All you really, truly need to get married is each other, a piece of paper and a witness, but the details do make the day a whole lot more fun and pretty to photograph and of course, provide the perfect way to bring in sentiment, tradition and joy to your day.
Here are 5 quick ways you can prepare your wedding day accessories for photographs (and take away a chunk of stress for a more blissful day too!)
The morning of your wedding day is one filled with MANY emotions and many moving parts. Chances are, you’re probably going to have a late night of last minute meet & greets or general wedding day excitement the night before so it’s always a good idea to be as planned and organised as possible ahead of time.
Get packed and prepped.
It’s a good idea to go through all your details a couple of days before and have them all packed in the same place ready to go. Having them all together and ready to be photographed will save time and make sure nothing sentimental or important gets left out of the shots.
Share any sentiments.
Speaking of sentimental details, it’s really important to point out any specific sentiments that you’ve included in your details to your photographer ahead of time. The prep stage of the day can be a bit of a manic one sometimes so make sure you’re clear. A special locket/stitching inside your dress/love note from your one and only in the morning? We want to know ALL about them!
Stationery sets the tone.
I always like to request a clean invite suite ahead of time to bring with me on the morning of the wedding. Making time to style and photograph the suite, along with any off-cuts from your floral designer, really sets the tone of your images and helps tie in the whole look and feel of your day that you’ve most likely spent months putting together for your guests.
Fresh is best when it comes to flowers.
Often, a mistake that’s made on the morning of a wedding is that the bouquets and bouts get delivered as you’re about to head down the aisle. This maximises their freshness but it’s so much fun to include them in the detail images and most florists will even be ok with including some off-cuts for styling too.
Hold onto both sets of rings until the ceremony
It might be tempting to hand over the responsibility of the rings as soon as possible, but it’s best if they’re will all the bridal details to be photographed before the day gets going. This is especially important if you have any specific engraving or sentimental touches that need to be documented…and who doesn’t love a sparkly close up?
Bonus tip: Window light = love.
Try to keep the room with the best window light clear of getting ready clutter if possible. This way, your photographer will be able to make use of the best light for styling your details while you get ready with your girls. If you know the house or hotel room you have chosen for your prep isn’t the most ideal, have a chat with your photographer and try to plan for a little extra time to head outdoors or into a different space for your bridal portraits.
Have any questions you need answered?
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Happy planning!
Chris
xx
