Photographers: the wedding day is here! You are so excited to capture such an important day in the lives of your clients! You have walked with them through the entire process, and cannot wait for them to officially become Mr. and Mrs!! The day begins by you arriving to the bride’s getting ready location. You give her the BIGGEST hug, she introduces you to her closest friends and family, in addition to her sweet Mama!! You are getting so pumped to photograph all of the details that are so important to your bride, BUT details are missing…the bouquets haven’t arrived yet, the complete invitation suite is in one of the bridesmaid’s cars who is still getting ready at the hair salon, etc. Friends, this has happened to me – please, let me know I’m not the only one!

As photographers, we know that wedding days get very busy! BUT there is a way to ensure that the day starts off as a positive one! Today, I’m so excited to share with you my number one tip to ensuring that all of the bridal details are captured on a wedding day! I truly believe that sharing this tip with my brides ahead of time has resulted in a successful start to the day!

Side Note: If you haven’t noticed, I am personally in love with wedding details – I think a little too much! I’m obsessed! Anyone else with me?! I LOVE that wedding days start off with the details! It allows me to get my creative juices flowing! Confession time…when I’m shooting bridal details I even have to set a timer on my phone for myself because I can lose track of time 😀

As a bride, this is the day you have dreamt about since you were a little girl! You have spent hours upon hours tying ribbons, selecting patterns and colors, all to make sure your day is perfect in every way! Even more importantly, you have picked out the dress that was made just for you, your jewelry, your veil, the bouquet, family heirlooms, etc. that you will wear as you walk down the aisle to marry the love of your life (I’m getting a little teary eyed over here just thinking about this!).  As your photographer, I want to ensure that all of these details are captured so that you can look back and remember them always!

About a month before the wedding day, I will send a Bridal Prep Checklist email to my brides! This email will include a list of items I have asked my brides to have ready specifically at her getting ready location. I do this to ensure I can get started with photographing the bridal details right away! Most likely, the bride is finishing up her hair and makeup when I arrive, so I’ll usually encourage my brides to assign a bridesmaid to show me where these items are located!

This year I just started sending out this checklist to my brides! Let me tell you – I was absolutely blown away by the results!! 

Below, is an example of how the day began with one of my dear brides, as a result of emailing her the checklist! I’m not making this up!:

1. 1. While the bride was getting her hair and makeup done, the bridesmaids took me upstairs to the room that they had cleaned out that ALSO had ALL of details from the Bridal Prep Checklist ready to go! I was absolutely speechless!
   2. This room had multiple windows, as well! Yay natural light!!
   3. The dress was hanging up – out of the bag – on a customized hanger!
   4. All of the rings, including the groom’s wedding band were in a box on a table…
   5. And I could go on and on!

Because…

1. 1. This saved SO much time!! I didn’t have to search for all of the details.
   2. I was able to photograph all of the details together and have variety in my images!
   3. Lastly, none of the details were missed!

If I had never sent out that email, the day might have looked a little more like this…

1. I would probably have been running around to find all of the details…
2. I would have had to ask the bride or bridesmaids where “this or that” was and
3. I probably would have missed photographing some of her details.

Instead, ALL of the details were in one room, in one place, ready to go. Woohoo!

To ensure, that you are successful in communicating your bridal prep preferences to your brides, as well, I’ve included the exact checklist that I send to my brides for you! See below! Enjoy!

Bridal Prep Checklist

• • Wedding Dress

• • Custom Hanger

• • Rings (All three rings, including the groom’s wedding band,  should be at the bride’s getting ready location! :D)

• • Veil & Hairpieces

• • Shoes

• • Earrings

• • Necklace // Other jewelry

• • Keepsakes

• • Perfume

• • Complete Invitation Set & Save the Dates

• • Bouquets (delivered to the bride’s getting ready location)

• • Bouts (delivered to the groom’s getting ready location)

• • Gifts
  • Bride’s purse or clutch