What Details Should I Be Photographing on a Wedding Day?

Hi Kayla!
Let's chat details, can we?  I'm talking about those beautiful photos of all the bride and grooms details.  How do you make sure that you have access to the details that you need, and how long should I allot into the schedule to capture these details?  I want to ensure that I'm capturing the details, but not sure how to make sure that they're available + that I have enough time.  Any advice?
Thanks a bunch,
Stumped at the Details...

Dear Stumped at the Details,

Great question!  Wedding days are full and fun...and fast!  And it can be tricky to make sure you're capturing everything - the couple, the guests, the venue, the details, and more!  But, all of these things are needed in order to tell the story of your couple's special day.  So, my first piece of advice is to communicate what you need to your couple.  You want to ensure that you're all on the same page - and that you have the necessary items + the necessary amount of time - to be able to capture it all. 

I find that capturing all of the details at the beginning of the day helps ensure that they do in fact get captured, that everything is clean and perfect, and that nothing gets lost in the shuffle.  I let my guests know that if they can have everything ready and set aside when I arrive, I can photograph them and then we can move through the day knowing that is taken care of.  It lets them rest assured, feel organized, and helps the detail photos all look cohesive by being taken in the same light + location.  I also let them know that I need about 45 minutes to photograph details.  We work this into their timeline, and often times it works out just perfectly that the bride is then finishing hair + makeup and we continue through the day.  

I send the couple the following list of items, letting them know that while they may or may not be including everything on this list into their wedding day, it is a list to get them started.  I also let them know that if they have something extra special (grandma's jewelry, a letter from mom, photos on a table, etc) to let me know this then, so that I can give it some extra love / be keeping my eyes open for it while the day proceeds.  

The Detail List:

dress
veil or hair pieces
rings
shoes
bouquet
perfume
gift for the groom
jewelry
borrowed + blue

vest + jacket
cufflinks
ring
shoes
boutonnieres
cologne
gift for the bride
invitation
 

There it is my friend.  The simplest steps to ensuring you are capturing those details with the attention to detail that they deserve.  :)  See what I did there?  

Let your couples know what you need, when you need it, and for how long -- and often times they'll thank you for guiding them and make sure that you're all set!  I hope this helps you start your wedding days off with organization and a whole lot of pretty! 

xo,
Kayla