Photographing Wedding Details: The Essential Wedding Detail Guide

Photographing Wedding Details

When you have a DIY bride, you know you will have plenty of detail photos to take.  This was the case with one of my recent weddings.  Lisa, the bride and my client, was meticulous about every detail for her wedding day.

The favors she put together for guests of the wedding were succulents that came from a larger succulent the groom had bought for her while on a weekend trip together.  She has gorgeous handwriting and is known for writing fun stuff on chalkboards, so of course she wanted to do that for her own wedding reception.

Why its Important to Photograph Wedding Details

As a photographer for this type of bride, it's especially important to capture the details.  She spent time putting so much together and she will want to remember her hard work.  So I made sure to take pictures of everything. 

But, capturing detail photos is important for every wedding you shoot.  Details are a part of every wedding story.  At every wedding someone spent time picking out all the details that go into the day.  Pay attention to which details are important to your bride and make sure that you are noticing these special details at the same time you are capturing the venue as a whole.

What Wedding Details Should be Photographed?

Here is a good sampling of what wedding details you should make sure to take pictures of when there is so much going on around you!  

• Wedding Gown: This is a detail of the wedding that a lot of thought and money went into.  Make sure to get this.

• Rings: This is an important detail for many of the same reasons as above.  You don't ever want to miss this shot.

• Other Jewelry: Rings aren't the only jewelry that brides and grooms wear and some of that jewelry is sentimental or carefully chosen.  Check with your bride or groom about these details or just make sure to capture them all.

• Shoes: This is an important detail for some brides and grooms.  Some choose special shoes or socks that express their personalities and pair them with the formal attire a wedding requires.  Others add special touches to their shoes or choose designer shoes to pair with their wedding gown.

• Cake: This important detail of the wedding will likely have some special touches that the bride and groom picked out.  Some are elaborate and others much more simple.  Either way, don't miss this memorable detail. 

• Centerpieces: These details are often used to make a statement in the room and add a pretty ambiance to the venue.  Whether they are simple or elaborate they are worth capturing.

• Flowers: Flowers add a pretty pop of color to the otherwise simple palette of a wedding (black and white).  Often this detail has been the subject of much planning and money.  Flowers often tie together the wedding color palette together so take some time to capture the flowers at the wedding.

• Place Settings: If a sit-down dinner is part of the wedding celebrations the dinnerware may be a beautiful part of the room.  Take a moment to capture the details associated with the tableware.

• Invitation Stationery Set: For some brides, their stationary set, including the wedding invitation, is a beautiful detail that they'll want photographed.  Sometimes this detail is displayed somewhere as part of the wedding.  Other times, the bride may bring a copy of this detail to photograph.  It's worth asking your bride/groom if this is a detail they want captured.

• Special Signs/Display Items: Most anything that has been specially created for the wedding day or is on display at the wedding venue is a detail that could be captured and remembered.  Don't pass these things by as you are photographing at the wedding venue.

• Guest Gifts: If there are gifts for the wedding party or wedding guests the is it likely that time and thought were put into these gifts.  If they are on display, look for an opportunity to capture these special gifts.

Tips for Photographing Important Wedding Details

As you are review the images in this post, here are some important tips to keep in mind:

• Shoot from different angles.  Don't always shoot from your eye level.  Get down where the object is or get close it for a different perspective.  Walk around the object for alternate viewpoints

• Allow only the detail you want to be the focus of your image.  This is when it's great to have a macro lens or a lens that can shoot wide open and create some good bokeh.  Open your lens wide, focus and enjoy!

• Harsh Light?  If you're outside, watch for how the light hits your object so you can photograph it without harsh sunlight or shadows.

• Take lots of detail shots. When you think you've taken enough, take more!!  These details were chosen for a reason.  Help your couple remember the details of their day by capturing not just the people, but also the details!

That's all for today!  To learn more about Wedding Photography, check out the rest of our Wedding Week posts:

1. Do You Want to Be a Wedding Photographer
2. How to Become a Wedding Photographer in 7 Steps
3. How to Survive Your First Wedding Consultation
4. Wedding Contract: 6 Things You Must Include
5. 6 Tips for a Perfect Engagement Session
6. Wedding Photography Timeline, Checklist and Shot List
7. Bride Getting Ready: Tips for Fantastic Bridal Images
8. First Look Wedding Photos: How to Capture Romantic Images
9. How to be a Perfect Second Shooter at a Wedding
10. Wedding Photography Lightroom Workflow
11. Edgy, Romantic Wedding Photos Edited with Pretty Presets for Lightroom

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