capture the details
Flat lay checklist
Picture your wedding morning, you are getting ready with your nearest and dearest and enjoying the relaxed atmosphere, champagne in hand – of course! Behind the scenes, your team of suppliers are springing into action to make your wedding day run like clockwork. Your photographer is capturing every moment, from first looks to bridal party group shots, but one thing that often gets overlooked is the wedding flat lay shots. Or in other words, all the small details of your day that make it unique and special, like your rings or invitations for example. Things you want to treasure forever right?
Often in the whirlwind of everything, your photographer might not have access to these special details and they can get missed from the all-important photos. So, I’d recommend gathering all your intricate details together before your big day and put them in a box for your photographer on your wedding morning. This will make it super easy for nothing to be missed and means you can enjoy getting ready without being interrupted, ensuring you have all those cherished memories captured forever.
Not sure what to include in your wedding flat lay box? Here’s some ideas to help you.
- Invitations and your stationery suite – Well, as stationery lovers ourselves, obviously this will be high up on our list. Including your wedding stationery as the heart of your flat lay photos is a beautiful way to remember all the little details and hard work that went into creating them. Add your invitations, RSVP cards, details cards, save the dates, place cards and showcase their beautiful design and craftmanship. Top tip – make sure to order a few extras for your flat lay and include multiples if they are double sided.
- Envelopes and postage stamps – A great way to tie in your wedding colours and themes. Go extra fancy with envelope liners or vintage postage stamps for beautiful detailing.
- Rings and ring boxes – Don’t forget of the most important things – the rings! Include your engagement rings and both of your wedding bands. Have a think about how they will be displayed too. Perhaps you have a ring box or a pretty dish to put them in that adds to the overall charm of the photos.
- Jewellery – Think things like cufflinks, earrings, necklaces, brooches – all the beautiful things you both might be wearing on your wedding day. Including family heirloom pieces can be a lovely way to honour your loved ones in your flat lay too.
- Shoes – You can spend so long choosing your wedding shoes (I know I did) and often they are hidden under a dress for the day. Show them off, especially if they have been personalised or have unique pretty details.
- Veils – Consider including your veil, if you are having one, as they can often add a beautiful textured dimension to a flat lay. You can also get ones with embroidered writing or embellished with jewels, so make sure you show those bits off too.
- Hair accessories – If you are opting for a crown or hair pieces instead of a veil, these can be great for adding a bit of glamour and personality to your shots.
- Perfume bottles – Include the ones you’ll both be wearing on your wedding day. Bonus points if the bottles are decorative, unique or you have them engraved with your names or wedding date.
- Flowers and foliage – Consider including your bouquets or boutonnieres and don’t be afraid to ask your florist if there are any leftover florals you can use to tie your flat lay to the rest of your wedding photos.
- Vow books – A great way to forever remember the heartfelt words you’ll both exchange that day.
- Embellishments and finishing touches – Small decorative embellishments can make all the difference in your flat lay. Using things like wax seals, your personalised brass wax stamper, ribbons, dishes, trays, the list is endless. Think about special tokens too that say something about your venue, like shells or pearls if you are having a destination beach wedding, for example. What about your ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue’?
So there you have it, I hope these have been helpful for you. A last little tip from me is to ask your photographer in advance if you have specific shots in mind that you’d really like them to capture, even better if you can send photo examples.
You can use some of my tips or get creative with something different for your flat lays. Either way you can guarantee that creating a flat lay box for your photographer will earn you extra brownie points with them and you’ll get some extra special photos to treasure long after your wedding day too. Lastly, don’t forget to have fun whilst doing it!
