How to Create a Getting Ready Details Checklist

Your getting ready details are likely to be some of the most meaningful and elegant items from your wedding day, and yet this part of the day is often overlooked. On a day with so many moving parts, it’s easy to forget to make time to accurately capture these items, and that’s why a getting ready details checklist is so important. These pieces play an essential role in your wedding story, so if we are going to produce an accurate visual representation of how your wedding day felt, getting ready details are a vital part of that process.

Plus, as photographers, this is one of our favorite parts of the wedding day. This time allows us to get creative, to settle into our rhythm, and to begin visualizing the carefully curated colors, theme and unique touches that reflect your style as a couple.

These images will enhance the look of your wedding and help all of your images flow consistently in your wedding album. With this in mind, here’s a quick glance into what this looks like on the wedding day, some helpful tips and as promised our “Getting Ready Details Checklist”.

How to Create a Getting Ready Details Checklist

When we arrive on the wedding day, we’ll usually come greet you, meet your family and your wedding party, and spend just a few minutes chatting before settling into photography-mode. Then, we take your getting ready details off to a well-lit, quiet location to start photographing them piece by piece.

It’s extremely helpful if you can collect all your getting ready items in one place before we arrive on the wedding day, as this ensures we don’t miss something you want photographed, plus it helps to avoid a situation where you have to stop getting ready to gather up details from amongst your family and friends.

Sometimes our couples aren’t quite sure what to include in their getting ready detail photos. If that’s you, this checklist should help give you an idea of items most commonly photographed during this part of the day. To be clear, you don’t need to have EVERYTHING on this list, but hopefully it can still serve as a good starting point to work from.

Our Getting Ready Details Checklist

THE DRESS

This is usually the first detail we photograph, so make sure your dress has been steamed prior to our arrival if possible.

THE FLORALS

You invested a lot into your blooms, let’s make sure we get some awesome photos of them!

Bonus tip! Double check that your floral delivery is scheduled prior to our arrival so your blooms, bouquet and/or boutonnieres are readily available to be incorporated into your detail photos. If your florals won’t arrive until shortly before the ceremony we will not be able to include them in your flat lay and/or getting ready detail photos.

Bonus tip #2! If possible, arrange for your florist for a few extra bits of greenery or flowers and keep them with your getting ready details. These pieces can really add a lot to your detail photos and be a beautiful constant pulling everything together in your images.

THE INVITATION SUITE

This can simply be the invitation you sent out to your guests or it can include a lot more! Sometimes couples include things like the dinner menu, save-the-dates, RSVP card, the ceremony program, and more! If it’s paper and it’s meaningful to you – let’s include it here!

THE RINGS

Perhaps more than any other detail, the rings represent your union and commitment to one another. What a powerful & meaningful detail from your wedding day! Needless to say, rings may be our favorite details to photograph.

Do your best to remember to set aside all of your rings at one location to be photographed together. This will be our best chance all day to get stylized, frame-filling photographs of your rings.

THE ACCESSORIES

You put time and effort into choosing these pieces so let’s not forget about them! This can include things like earrings, necklaces, bracelets, hairpieces, ties, cufflinks, belts, pocket squares, watches etc.

If you or your partner are wearing it, and love it, then include it!

THE SHOES

Soon you’ll be walking down the aisle in them, so let’s make sure they get their chance to really shine!

THE VEIL

Your veil deserves to be beautifully captured all on it’s own, but it can also make a perfect accent piece to pair with other details, helping to tie everything together in a cohesive way!

THE MEMENTOS

If there is anything not covered in this list, but it’s special to you or your person (maybe something handed down from the family, or a special keepsake given to you by a family friend) include those here as well!

THE VOWS

If you have handwritten vows and/or vow books don’t forget to put them into your detail box to be photographed.

THE GIFTS

If you are exchanging gifts with your wedding party, or with each other, let’s get photos of those too! This is also a good place to mention that if you and your person are exchanging letters on the wedding day, we’d love to photograph those as well!

We hope this list can help you prepare for your wedding day so that when the time comes we are able to capture all of the little details that help showcase your colors/theme and enhance the story of your day. And if you have any lingering questions after reviewing this blog post, give us a shout! We’re always happy to help strategize about how to make your wedding day the fun and photo-friendly celebration you’ve always dream it would be!

With all the love,

L+L

P.S. If you enjoyed this blog about a getting ready details checklist, make sure to check out our post about the Top 10 Reasons to do a First Look! Interested in booking your wedding, or an intimate engagement session with your person? Give us a shout right here!

Lacey + Lee Photography is a wife-husband photography team based in Austin, Texas who specialize in creating bold, intimate and emotive wedding, engagement and elopement photography. Within the Austin Area they serve South Congress, East 6th, South Lamar, The Seaholm District, Mueller, Dripping Springs, Kyle, Hutto, Georgetown, Round Rock, Pflugerville, Cedar Park, and Bastrop. They also serve San Antonio, New Braunfels, San Marcos, Waco, Dallas, Houston, and any State or National Park you get to by plane, train or automobile. They are available for destination weddings, proposals, elopements and micro weddings.

Get in touch today for more detailed pricing!