Elevate Your Wedding Detail Photos With These Personal Touches

Your wedding day is full of beautiful little moments, and one of my favorite parts to photograph is the details. Your wedding detail photos capture the story of your love before anyone even sees you walk down the aisle. It’s not just about the classics like rings or invitation suites (though those are beautiful), it’s about the items that actually mean something to you. A thoughtful mix of sentimental pieces and personal touches can turn your flat lays into a story all on their own.

When brides ask what to include in their wedding details box (a place to gather all the small items you want photographed), they often expect the usual checklist: rings, jewelry, invitations, perfume… all the “standard” items. And while those are lovely, your wedding detail photos don’t have to look like everyone else’s! Small things that reflect your relationship (a postcard from your wedding location, a keepsake from your first date, or a fun little token from a shared hobby) bring your story to life in a way that’s uniquely you.

Below are a few ideas to help you choose details that are intentional and actually feel like your relationship.

Start With the Essentials

Of course, the classics belong in your details box: your full invitation suite, rings, jewelry, shoes, perfume or cologne, and your vow books. Then comes the fun part, making it more personal!

If you’re using a custom invitation suite from an artist, that’s a huge part of your story. I absolutely adore @genuinebeautifulart. She’s a live wedding painter who also designs gorgeous invitation suites on Etsy, and a few of my couples have used her work. Her pieces always photograph so beautifully and add so much personality and texture to your wedding detail photos.

Bring Things That Represent Your Relationship

These are the kinds of details that make your flat lays feel unmistakably you. Think about small objects that reflect your story. Things you’d never find on a wedding checklist, but instantly bring you back to who you are as a couple.

Maybe it’s a postcard or map from your wedding location (I loved this for Ehret + Baker’s day), or stamps from when you were long-distance and writing letters was your thing. If you’re a Disney couple, bring your pins. If game nights are your love language, a Monopoly token, a pair of dice, or even a playing card from your favorite deck can be such a sweet little touch. It could be something one of you gifted the other early on, or a tiny keepsake from your first date, a matchbook, a ticket stub, even a coaster you somehow held onto. If it makes you smile or tells a piece of your story, it deserves a spot in your details.

They don’t have to be fancy. They just have to be meaningful.

Honor the History That Brought You Here

Your wedding day carries more than your love, it carries the people who helped shape you. Family heirlooms and sentimental pieces photograph so beautifully and add so much depth.

Think your grandmother’s brooch, a handkerchief passed down through generations, a locket with photos of loved ones, a piece of lace from your mom’s dress, or even a family Bible. These little pieces anchor your day to the people and stories that came before you.

Create a Base or Idea for Your Flat Lay

One of my favorite detail moments ever was creating a “something old, new, borrowed, and blue” flat lay for Elise + Will’s wedding.

Your “old” might be heirloom jewelry or a vintage trinket.
Your “new” could be earrings, vow books, or perfume.
The “borrowed” might be a friend’s veil or your mom’s bracelet.
And your “blue” could be ribbon, florals, shoes, or a tiny charm.

It’s such a fun and meaningful way to start styling all of your sentimental pieces together for your wedding detail photos.

Incorporate Where You’re Getting Married

If you’re getting married somewhere special (in the mountains, at a historic venue, in a destination spot) bring a little something that ties back to it.

A postcard, a national park map, a sprig of local wildflowers, or a small keepsake from the town or venue. These pieces anchor your photos to the place where your marriage began.

Your Partner’s Details

Don’t forget to include pieces that represent your partner too! Things like their tie, bowtie, cologne, cuff links, shoes, watch, a handwritten note, or a symbolic item (like Will’s fishing fly or Baker’s pocketknife) round out your story. Including both sets of details together makes the gallery feel fuller and so much more connected.

Put Everything in One Place

The easiest way to make your wedding morning seamless is to gather everything in a wedding details box the night before. Toss in all the small items, your invitation suite, rings, vow books, keepsakes, and even ribbon or styling pieces if you love a curated look.

Trust me, this saves so much stress! Anything you think you might want photographed, just put it in the box. I’ll sort through it all and style everything in a way that feels intentional and beautiful, even the random items you weren’t sure would matter.

Your Wedding Details Should Tell Your Story

Trends are cute, but they fade. What lasts are the little pieces of your story, the ones that will still mean just as much in 20 years as they do today. If you’re ever unsure what to include or want help picking items for your wedding detail photos that feel truly you, I’ve got you. Bring the things that matter, and I’ll help turn them into something beautiful, a visual story of the life you’ve been building together long before your wedding day.

Planning a Colorado wedding or elopement? Let’s make your day feel like you. Inquire below to get started!