etc.)
15. Your wedding day shoes
16. Loose florals for your full styled detail shot
17. Your dress
18. Your veil
19. Your wedding day clutch purse if you have one
20. any sentimental heirlooms that you want to include from your relationship or family members
21. polaroids of the two of you or old pictures
22. an upscale styled wedding dress hanger so your outfits aren’t on plastic hangers
23. Cologne
24. watch
25. Belt and/or suspenders
26. Suit
27. Tie
28. Handkerchief
29. Cuff links
30. Favors
31. Bridal party Gifts
32. Custom ring box that has your initials or wedding colors on it
    

Hopefully, this list gives you some inspiration on what to include in your wedding day details box for your photographer. Below is a list of potential items that your photographer could also add to uplevel your details shot!

Things you can ask your wedding photographer to bring for your detail shot

Often times, wedding photographers will have a stockpile of styling items from different weddings they’ve done and can re-use some items for your wedding! If you let them know your vision and ask them if a certain type of shot is possible, they will more than likely have some items in their kit they can bring. Here are some things your photographer may be able to bring to style your photos!

• Ring dishes to hold your rings
• Styling Blocks to create depth in your invitation suite
• floral rings to hold your florals so they stand straight up when being styled
• dental wax to hold your rings in place if you want them to stand straight up in a photo
• A ring box incorporating your wedding colors
• stylized wedding hanger
• vintage stamps
• trinket items that match your aesthetic of your wedding
• something with texture (herbs, teas, etc)

Tips to make your wedding day detail photos even better

1. Ask your florist ahead of time for flat lay florals and be specific with what you want. Do you want heavy blooms (with the flowers used?) Do you want more greenery? Maybe a mix of both? Make sure you are clear on what you want your detail photos to look like. Often time, it’s helpful to have inspiration pictures for florists so they can understand your vision. It helps if you touch base with your photographer on what they’re thinking for this photo. Often times, I will have an entire call dedicated to flay lay details if my clients want that.
2. Clean your rings! Your rings are going to be the focus of a lot of detail photos, so having them clean will help elevate those shots!
3. Try to remove any fingerprints from cologne or perfume bottles! Your photographer will know this especially if photographing them for details, but you can also use a cloth in your detail kit to make sure these things stay clean!
4. Make sure that your florist knows what time your photographer is arriving to start details. You don’t want to spend 1-2 months creating this shot in your head of what it will look like, only to realize you never communicated to your florist that the photographer’s start time was earlier than they anticipated. In this case, see if they can drop off flat lays to you first thing in the morning before setting up the ceremony/ reception space. This makes sure that the shot is able to be cohesive with your album. Without florals, the shot will seem a little bare.
5. Set aside 1 hour of time for full styling of detail shots and allow your photographer to shoot those first before anything else. This gives enough time to get the photos done, before the chaos of the day ensues, because they likely won’t get another chance to photograph them.

If you’re getting married and want someone who’s obsessed with your details, let’s chat. Fill out an inquiry form here. I’m based out of New England on the East Coast, but travel all over!