Remembering all of the little details the night before the wedding can be extremely overwhelming. As a photographer it is SO helpful if you are able to box up all of the important things for your detail shot photos. This is usually the first thing we start with as photographers on your wedding day and being able to jump right in can ensure the rest of the day goes super smooth!

I hear so many brides say "oh shoot I wish I would've remember this other thing" the morning of their wedding. So I am here to provide the ultimate checklist for your wedding day detail shots. 

• ​Invitations. Bring a blank copy of your invite, RSVP card, envelopes and any other special pieces you ordered
• Rings. A lot of times when I arrive for a wedding the rings are with two different people. Put them together and ask your photographer to take them to the correct person when they are done taking photos with them! Also bring the ring box you plan to hold them in. 
• Other Jewelry. Any other pieces of jewelry you are planning to wear can be incorporated into your detail shots. Pack it all!
• Florals. Ask your florist to include any additional pieces of florals that they did not use for detail shots. Most of them will give you extras that would otherwise go in the trash. Also be sure to have your bouquet and boutonniere nearby to include!
• Makeup. Special makeup items like lipstick or eyeshadow can make a great addition, especially if you are a makeup lover.
• Groom's Items. The groom's detail shots tend to get overlooked the morning of. Ask your groom if he has any special items he plans to wear like a watch, cologne, a fancy bottle of bourbon or his tie. Creating groom details are just as important as the bride's!
• Veil. You can also include any other hairpieces you plan to wear. 
• Shoes. Both the bride and groom's!
• Perfume. You gotta be smelling your best for the big day, right?
• Garter. You can also ask for any additional pieces of fabric your seamstress takes from your dress or your bridesmaids dresses to be incorporated. 
• Special Items. We can't forget about the something old, new, borrowed and blue!

Be sure to check with your photographer about what they recommend you bring as well! I tell my brides to pack these things in a box so that it is easy to keep track of and you can start adding all of your items to it a couple of weeks in advance. 

If you have any other recommendations to add to this list, comment below!

Getting engaged is one of the most exciting days of your life! But for many of us it is quickly followed by lots of questions. When is the wedding? What kind of dress will you get? Do you know what colors you'll use?

This can cause some serious anxiety. Yes, most of us have dreamed of our wedding our entire lives, but when it is staring at you head on we might not know where to start. 

As a wedding photographer I have had more experience than most when it comes to wedding. However, when I got engaged in July I felt like I had no idea where to start. Now that I am nose deep in the planning process I want to take a moment to share some tips on how to get started!

1. Take a Breath

My biggest piece of advise is to not jump right in the day after you get engaged. You're entire engagement will be filled with planning and meetings so take a week or two and just enjoy the newly engaged bliss!

This could also be a great time to start talking with your fiancé about some surface level planning. Like the season you would both prefer or the color scheme. Nothing too in detail though just yet!

2. Create a Guest List

This is the perfect place to start the actual planning process! Before you can really start planning anything it is important to know how many guests you want to have. It is important to note that the more people you invite the more expensive your venue and catering tend to be.

Personally, I started by creating a shared Google Sheets document that both myself and my fiancé had access to. In this document we began a list of the people we would absolutely want at our wedding. We also used color coding to group couples and families in this list. To expand on the list we added a column for their address, their relationship to us and whether or not we had already given them a save the date. 

This excel sheet has quickly become the backbone of all of our wedding planning. We went on to create a budget per vendor table and later wrote our actual costs and how much we had paid so far. It is super helpful to have a central place to go and look at where you are in the planning and spending process!

3. Choose a Venue

The next step is to secure a date, in order to do that you need a venue! Find 5 venues you absolutely love and ask for their availability (especially if you have a certain month in mind) and then schedule tours!

Once you have a venue you will be able to start inquiring with other vendors and let them know what your date is so they can make sure they are available. One thing to note, if you have a vendor you ABSOLUTELY want, let's say a photographer, you can reach out to them first and ask what dates they have available before locking in on a venue. This is a great option if you aren't totally sold on having a certain venue but would rather prioritize something else. 

From this point the real fun is about to start! All the little details. Don't be afraid to ask for help and lean on your bridal party because I guarantee they want to help in any way they can. 

Helping my brides plan their weddings beyond just photography has become something I really enjoy. If you ever have any questions about the planning process feel free to reach out. I also recommend heading over to the Bride Tools section of this site and checking out the Vendor Catalog for some other suggestions on vendors to book after the venue!