When I first started shooting weddings, photographing details was actually STRESSFUL for me… and I didn’t find them super fun. Surprising?! Well, it’s because I would always run out of time, and never felt like I had a chance to be creative!

After shooting over 100 weddings, I have found many ways to combat this and to give myself plenty of time to photograph details with a lot of variety, while getting creative and having fun! I have 5 tips for you today, so let’s jump right in:

1. Communicate well with your bride and groom. I tell my couples it will take a minimum of 45 minutes to photograph details! I am very involved in the process of creating their timeline, so I ensure there is plenty of time for this part of the day!

BONUS TIP: Ask for your bride to have all of her details gathered in a box or bag for you when you arrive! I emphasize that I need a copy of the invitation and all 3 rings to be included to ensure everything is ready to go, and no time is wasted!

2. Arrive early so you can use every minute of that time. I typically arrive at least 30 minutes early to every wedding, sometimes even an hour if I want to scout locations! By the time I get there, chat with my second shooter, walk into the bridal suite, say hey, then start shooting… I am usually PAST my coverage start time! By arriving early, I give myself every minute of time I had asked for in the timeline to actually photograph the details.

3. Work with a system. Once you actually start shooting, it’s important to work with a system so you don’t feel overwhelmed and get all the shots you need! For me, I start with “big” shots then go to “small” shots. By big shots, I mean a few photos with a lot of different details in them I typically get at every wedding. For me, this is one photo of the invitation suite with any styling elements, then one photo of just the bride’s details all together (like her shoes, jewelry, engagement ring, veil, etc.) Then, I move to my “small” shots, which is essentially an individual shot of every detail (just the shoes, just the rings, etc.)

4. Save your FAVORITE details for the very end. I absolutely LOVE ring shots, and this is where I feel most creatively fueled! Therefore, I save these for the VERY end of my time shooting details. I do all my big shots first, all my other individual shots, then I do the ring shots last! I use any extra time on these to get me excited about what I’m shooting and to push myself to get more variety with them.

5. If you have even a few minutes of extra time, challenge yourself to one more shot you don’t normally do. If I get all the shots I want to do creatively with ring shots and have a few minutes of extra time, I will set up one more shot that maybe I wouldn’t normally do. An example of this could be setting up an invitation shot that has a vertical composition, or doing something different with the shoes I wouldn’t normally do. I get creative and have fun with it!

If you LOVED these tips and are enjoying this series, grab my free download below!! I share 6 secrets on having AMAZING details photos at every wedding that you’re going to absolutely love: