Getting married soon? There is one thing you CANNOT FORGET to pack up before the big day. That thing would be your wedding details bag. Typically you give this bag to your photographer at the beginning of wedding photography coverage. We use these items to compose your wedding detail photos!
A details bag is packed with all of the tangible, important items that not only create your final wedding look, but play a vital role in your wedding as a whole.
Detail photos are often at the beginning of your final wedding gallery. Photos of your rings, your wedding day shoes, your dress, etc. Think “opening credits” that set the scene for the day.
So, what should you include in your details bag?
Welcome to my tried and true master list of items you should include in your details bag. Give these items to your wedding photographer and I promise your detail photos will SHINE. Pack them all or pick your favorites.
Your Outfit
Steam your dress or suit and hang it on a wooden hanger. I bring wooden hangers with me when I capture weddings, but it’s a good idea to hang your wedding outfit on a nicer hanger already in case your photographer doesn’t bring one.
Your Shoes
Do you love your wedding day shoes? Your reception shoes? Then they deserve to have a moment in the spotlight during detail shots. Remember, your wedding look is a direct representation of your style, right now. In 50 years you will want to remember what shoes you walked down the aisle in (trust me).
Your Wedding Day Scent
I photograph weddings with our 5 senses in mind. Why? Because when you look at a photo that triggers one of your 5 senses (i.e. smell) you are immediately brought back to that moment in time. Your wedding day perfume or cologne is a beautiful ode to nostalgia, and I love when my couples include theirs in their bag.
Your Vows (handwritten)
I am team handwritten vows for many reasons, but the biggest falls under the “nostalgia” category. Your handwriting will change a lot as you get older. When you look back at your wedding photos on your 25th anniversary, it will be really cool to think “Wow, our handwriting used to look like that?”.
Your Bouquet (+ extra florals)
Ask your wedding planner to place your bouquet or boutonnière in the getting ready suite so it’s easy for your photographer to find. Remember, detail photos are more than pretty flat lays! Ask your florist to leave any extra petals or stems behind to add variety into your detail photos.
Your Rings (all of them)
Include you and your partner’s wedding bands + your engagement ring if you have one. I suggest putting them together in ring boxes so when ceremony time comes around they are in one place.
Your Invitations
Most people keep a copy of their wedding invitations in a memorabilia box, but you always want a backup copy in case that box gets misplaced in the years to come.
I keep little glass cubes, ring boxes and ribbons in my wedding details styling kit to give my photos more depth and add to the aesthetic.
Momentos
This bride made her groom a keepsake of his late mother to fasten inside of his suit coat. She told me about it earlier in the day and I am SO glad she did or I never would have seen this emotional detail of their wedding.
Reception Decor
Planning a RAGER of a reception? Include some of the decor in your details bag! Disco balls, glitter, anything that screams “party energy”.
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