When I arrive to photograph a wedding, there are a few things I always ask to have ready for me so I can roll right into detail photos as soon as I get there. It's super helpful and efficient if all of these items are together in one place when I arrive, so I can grab them and go.
The Dress Go ahead and get it out of its plastic or protective bag and have all the tags cut off and tissue paper or card board pulled out. If you have a special hanger, go ahead and put it on that hanger. When it's time to do your dress shots, which I usually do right before the bride gets dressed, I can grab that beautiful dress and get to work without having to wait for it bet to be unwrapped and prepped.
The Rings The rings are a super important detail and a huge part of the story of your wedding day, and they add beautiful sparkle and personality to your detail photos. The best time to photograph the rings is while photographing all the other details in the first part of the day. I always reiterate to my brides that they need to make sure the BRIDE has the rings at the beginning of the day. They can be given to whoever will be in charge of them once the photographer is done with them. There's a good chance that if this doesn't happen during the details photos at the beginning of the day, it'll get lost in the shuffle and won't happen at all.
The Bouquet You'll definitely want shots of that amazing bouquet, and this is another thing that is unlikely to happen if it doesn't happen with the rest of the details. It is super important to make sure your florist delivers the flowers before your photographer arrives, and they should be delivered to wherever you will be getting ready. If you've made one from silk flowers, have it out and placed with the rest of you detail items.
Extra Blooms Let your florist know that any extra scraps of greenery or blooms can be put into a plastic bag and delivered with your flowers instead of being discarded. They look amazing in your detail photos, really tying it all together. Plus, your florist has very likely had this request before and will know exactly what you're looking for.
Your Perfume Sometimes, the bottles are so pretty, so if yours compliments your details, add this to the items you set aside for the photographer. If they can use it, it makes a beautiful addition. And if they don't putting the perfume on makes a pretty photo too.
Your Jewelry and Accessories Your earrings, shoes, bracelet, the handkerchief that was your grandma's, the sixpence from your dad... Any important little details that you'll be wearing or are meaningful should all be ready and placed with your details. Make sure your jewelry's tags have been removed if it's new.
An Extra Set of Stationary Grab an extra invitation suite with envelopes. These are so pretty and make great photos that really tie in your wedding theme to the details photos. Rings look great on them, and the flowers will complement them so well!
The Groom's Details For the groom, I suggest having his shoes, tie, boutonniere, watch, cuff links, and any other accessories that hold meaning. Again, they should be set out somewhere in his getting ready space that is easily accessible to the photographer upon their arrival.
All of these details are things I go over with my couples when we do their final meeting before the wedding. We also cover ways to keep everything running smoothly, the family photos, the timeline for the day, and of course, the things to have ready for me when I arrive to get things off to a smooth and productive start. These are definitely things you'll want to cover with your photographer on the day of the wedding as well in order to get the most out of your time with them on your day.
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