A flatlay is a carefully curated and artfully arranged composition of various items, photographed from a top-down perspective. Think of it as creating a beautiful, eye-catching collage of your most cherished wedding details. These details can range from your wedding invitation suite, rings, and bridal accessories to flowers, sentimental mementos, and even elements of the wedding reception.
To ease the process of shooting these, have all the details prepared in a box or a bag that you want included in these flatlays. This avoids the photographer (me!) running around and asking about every detail’s location in the room during your preparation, which should be a time for you to relax.
Here is a list of items and inspiration photos for you to refer to before your wedding day. This list is exhaustive and should only be used as inspiration. You can include as much or as little as you want appearing in your photos.
1. Wedding Invitation Suite:
- Wedding invitation & RSVP card
- Save-the-date card
- Envelopes and wax seals
2. Wedding Rings:
- Bride’s engagement ring
- Bride’s wedding ring
- Groom’s wedding band
3. Bridal Accessories:
- Bride’s veil or hairpiece
- Bride’s jewelry (necklace, earrings, bracelet, etc.)
- Bride’s shoes
- Garter
- Wedding bouquet
- Wedding vows
- Loose blooms (you can ask your florist)
- Bride’s perfume
5. Groom’s Accessories:
- Groom’s tie or bowtie
- Groom’s cufflinks
- Groom’s shoes
- Groom’s watch
- Groom’s perfume
6. Sentimental elements
- Items passed down from family members
- Special mementos or tokens
- Wedding ceremony program
- A special gift from the bride to the groom or vice versa
- Love letters or notes exchanged between the couple
7. Table Settings (yes, we can shoot that during preparation photos!)
- Wedding menu card
- Table numbers or name cards
- Elegant cutlery or crockery
I hope this helps in the days leading up to the wedding!