11 Must Have Wedding Detail Shots

Details, details, details are one of my favorite parts of a wedding that I photograph. Brides and grooms put a lot of time, thought , energy and money into the details of their wedding day. After their wedding day has come and gone. The top tear of the cake has been frozen, flowers begin to wilt, dress gets hung in the closet ,their wedding images are one of the things that they will be able to go back to remember their day.  When you see a photograph a memory pops into your head of the day and time. Emotions come along with those memories. Being there to document your couples day is a honor. Photographs of the details from your couples wedding gets to live on. Incorporating detail shots into an album help tell their story. Your bride and groom can relive the best day of their lives by flipping through their album. Believe me they will love you for it! With every detail shot I take a vertical and horizontal image. I call these my “safe shots”. After I get what I need then its time for me to get more creative! Question? What do you do if you are shooting in a “getting ready” location i.e Hotel room and it looks nothing like the design or theme of the wedding… take a bridesmaids dress ( ask permission first) find an area with good light and drape it up on a chair. Use the fabric of the dress to use as a background to your detail shots. That way you have a primary color that is used in the wedding!

#2 The ring/ jewelry 

Who doesn’t love a beautiful shot of some gorgeous jewelry! Using a macro lens will get beautiful details of the diamonds. Lay the jewelry out in different ways and see what works best for you. I love shooting jewelry and the ring right by a big open window for some beautiful natural light.

#3 The shoes

To say I’m partial to shoe detail shots is a joke. I am obsessed with shoe shots! Don’t know exactly why but I love them! Get creative! Look around for different things to hang them on, different textures and wood surfaces. I love a dark wood and contrasting light shoe. It really makes them pop.

#4 The Tux

Don’t forget about the Groom. He might not care to remember what he was wearing but I know your bride will appreciate capturing some detail shots for her to remember. Usually by the time I get to the groom (or my second shooters) he is already dressed. I still take the time to take some detail shots of his tux. Usually they look at me like I’m crazy!

#5 Keepsakes/ gifts

I am a very sentimental person at heart. So naturally I gravitate to shooting keepsakes or heirloom items. It will mean a lot to your bride to document these special items she had incorporated into her wedding.  See that ring in the bouquet. The brides grandmother gave it to her. She recently passed and the bride wore it down the isle. Also there were tiny picture frames smudged in-between the flowers of her close relatives that have passed. Not going to lie, I got a little chill when she told me about it. So so sweet!

#6 The Bridesmaids dresses

After shooting the brides dress I love taking a moment to shoot the bridesmaids dresses. Your bride took the time to pick and choose what her closest friends or siblings would wear in her wedding. Document it.

#7 The Invitation

After all the invitations have gone in the mail there usually isn’t any left over. This is a great way for your bride and groom to remember them and the way they looked. Don’t forget to ask your bride to have one handy for the day of the wedding!

#8 Bouquet

Florist are truly artist! They design some of the prettiest pieces of the wedding. Bouquets always have a better side. Turn it around until you find the best side.

#9 Ceremony Untouched

Theres something so peaceful about the ceremony untouched shots. I like to shoot with a wide angle lens to capture as much as I can of the ceremony location. Don’t forget to capture the little details of the ceremony design. Like petals on the ground, the flowers, ect.

#10 Reception Untouched 

Im going to throw in the cake, table settings, favors and any other special items the bride and groom may have at their reception with reception untouched details. Again, I like to shoot with a wide angle lens to get as many details of the reception as I can, to capture the whole feel of the reception. Then focus on the smaller details such as the cake, table settings, favors ect.

#11 Perfume/ Cologne

I HAD to add on one more detail! Perfume/ Cologne . Its the scent that the groom will remember forever!

Document the details, document the love, document the day! Happy shooting!

Xoxo,

Sarah