What To Include In Wedding Detail Photos?

As a wedding photographer, there’s an art to capturing the finer details that make your big day truly unforgettable. The detailed photographs set the scene and story, capturing the true essence of your wedding’s style and narrative. Starting the day with these shots ignites our creative spark for the rest of the day.

The Significance of Wedding Detail Photos

Your wedding’s visual story starts with detail photography. Collaborating with planners beforehand helps us align our creative vision with the overall aesthetic, ensuring every detail complements the grand picture. Wedding detail photos capture the essence, personality, and unique touches of your special day.

Those photographs capture the intricate details of your love story, such as delicate lace, vibrant colors, and rings symbolizing commitment. As a result, your wedding album will be a treasure trove of cherished moments filled with depth, emotion, and memories. Details like these narrate the beauty and individuality of your celebration for years to come.

close up of the wedding invitation which are part of the wedding detail photos

The Bride’s Essentials

Every detail is important, from the dress and veil to the invitation suite and cherished jewelry items. Your rings, bouquet, vow book, and personal touches encapsulating “something old, new, borrowed, blue” contribute to the narrative. Ensuring these items are ready and collected in one place streamlines our process and guarantees a seamless wedding photography session.

  1. ALL 3 rings – if all 3 are with you, your photo team will be able to photograph the full set. We’ll have time to get them to whoever will be holding them afterward.
  2. Dress and veil
  3. Shoes
  4. Jewelry
  5. Bouquets and/or loose florals – most florists are great about giving you a few loose flowers/greenery for styling details. You can’t assume they’ll do it unless you ask. Also, make sure these florals arrive by the time that these detailed photos will be taken.
  6. Invitation suite (2 copies of the full suite, if possible)
  7. Something old, new, borrowed, blue
  8. Perfume
  9. Vow book
  10. Any extra ribbon, accents, or items of significance that represent the day
  11. Any gifts or notes from one another
  12. Guest welcome bags or favors

Groom’s Detail Photo Essentials

For grooms, it’s about showcasing the tailored elegance. Suits, ties, cuff links, and all the finer elements like boutonnieres and vow books add depth to the visual story. Just like with the bride’s items, consolidating these essentials ensures we can focus on creating stunning imagery.

  1. Invitation suite (2 copies of the full suite, if possible)
  2. Boutonniere
  3. Suit
  4. Tie
  5. Shoes and socks
  6. Cufflinks
  7. Watch
  8. Cologne
  9. Handkerchief
  10. Belt/suspenders
  11. Vow book
  12. Ribbons, accents, or anything special that represents the day
  13. Any gifts or notes from one another
  14. Guest Welcome Bags or Favors

Maximizing the Detail Photography Session

The key to your wedding’s success is a collaboration between us (the photography team) and you, the Bride & Groom. Preparedness allows us to hit the ground running, capturing those intricate moments without delay. To ensure this, we provide a questionnaire that we ask our couples to fill out 90 days before the wedding day, followed by a phone call to review the answers. During the call, we’ll organize our timeline and game plan for the day, including where the rings and other items for the detail shots need to be. Our aim is not just to snap photos but to craft timeless visual tales that you’ll cherish forever. 

Final Words

Detail photos are the backbone of your visual memories. Putting these essentials in place before your wedding will enable us, your photographers, to weave an artistic narrative that captures the beauty and essence of your day.

What we’ve explained here are the details that are photographed early in the day while the Bride and Groom are getting ready. We also take detailed shots of the Ceremony and Reception spaces before the guests enter as well.

With skill, passion, and an eye for the extraordinary, we will tell your story!

Contact Ralph Deal Photography

Wedding invitation laid out with the bride's wedding heels on the upper left corner