Bridal Details Checklist For Your Wedding Day

Imagine this... you're in your bridal suite the morning of your wedding day. You are looking in the mirror one last time before you head out the door to go see your groom for your first look. You start to cry because your WEDDING DAY is finally here and you can't believe how beautiful you look right now (well, of course you can believe it! But it's finally sinking in) ! You are the most gorgeous bride! Every piece that you are wearing right now, every element that you put time and thought into putting together so create this dreamy bridal image today- those items deserve to be documented on there own! The necklace that your grandmother wore on her wedding day, the veil that you chose so carefully that matches your dress to a T, even the scent that you picked out that will forever take you back to this day, you took so much time to think about all of these details and chose to wear them today. On one of the biggest days of your life!

When I walk into a bridal suite or a location where the groom and groomsmen are getting ready, the very first thing I do is start photographing your details. Doing this first thing does 2 things! It ensures that I've documented all of these important pieces and nothing is forgotten through out the day so we only need to focus on the very special and important "people pictures". This also jumps starts my creativity for the day! I absolutely love pairing your rings on top of your invitation, or your perfume on top of your white detailed dress, or your earrings in a leaf of your bouquet! It let's me think creatively when styling each of your important pieces and my brain gets fired up and ready for this incredible day we're about to have! I also just LOVE playing with sparkly and pretty wedding details!

Use this blog post as a guide to help you prepare for your wedding day and make sure no detail goes forgotten! You might even get some ideas that you never even of thought of! Once you have selected all of your details, the best (and safest way) to present them to your photographer is having them together all in one box! This way we don't have to search around the suite for your missing earring or the left heel! Everything is together, happy, and ready to be photographed. This will also help you know that you have everything if you have a box and you one by one place each piece into the box. Now, let's start with the most iconic bridal piece of the day-- the dress! :)

1. THE DRESS | One of the most important bridal details that you probably will have (besides your wedding rings, of course!) is your wedding gown. You spent so much time searching high and low for "the one", there most definitely needs to be photographs of it by itself. Having your dress out of the dress bag, hanging up with tags removed and each layer fluffed ensures that when I step into your bridal suite, I can jump right into photographing it!

2. HANGERS | Your wedding gown deserves to be displayed on something better than a plastic hanger it came with! It definitely makes such a BIG difference in your photos if you have a beautiful, classy hanger!

If you really want to go the extra mile, you can even get matching hangers for your bridesmaids to hang their dresses on! I love getting shots of all the dresses hanging up next to each other before the big day begins and if each one had a different, mix matched, clear or black plastic hanger, that could be very distracting to the photo!

3. VEIL & HAIRPIECES | Big tip for your veil, first thing in the morning or even the night before, hang up your veil with your dress so it has time to flatten and straighten out! Some materials that are used for veils can scrunch up and crinkle very easily. I also love using the veil to add dreamy texture to your detail photos!

4. THE RINGS | Having ALL 3 of your rings together in your bridal suite allows me to photograph them with the rest of your details. Without one, they would look like an incomplete set, am I right? The ring shots are some of my favorite detail photos from the wedding day!

5. SHOES | This is an area that sometimes gets overlooked. You have a big, 10 layer tulle gown on, no ones going to see your shoes, right? I hear you. But think about this.. 50 years from now, wedding shoes are going to evolve and look completely different then the styles that are "in" right now! Wouldn't it be so special to show your grand daughter what shoes you wore down the aisle? You might not even physically have them anymore, but you will have a photo of them to cherish! I've also had some brides who wore these extravagant and gorgeous heels for her ceremony, and then switch to something more comfortable for the reception! I will absolutely photograph both sets of shoes! They are a part of your story, aren't they?

6. JEWELRY | This is where brides can really show off their style! With earrings, necklaces, bracelets, etc. there are so many options that can enhance your bridal image! Just keep in mind the type of dress that you have, you don't want to "over do it" with jewelry that you take away from your gorgeous dress! This would be a perfect opportunity if you wanted to incorporate a special heirloom into your day or something that has been passed down in your family!

7. PERFUME | This is one of my favorite details, by far! Not only are there so many classy styles of perfume bottles, this is one of the things that will help take you back to your wedding day every time you use it. Certain scents trigger your memory and the time and place you first smelt it. I definitely would recommend splurging on a more high end perfume that will last all day and one you've never wore before! You don't want a fragrance that you already have a memory attached to it! This was hands down one of MY OWN personal favorite bridal details because now when Brian and I go on date nights or to special events, I spray my wedding perfume on and I get butterflies. The smell takes me back to October 5th, 2017 and I relive the day in a quick 10 seconds and I fall in love with him all over again. It sounds dramatic and crazy, but it works, friends! Haha!

8. PURSE/CLUTCH | This is sometimes used in wedding days and sometimes I've seen brides pass on a purse or clutch. You definitely won't be attached to it the whole day. One of your bridesmaids will have it one moment, then your mom puts it on the chair next to her during the ceremony, and then it gets passed to someone else and ends up at the head table during your reception. But, if you ask me, I'd rather have my phone, lip stick, mirror, etc. floating around in one bag and not all individually passed around. Haha! Also, it's another detail I get to photograph to help tell your story!

9. VOW BOOKS | If couples chose to write their own vows to each other, I definitely recommend having them be in your details box. This is the very thing you will read from as you express your love to each other and this can be even passed down to your children for them to use as well!

10. HEIRLOOMS & KEEPSAKES | Whether your wearing your grandmothers wedding band, or using a handkerchief that was made from your mothers wedding dress, THESE are the details that most definitely need to be photographed. They've made it through the test of time and has landed in your hands on your most special day. Having these photographs will be cherished just as much as the item itself.

11. BOUQUETS & BOUTONNIERES | This is actually a 3 part section. Having your wedding florals delivered to where ever you are getting ready at is SO, SO important, for many reasons. The first reason goes with the heirloom section. Sometimes I've seen brides have special pieces attached to their bouquets like strips from her mothers or grandmothers wedding dress (pictured below!), or a neck tie that was her fathers that is no longer here with us, or photo lockets of special people tied to the stems of the flowers. I've seen so many ideas and having these photographed with the rest of your wedding details is so special! It helps having that piece not forgotten to be photographed because during the day, there are so many things happening, that one tiny (but huge!) detail can easily be forgotten.

The 2nd part is, you've worked with a florist that you love and you have selected and designed your bouquets and boutonnieres! These deserve to be photographed, by themselves. Definitely! Sometimes boutonnieres don't even make it past the ceremony because of all the hugs your groom is giving and receiving! You don't want to spend the money on these florals, to then having them get ruined, and then that's the end of them! This happens!! So having them present during the getting ready portion of the morning will give me the opportunity to photograph these before they even hit the suits!

The 3rd reason is a game changer for your overall detail shots! Ask your florist when they deliver your bouquets to your suite, to also give you loose pieces that didn't make it in to your bouquets, centerpieces, etc. ! These can be single stems, greenery, or anything really that the florist didn't end up using! You're paying for these bundles that they are ordering, might as well put every pieces to good use, right? Haha! I LOVE using these "scrap" florals and greenery to help style your detail photos! It, hands down, makes SUCH a huge impact on the photos! It adds an editorial look, and everything looks pretty with flowers around it!

12. INVITATION SUITE | This is one of the biggest things that brides don't think of in their "bridal details" category. When really, this is a huge detail! The invitation suite is sent to all of your family and friends and, if you think about it, you spent a ton of money on these. The Save The Dates, the actually invitation, the RSVP cards, the hotel information cards, the stamps, the calligraphy addressed envelopes! So much money and thought went into these, they most definitely need to be photographed. Make sure you have a full set in your details box! If pieces have two sides, make sure two of those make it in the box! TIP* : Have one of the envelopes stamped! It is such a fun detail that will be so cool to watch the styles of stamps change over the years! Then you can see what the postage looked like the year you got married!

13. GARTERS | Who still has their garter from their high school prom? *raises hand* If you decide to do a garter toss at the end of the night, or totally skip it, it is still a fun detail to have!

14. GIFTS - Bride/Groom and Wedding Party | Giving gifts on your wedding day is such a fun way to say "thank you" or "I love you" to your special people in your life. Even if the gift was opened prior to me arriving, it is still a fun part of your day and I would love to photograph them!

15. GROOM DETAILS | Don't forget! Grooms get to have special details too! Same thing goes for the men, the first thing I will photograph when I arrive on a wedding day are his details. These pieces tell HIS side of the story! Some groom details might include--

Shoes
Tie or Bow Tie
Tie Clip
Cologne
Fun Patterned Socks
Flask
Cigar
Sunglasses
Special Cuff links
Watch
Belt
Handkerchief
Pocket Square
Groom Hanger
Suit/Tux
Shot Glass

Your groom has details that are just as important as yours! Make him feel special on his wedding day too! I hope you enjoyed this blog post listing out many ideas you can have on your wedding day that tell the story of you as a bride and your man as a groom! Picking out these details are just as much fun as picking out the rest of your wedding details! Have a blast with it, girly! :)