Wedding Details To Have Ready For Your Photographers When They Arrive
Detail Photos for Wedding photography | Flat Lay Photography List | NYC Wedding Photography | Wedding Dress Invitation Suit Shoe Photographs
Wedding Details To Have Ready
For Your Photographers When They Arrive
As your wedding day approaches, we love to send over some helpful tips for ensuring that the morning goes as smoothly as possible and we maximize our coverage for the best possible images! We love to begin our day with detail photos to tell the best story of your day. We have found that it is super useful to organize these ahead of time that way we can hit the ground running without any unnecessary tracking down of items.
Bride / Feminine Details:
Wedding Dress
All stuffing removed + hanger straps cut out
A nice hanger
Veil
>> Check with your seamstress about de-wrinkling (not all materials can be steamed)
Shoes
Rings
BOTH of your bands + engagement rings
Have rings cleaned beforehand, especially diamonds
A nice ring box if possible
Invitation Suite: All paper goods including-
Your formal invitations, envelopes, RSVP cards
Save the dates
Any calligraphy items such as menus, table cards, etc
Bonus points for miscellaneous details like wax seals, fancy stamps, etc
FLORAL SCRAPS
This is an important one to elevate your photos, please inquire with your florist for scraps (broken flowers, greenery, etc) that we can use to style your images.
Unfortunately, we do need these AT OUR START TIME, so sometimes timing can be tricky. It might be easier to pick up a bouquet of similar flowers from a store or special order a few flowers that we can use for these photos.
JEWELRY / MISC
Your earrings, necklaces, bracelets, or any piece that holds sentimental value or your will be wearing.
Hair pins, “something borrowed”, all of these make for great photos!
Perfume bottles
Vow books
Groom / Masculine Details:
SUIT: Please have your suit ready, all tags off, cut out stitches that close vents, all wrinkles out
CUFF LINKS
WATCHES / JEWELRY: If your watch has the date, please ensure that it’s set to the correct day
TIES / BOW TIES: Hey guys, if you’re doing a bow tie, make sure YOU KNOW HOW TO TIE IT. Right? Watch the YouTube videos, practice at home. Same goes for pocket squares. Know how to do yours and help your buddy. You wouldn’t believe how much time is lost!
VOW BOOKS / LETTERS TO EACH OTHER
Miscellaneous Details
To maximize your photography coverage, it’s super helpful to have getting ready spaces tidied up. Especially when we work with bigger wedding parties, we’re often spending a lot of time shuffling clutter and bags and trash out of the spaces. (This is a perfect task for someone in the wedding party to do, by the way). Cleaner spaces = cleaner images ;)
Make sure you guys know where your marriage license is! We’ve seen a lot of time lost on the way to the ceremony if no one can find it.
Natural light is our best friend, so bonus points if we arrive with curtains and blinds drawn!
Please have your details organized in one spot that way we’re not having to track everything down! And when in doubt, include a detail. Things like welcome bags and other parts of the wedding weekend are great additions to your final gallery!
For a printable version of this checklist:
The Riverview Weddings in Simsbury CT Photography
Michelle & Sarah’s Wedding at The Riverview | Simsbury, CT | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography | New England Weddings | LBGTQ Wedding | Love Is Love
Coster
Est. 2018
Droplets of rain fell upon Farmington River
Creating a myriad pattern of circles
That extended towards the riverbanks.
The tall trees that lined the shores
Leaned away from The Riverview in Simsbury, Connecticut,
Almost seeming to listen to the trickle of water
With their long, looming branches.
Michelle & Sarah
Frolicked beneath those eavesdropping leaves
Sinking their shoes into the soft ground
Two synchronized steps at a time.
No amount of rain could mute the soundtrack of their love.
They each promised to listen,
Holding close to every word
Whether loud as a shout of faint as a whisper
They Knew
That love is a practice:
A discipline of communication
That embraces the ridiculousness
Tucked into the corners of their smirking lips.
They Knew
That love is as silent as a lip sync
& As deafening as a ballad at Cadillac Ranch.
Echoes of Jim Halpert emanated from Michelle’s room
While the twang of Ke$ha’s voice blared from Sarah’s.
Different approaches to a shared day
Showed the balance of a partnership as
Gay & Proud
As a rainbow cake both inside and out.
Jordans sparkled from beneath Sarah’s white dress
As she dipped Michelle just like they practiced.
Only this time was for real,
Only this time was forever.
Family is never perfect
&
Rarely is love,
But They Knew
They can always groove to the soundtrack
Playing between their ears.
They symphony of their hearts can never be silenced,
For they dance upon the notes of a song
Like raindrops upon a river during a gentle rain.
I met Michelle years and years ago at The Ethel Walker School and always loved her playful and witty personality. She was super outgoing, loved to joke around and would do just about anything to get a laugh out of someone. Sarah is the perfect compliment to her, she is equally as witty and just as sentimental, but she has a type of focus to her personality that seems to really work for their relationship.
Sarah loves to work a crowd and does DJ work herself, so she can absolutely command a microphone and loves to keep the party alive. It’s so much fun to watch a bride be so dynamic and full of life at her own wedding! Their wedding was a perfect mix of sentimentality and warmth, coupled with downright fun and silliness! Our favorite vibes. We also recognized a bunch of faces in the crowd, so it made the day just a little more special for us. It was fun to be back in Simsbury, CT where I spent four years while attending boarding school. It’s a quaint, very New-Englandy, little Connecticut town and The Riverview is nestled right down on the Farmington with a beautiful backdrop of lush woods and of course, the river.
Photography and Poetry: Apollo Fields
Venue: The Riverview | Simsbury, CT
The Burr Homestead Wedding Photography in Fairfield, CT
Laura & Bill's Colonial New England Wedding | The Burr Homestead Mansion | Fairfield, Connecticut | Farmhouse Weddings Photography | Apollo Photojournalism
I met Laura and Bill a few years ago when we were photographing a wedding in Old Quebec, Canada. They are both dancers and I was so inspired by their awesome skills on the dance floor and got some amazing shots of them in the Chateau! Fast forward a few years and they got engaged and were looking for a wedding photographer. I was so excited when Laura reached out to have me travel to Connecticut for their own wedding!
The Burr Homestead Mansion, Fairfield CT
Laura and Bill celebrated their wedding with all of their closest friends and family at The Burr Homestead Mansion in Connecticut. This historical property was the perfect venue for this couple, who I got to know through a wedding that we shot in Quebec two years ago. I loved photographing their big day even more because we knew most of the bridal party already, which made the day so fun and exciting!
Laura and Bill live in New York City and are both fantastic dancers. We got our first taste of their abilities on the dance floor in Quebec, so we already knew how important this part of the day would be for them.
The Wedding Day
The day started out quiet, with everybody casually arriving at the mansion with all of their clothes and accessories. Some of the women in the bridal party are hair and makeup experts, so the bridal suite was a buzz with everybody getting ready! In the grooms room, the guys were hanging out, getting dressed, and enjoying some whiskey and cigars together.
The skies began to threaten rain as we were close to the first look, and amidst all of the business, Laura and Bill had to reroute their original plan to get married in the open garden space outdoors because the rain was imminent. The first look was such a sweet moment – I just love how Bill took Laura’s hand and kissed it when he first saw her! The bridal party watched through the windows of the mansion, which added a little flair.
The ceremony had to be moved to the front of the mansion to keep guests dry. Laura had her heart set on it being outdoors and this backup plan ended up being a great option! People had a great time watching them exchange their vows, and then we did some fun and formal portraits afterwards. The rest of the night was spent dancing, toasting, eating, and drinking! It was a late night, but trust me we got down on the dance floor with everyone too.
Connecticut Wedding Venue: The Burr Homestead, Fairfield CT
Wedding Photography: Apollo Fields
Rocky Mountain National Park Elopement Photographer
There’s something special about reaching high altitudes after traversing treacherous terrain that rewards tired legs and beating hearts. It could be as simple as endorphins being released from the exercise or something more complex like measuring our mortality against the backdrop of conquering massive mountains. Either way, climbing mountains and taking in epic views defines the meaning of awesome.
Callie & Josh's Intimate Mountain Wedding | Rocky Mountain National Park | Estes Park, Colorado | Adventure Wedding Photography | Apollo Photojournalism
Heather and I’s first hike together was near Lake George in upstate New York. It was short, but I remember scrambling up the last couple hundred feet, thinking that the summit was just over the next ridge quickly exhausting myself in the process. When we finally reached the top, I scanned the seemingly endless rolling green hills, panning across the horizon like my eyes were breathing in the refreshing mountain air.
There’s something special about reaching high altitudes after traversing treacherous terrain that rewards tired legs and beating hearts. It could be as simple as endorphins being released from the exercise or something more complex like measuring our mortality against the backdrop of conquering massive mountains. Either way, climbing mountains and taking in epic views defines the meaning of awesome.
We love documenting mountain weddings because they’re so organic and personal. When we immerse ourselves in towering pines and humbling rock faces, we stand in nature to celebrate love as members of our natural environment rather than separate from it. We say scrap the white tablecloths, vinyl tents, and stuffy reception halls and step into the woods and feel the rain. There’s a time to be clean and then there’s a time to feel something, celebrate, and cut loose – we believe your wedding day should be the latter.
Living in Arvada, Colorado, is like living in front of the armoire of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, because at a moments notice we can open up the doors and wander through a world of meandering roads, trickling creeks, and splashing waterfalls. Adventures are never in short supply when the beautiful unknown is less than an hour drive away. This proximity to the Rockies makes mountain weddings accessible realities rather than fleeting dreams.
Let us document your dream mountain wedding, but first... why do you want to get married on a mountain?
Some of our favorite mountain spots in Colorado:
Rocky Mountain National Park for it's famous landscapes and epic elopement locations
Pikes Peak for that "on top of the world" feeling
Guanella Pass for the best views of Mount Beirstadt without all of the hiking
Alderfer / Three Sisters Park for a close-to-Denver adventure and awesome 360 views
Some of our favorite mountain spots outside of Colorado:
Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia for those epic rolling mountains and blue hues that never disappoint
Buck Mountain in Lake George for some of the best Adirondack views
Breakneck Ridge in Cold Spring NY for a close to New York City adventure and cute town to explore
Mount Killington in Vermont for the best New England autumn colors
Sharp Top Mountain in Virginia for light-tight 360 degree views
We have gone on countless adventures and can help you plan your epic mountain elopement or intimate wedding! We've done everything from taking a tiny Cessna plane up to the summit of Mt. Denali in Alaska, to exploring the waterfalls in Telluride, Colorado. Contact us for a true adventure of a lifetime!
Evergreen Lake House Wedding Photographers
Pat & Sierra's Mountain Wedding | Evergreen Lake House | Apollo Fields Wedding Photography
Hand in hand,
Pat and Sierra walked along Evergreen Lake,
Carrying the greens and blues of the Rockies in their palms.
A few feet away,
Hina playing in the mud
Put Sierra’s white dress at the mercy of unpredictable paws.
When they called to her
Hina came barreling forward,
Love leaping from her eyes
Unbeknownst to the spirit of the day.
This was just another walk for her,
Another chance to play beneath the sun—
But for Pat and Sierra:
These were the first steps of their new partnership.
Strolling back to the celebration,
Hina’s muddy paws
Never caused any concern.
Pat and Sierra knew
That they were just another hue
To add to the greens and blues
In the palms of their hands.
Destination Wedding for this fun Hawaiian Couple
I loved working with this beautiful and energetic couple! Sierra’s family is originally from Colorado and they ended up moving out to Hawaii so she wanted to return to her roots for her wedding. It felt sort of ironic to have a “destination wedding” where the couple LEAVES Hawaii — a popular destination wedding spot — to come to the states to get married. But Colorado is so beautiful and iconic that is totally made sense for this awesome couple.
Pat is a doctor and so easy to get along with. He was laid back and a lot of fun. You could tell that he cares a lot about his core group of friends and they had so much fun with their whole wedding party. Sierra is bubbly and outgoing and unbelievably active. They rock climb, snowboard, surf, and sail and hike and just about every other cool sport together. This couple is super inspiring because they just have such a zest for life. Sierra lived on a boat and has explored much of the East by water. They also love their pup and had so much fun celebrating their wedding with her.
I first met up with them when they were visiting to get all of their wedding planning done. I could tell how organized they were from the beginning which made working with this couple that much easier. All of the parts of the day were well thought out, organized, and so much fun!
Mountain Photography: Apollo Photo
Wedding Writing: Apollo Journalism
Colorado Wedding Venue: Evergreen Lake House
Wedding Coordinating: Lauren “Lo” Wiltshire with The Gardner Effect “TGE”