Since I love details so much and weddings are filled with so many, I wanted to share my Wedding Day Styling Kit – for Photographers with you. Of course, this is always changing or being updated, but it’s important to show. Just a few little things can make styling easy and fun. I would never want anyone to have to stress about styling details. Just a few simple items have made a huge difference in my kit and my confidence.
Being organized is key and updating your box each season is a way to stay on trend and not blow your budget. I started with just a few items each season until I gathered this all up, so don’t feel like you need to purchase all these items at once. The white foam board is from the Dollar Store and the storage bin is from Walmart, but you can use any bin you have. I just like this one because it’s not too big and bulky and I can easily see what I need.
Diffuse the light
Using a reusable Sage bag to hold all the little details if I don’t need to bring everything else is key. I usually try and keep my bags as light as possible because my camera bag’s are already heavy enough. Another essential item is my diffuser to diffuse the light in a bright space. Most of the time I want to be by a bright window but sometimes the light can be harsh, so having one is always handy.
White Hangers or Vintage – Check Etsy
An extra pet peeve of ours on wedding days that are essential for a styling kit and pretty inexpensive are matching hangers. We really think that it’s a small detail that matters, especially if the bride or groom want photos of the dresses or suits lined up. We also have a special hanger just for the bride’s dress that we just love from Etsy. It’s vintage brass/gold feel is just perfect for that beautiful dress. We also love these vintage scissors from Etsy as well and bonus they are super sharp and perfect for loose strings and hanger extenders.
From Miss to Mrs. Box
Saving up so I was able to gather up some of the ever popular boxes from The Mrs. Box for our Wedding Styling Kits was key for styling those beautiful rings. The boxes are timeless and truly elegant when you are styling for a wedding day. I believe that they tell the story from the beginning of the day as it incorporates all the colours and important keepsakes. Collecting a multitude of colours can be expensive. It’s best to gather the main colours that you see trending so that they can tie into any theme flawlessly.
It’s all about the Ring
Thankful that I have super talented friends who are able to lend us beautiful rings for any fun styled shoots that we are part of. If you are in Ottawa or not, I would highly recommend that you reach out to Margot, from Stór. She has the most beautiful rings and she is truly the kindest, most giving person. If you don’t believe me, just check these out below.
As you might be able to see I also have a mixture of textiles, chiffon, and silk ribbons to try and accent the colours for the day. Mixing the colours isn’t usually my style, I really just keep the same prominent colours. When I set up the board so I went to FabricLand and I purchased chiffon and silk in as many colours as I could. Storing them them in little plastic bags that are easy to keep tidy.
Collecting stamps was never really my thing, but as I started to build my wedding day styling kit for photography I knew that I needed to start. It was at a styled shoot that another creative brought these truly fun and unique stamps that she found online. On Etsy I found this mix of beautiful vintage colourful stamps soon arrived in the mail.
Vintage, History, Something Old
This set of acrylic risers is definitely something that has come in handy. One thing to note about “flat-lays” is that they don’t always have to be completely flat. I find it’s actually better to create even a small amount of depth within the flat lay so that your photo has some soft shadows. Creating different unique styles within your flat-lay are what can really make your unique style pop.
Fun trends that you might have seen pop up in other Wedding Day Styling kits are these textured styling boards. I’ve seen them in many colours and patterns but I wanted to stay very light and neutral. Classic off-white for the win. Making this was actually really fun and took me about 10 minutes total to do. Once it dries it’s very easily chipped, but it really does create that level of depth as well that is appealing.
Don’t be afraid to DIY your Styling board
One major item that I can’t attend a wedding without it this foam, sticky tape from the dollar store. I have been in situations where the wind is blowing or rings won’t quite stay in place. What is great about this stuff is that it’s sticky enough to hold things temporarily, but not for a long period of time.
Another tip is bringing Tylenol, as you never know when you or someone you are with gets a headache, sore back, or sore feet. My first wedding or two of the year my wrists and hands actually hurt a lot from holding the heavy camera gear all day.
Snacks, Water, & Tylenol
Perhaps you saw that I have a few other tricks in my kit as well such as old cologne and perfume bottles. Vintage plates and platters that I picked up at Goodwill, and some snacks. Funny thing is, the second Luc and I leave the house he is always, without a doubt, hungry. Driving in the car for whatever reason triggers him into looking for the next snack option. On occasion, I have shared snacks with brides or bridesmaids too. Bring some bottled water and portable snacks. I say this as you don’t want anything that melts, I say this with experience.
Fresh Flowers are most certainly worth it
Last but certainly not least is fresh flowers for your Wedding Day Styling Kits for Photographers. I know it may not seem like a big deal but having a few extra stems or fresh blooms that match your bouquet is really fun. If you aren’t sure, you can always ask your florist (hopefully you’ve picked one from our recommended vendor list) and they are happy to provide them to you. Usually the fee is minimal as we don’t need a lot. What’s great, especially if you are working with our team is that the florist knows that we are going to share these images with them, so it’s a win-win!
My sweet as pie mother sent me some beautiful tulips, they are my favourite just because and said if you wanted to get creative with them and have fun for her. So I did! Here are a few shots that I took just for fun!
Items on my wish list include some beautiful pottery ring dishes, more silk ribbon on spools, diversity in colour styling boards, and some dried florals.
