Details, Details
les can spend so many hours planning every last detail--then not be able to remember much of anything afterward! That's one reason everyone says wedding photography is so important--to help couples and their families remember those fleeting moments. Here's where having an experienced wedding photographer can really pay off. You need someone who knows how to document the activities and the emotions--and the details. A wedding day "shot list" is a great starting point--but an experienced photo
grapher goes way beyond the standard poses and traditional candids, keeping an eye out for the special details the two of you spent so much time agonizing over. 
was to look through her pictures and see the many special touches she didn't get to check on herself, that day. "My niece had spent an hour setting out the framed escort cards I assembled the week before the wedding. They were on the table at the entrance to our reception hall," she explained in her thank you note. "By the time I got into the room the table was empty!!! So I wanted to thank you for stopping there with your camera. My niece was thrilled when I told her how perfect the frames looked." 
Brides don't really understand how little they'll remember from their wedding day, according to DeLaney McDaniel, with DeTails
by DeLaney. "Before the wedding, we'll spend hours talking about the napkins and the programs and how the buffet tables should be laid out," she says. "Then come the tears when the bride realizes she doesn't have any pictures showing the results of her efforts." McDaniel suggests clients keep a short list of the most important details, to help your photographer know what to look for. "You can't make the list TOO long," she laughs, "but a photographer who's worth his salt knows how important the little things are, to the 'big picture'." On a more practical note, McDaniel points out that detail shots are really important to the design of today's modern-style wedding books
. "There's just something special about seeing all of your wedding pictures laid out on the pages, with enlarged images of the details serving as the backgrounds." She lists close-ups of the flowers, table settings and pew bo
ws among her favorite shots. And for book pages showing the bride and groom before the wedding, she likes to see images of cufflinks, bouquets and the bride's "up do" as backgrounds. "It's always so pretty as part of the album design. And there's the added bonus of having a permanent reminder of how much effort went into planning the perfect wedding day!" 
Here's just a sampling of the detail shots your photographer might be looking for: the buttons or bow on the back of your gown, along with any embellishments; the flower girl's basket, th
e ties your groom and his groomsmen are wearing, your rings in their box, the gift card on the flowers in your "getting ready room", the petals on the lawn at your ceremony site, the monogram on your custom-made runner, the harpist's hands on the strings, the roses you set out on your mothers seats, the champagne fountain, the chandelier in your reception hall, your guestbook, the beverage table, the attendants' flowers lying at their places at the head table, the pile of shoes at the side of the dance floor, etc.
While you might never forget the face of your groom, standing at the altar on your wedding day, you'll always be glad your photographer thought to capture images of the precious--and easily missed--details!NEXT BLOG: In discussing the importance of detail shots, we briefly touched on the subject of the standard weddi
ng "shot list," which includes the many poses and candid moments you would expect to see at most weddings. If you haven't already reviewed such a list, you might be surprised at how extensive it can be. And the good news is, you can always add a few suggestions of your own. To see more beautiful wedding images right now, visit my website http://www.dougforner.com
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