Wedding Photography Prep Tips: What Should You Have Ready for the Big Day?

You’ve planned, found the perfect wedding venue, booked the best vendors, and finally, your wedding day is just around the corner! Before you know it, you’ll find yourself fully immersed in the busyness of your wedding day timeline. So, before you get swept up in all those magical moments, let’s cover a few last-minute wedding photography prep tips. Keep reading to learn what you should have ready when your wedding photographer arrives for the big day!

Collect Your Flat Lay Items

The first thing to do before your professional wedding photographers arrive is gather all the items for your flat lay. Collect any little details, meaningful mementos, and decor items in one place. This is always at the top of my list of wedding photography tips because it lets your photographer get to work as soon as they arrive. Instead of searching for all these items, we’re free to do what we do best: capture the story of your wedding day while checking items off your shot list.

Items to have ready for your wedding photographer:

• Stationary (a copy of the invitation suite, menus, wedding programs, etc.)
• Rings + ring box or dish
• Shoes
• Vow books
• Jewelry + cologne
• Tie + Cuff links
• Lipstick
• Gifted liquor or wedding party gifts (such as a flask or purse)
• Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue
• Personalized items (such as napkins, drink stirrers, guest favors, etc.)
• Heirlooms
• Smaller items that have meaning that might not otherwise be seen in photos
• Love letters
• Florals (ask your florist for some loose florals ahead of time!)

I always start by capturing the flat lay because these creative shots are the perfect beginning to your wedding day gallery. By starting here, I get to focus on all the little details that might not show up in larger-scale photos. If something took time and intention to curate, I want to highlight it in the way it deserves. Plus, capturing all these items early in the day is best. That way, I can return them to you for bridal portraits, the wedding ceremony, and the reception.

(P.S. I don’t always know these little things exist, so remember to tell me about them in our final meeting or include them in your flat lay box. This ensures I capture what’s most important to you!)

Get Your Wedding Clothes Photo-Ready

Next on my wedding photography prep tips list is this: Take a few moments and get your wedding clothes photo-ready. If you want stunning images of your wedding dress hanging in that beautiful natural light streaming in through the window, make sure it’s ready to be photographed! Cut off tags, take your wedding gown and tuxedo out of the garment bags, and transfer everything to nice hangers (not the dry cleaners hanger or a plastic one!).

I love capturing your wedding clothes, but we usually have little time to get these key shots. So, make sure you’ve steamed the wrinkles away before I arrive! And don’t forget about bridesmaid dresses or your wedding reception outfits if those are on our shot list. 

Click here to learn how to get even more use out of your wedding gown with a Free the Dress session.

Tidy Up Your Getting-Ready Area

Finally, decide what part of your getting-ready area is the best spot for photos and tidy it up! Look for a place with the right aesthetic and natural light. If there is a location with great natural light, don’t leave it cluttered with clothes, trash, or anything else you don’t want in your photos. Instead, have your bridal party tuck all the not-so-pretty things away, out of sight, before your photographer arrives. Then, we’ll have time to capture those candid photos and pre-wedding memories you don’t want to forget!

Bonus Wedding Photography Prep Tips:

1. Make sure everyone is on time and on schedule! 

This is probably on everyone’s list of wedding photography tips, and for good reason. Nothing keeps a wedding day timeline on track like communicating where and when everyone should be ahead of time. Before your wedding, we will nail down your timeline and photography details, so make sure you share that info with your bridal party and family.

2. Tell close family and friends to arrive at least fifteen minutes before you need them there. 

Make sure all your important people arrive at the wedding venue a little while before you truly need them to be there. The last thing we want is an MIA mother-of-the-bride when it’s time to put on your wedding gown. And no one wants to track down a missing brother when we’re supposed to get family shots. So, give your wedding party and family a slightly earlier than necessary call time.

3. Enlist the help of your wedding party. 

I know how stressful it can be to remember all these little details on your wedding day. So, please don’t do it all yourself! Delegate tasks to your wedding party; their job is to help you have a wonderful wedding. When everyone works together, everything gets done.

I hope these wedding photography prep tips help you feel fully prepared for your wedding photographers’ arrival! If you’re still in the planning stage, I’d love to be the photographer to document your candid moments and once-in-a-lifetime memories. Please get in touch to inquire about your special wedding day! And keep an eye on my wedding photography blog for more tips and inspiring galleries.