Wedding Day Detail Styling Kit
One of my favorite parts of every wedding is being able to incorporate all of the sentimental details of the bride and groom into their very own personal album…the florals, the shoes, the rings, the cologne, the invitation suite, and any family heirlooms that hold true importance to my couple’s lives. Altogether, these details will beautifully reveal the love story that each couple holds.
As your light and airy photographer, I LOVE to enhance these precious details, which is why I have designed my very own “wedding day styling kit” to bring along with me on your special day. Through my experience, I have learned how important it is to come prepared with these props, as opposed to relying on what is available in the bride and groom’s suite. As you may know, the colors of every room, including the floors, chairs, tables, etc. are not always the most ideal for achieving consistent, natural-light photographs, which is a huge no-no for me!
With this in mind, I pour my passion into styling your wedding details to produce romantic, elegant, magazine-worthy photos for my couples to cherish for a lifetime. If you are a photographer looking to do the same, or a couple interested in how I work my magic, I would love to share the types of items I carry with me in my styling kit. Let’s take a look!
Styling Mats
The first necessity for styling all of your details is bringing a styling (flat lay) mat to your event. Just like any good photograph, the background is essential. With this being said, styling mats with soft, neutral colors will create the perfect backdrop for your photographs. You do not want a lot of distractions in the background of your photos, which is why sticking to plain surfaces (or with some texture) will be most ideal. Since I am a light and airy photographer and rely heavily on the sunlight, my goal is to always achieve natural, bright, creamy-looking photographs that will illuminate your details. That is why I suggest sticking to mats that are white, ivory, beige, gray, light pink, light blue, or marble. In fact, I have a collection of different styling mats so that I can give my couples options on the day of their wedding or choose a color that most coincides with their theme.
Here are some suggestions for purchasing your very own styling mats (these are my favorite!!): https://oliveandoakmat.com/styling-mats-landing-page, https://www.chasingstone.com/shop, or https://heirloombindery.com/ .
Acrylic Styling Blocks
THIS is a very important one! When photographing details on a flat lay surface, you want to make sure that each item is elevated so that it stands out more in the photograph. This is especially true for invitation suites which are very thin, as well as stamps, florals and jewelry. To do this, just slide your acrylic blocks underneath your details… and there you have it! The acrylic blocks come in all different sizes and are clear, so they will not be visible on camera (unless your props are too small for the one you choose to use). Here are a couple places where you can purchase them: https://oliveandoakmat.com/accessories-landing-page, https://www.etsy.com/.
A Light Reflector
Finding good lighting is always key in my book. That is why having a reflector with me on the day of your wedding will be essential, especially when taking flat lay photos. Simply hold up your reflector wherever there are shadows or not as much light, to add even brightness to your photos. Depending on the situation, I sometimes will use a stand for my light reflector so that I am free from holding it. You can find good, affordable light reflectors, as well as light reflector stands at https://www.amazon.com.
Florals
This is by far one of my favorite props in my whole kit! I have purchased a variety of artificial and dried flowers to add a pop of elegance to all of my couple’s photos. I tend to see which color theme the bride and groom are using for their wedding and choose the right colored florals based on that. I also look at the details they give me, especially their wedding suite, and make the best judgement for which flowers to use. My favorite shop for florals is https://www.afloral.com/ .
Ribbon
My kit is FILLED with ribbon of all different colors! This adds the most romantic look to your photographs. I love to play around with the ribbon on my styling mats to see how it can be tied into the rest of my couple’s details. Word of advice with the ribbon…keep it simple!
Extras
Here is a list of the many extra details that I love to have on me for the day of your wedding:
ceramic dishes (perfect for holding jewelry and other small props)
velvet ring boxes (I always make sure to capture the bride and groom’s gorgeous rings!!!)
vintage stamps (believe me when I say this will bring your flat lay to the next level!)
trays (Etsy and Amazon have gorgeous trays for holding props)
mini scissors (a cute accent and is also functional!)
vintage keys (will definitely add a touch of magic to your photos!)
fabric (this is the best for extra texture)
glue dots and command strips (you never know when you will need these… especially if it’s windy, or you need to hang up a dress)
a step stool ( to get the best angles of your flat lays)
a flay lay styling bag (to hold your styling mats!)
With this all being said, you bring your details, and I’ll bring mine too!
