I’m thrilled to have the amazingly talented Elizabeth Messina guest posting today – despite being a HUGE fan of her work, I’m also in awe of how she balances her work, art, family, and being a mom. Today she’s sharing some of her lovely photographs and 5 Tips for Documenting the Lovely Details at your own wedding. This is one to pin!
I have always been inexplicably drawn to the seemingly insignificant
details of day to day life….A hot cup of coffee on the edge of a table…a
child’s sneakers strewn on the living room floor…It is these little details
that make a house a home…The evidence of the lives within the space….
For me it is those little things that make our lives so special….
This is especially true with weddings….Now certainly looking at other
people’s details may not always be inspiring to others….but i invite you to
think about this….when they are “your” details, they are no longer things
but rather part of “your” story, “your” history….
The invitations that you spent months deciding on the font & color palette…
the perfect peony that is now in “your” bouquet…
the love note your fiance sent to your room as you got ready…
& yes, your beautiful shoes & dress hanging in the window…it is here where
the loveliness resides….now please do not get me wrong, of course your
ceremony photos, group shots & so on are absolutely important….
but it is in the lovely details where your weddings photos become a visual love
story…a personal history of your wedding day…one that you will undoubtedly
share with loved ones & friends & perhaps children for many years to come….
There are very few things that you take home with you after your wedding….&
as most of you know, you spend months, maybe even years planning & choosing
all the elements that will be part of your celebration….so be sure to give your
photographer ample time to capture some of the intimate objects that help
define your personal style & more importantly the history of your romance….
here are some of my tips to help you & your photographer
document the lovely details at your wedding….
1st – gather all the paper products, of course the invitation
but also anything else your can think of, your menu, the program
etc…& have them in a nice little pile in the room where you are
getting ready so your photographer can easily shoot them….
2nd – ask your florist to have your personal flowers delivered to
your room when the photographer arrives…that means your bouquet…
your bridesmaids bouquets & boutonnieres if possible…some florists
may push back on this, but in my experience it is the best way to get
beautiful clean shots of your florals, which in the end your florist will
appreciate as well….
3rd – have your dress, veil, shoes, lingerie, jewelry etc also put together
& ready for your photographer…if it is organized it is easier for everyone….
it also saves time, so that the photographer is not rummaging through the
closet searching for your lovely details…
4th – if there is something that really matters to you, please let us know….
i think i can speak for all photographers when i say, we want you to be happy….
if you grandmother gave you her grandmothers handkerchief to carry down the
aisle, pretty please tell your photographer…we may be working very hard to capture
everything, but undoubtedly from time to time things get missed…if you care
about something, take the time to tell us so we can make every effort to make
a beautiful photo of it for you….
last but not least, remember to enjoy every moment of your wedding day….it is
so fleeting…sometimes the details your photographer captures will surprise you
in how much they move you later…one of my very favorite details to capture is
the sky…it may seems simple & perhaps unrelated but i think every couple
should know the exact shade of blue, or the delicate cloud formation that was
above them the day they committed their lives to one another…that is certainly
a detail that you cannot take with you & perhaps one of the loveliest things to be
reminded of, of all….
xoxo….elizabeth messina
if you want to stay connected with elizabeth & her lovely details
& keep up with her day to day musings on twitter @kissthegroom
& instagram @elizabethmessina
GREAT tips! Seriously, so helpful!
Wonderful advice from a brilliant photographer…thanks!