If there’s one question I get more than almost any other in the lead-up to a wedding, it’s this: “What should I bring for my detail photos?” And honestly? I love that couples ask. It tells me they care deeply about preserving the small, intentional pieces of their day — the ones that don’t make it into every standard shot but are so deeply personal that, twenty years from now, they’ll be the photos that make you catch your breath.

I’m Brooke, and I’ve spent years photographing weddings across Sudbury and Northern Ontario. In that time, I’ve seen couples arrive with a beautifully curated flat lay spread, and I’ve seen couples arrive with only their rings — and have to improvise everything else. Both experiences taught me a lot. So I’ve put together this guide specifically for my couples, so you walk into your getting-ready space feeling completely prepared and genuinely excited for the detail portion of your day.

Details aren’t just filler between the big moments. They’re context. They’re character. They tell the story of you — who you are as individuals, how you came together, and what this day means. Let’s make sure we capture all of it.

Your Stationery Suite

Invitations, Save the Dates & More

Your wedding stationery is often the very first impression guests have of your day. The paper, the typography, the wax seal — all of it reflects your aesthetic and your intention. I always photograph these early in the morning when the light is soft, so please don’t leave them at home!

Bring your original invitation suite if you have one set left (the full envelope-included version is ideal), your save the date, and any day-of stationery like your ceremony program, menu cards, or escort cards. Even a beautifully designed rehearsal dinner invite or thank-you card adds wonderful variety to a flat lay arrangement.

If your stationery has a special finish — foil stamping, letterpress, vellum overlays — make sure to tell me, because I’ll want to catch the light at just the right angle to show it off. These little design details are invisible in a casual snapshot but absolutely sing in a properly lit photograph.

Pro Tip

Keep your invitation suite in a safe, flat place in your bag the night before. Crumpled corners or coffee rings are harder to fix than you’d think — even in editing.

Still early in the planning phase? Check out my color palette guide!

The Rings

Both Engagement & Wedding Bands

Obviously, right? But you’d be surprised how often couples forget to set the rings aside somewhere accessible before the ceremony. In the excitement of getting dressed, having hair done, and managing a dozen family members, the rings can end up in a pocket, a drawer, or with a best man who’s still asleep at a hotel across town.

I ask that you designate a ring keeper — one trusted person who has both the engagement ring and wedding bands, and who knows to bring them to me during the getting-ready portion of the morning. I typically like to photograph rings during bridal prep, in natural window light, ideally on a linen or velvet surface with some of the other detail items nearby.

If you have a beautiful ring box — velvet, wood, a custom engraved heirloom — please bring it. It makes for an extraordinarily beautiful photograph on its own, and it adds depth when included in a flat lay with the invitation suite and florals. Ring dishes, too, are wonderful props if you have one that means something to you.

Take a look at my favorite Wedding Venues around Sudbury:
Northern Water Sports Centre
Hilton Garden Inn
The Inn at Gore Bay
Forest Ridge Golf & Country Club
Holiday Inn Sudbury
The Hellenic Center
Idylwylde Golf Course
Maple Hill Farms
Science North and Dynamic Earth

Shoes & Accessories

The Finishing Touches That Deserve Their Own Frame

Shoes are one of my absolute favourite things to photograph. There’s something about a beautiful pair of heels or loafers — the craftsmanship, the colour, the little bow or buckle — that feels so intimate and personal. Your shoes should be clean, polished, and ready to be their best selves on camera (just as you will be).

Beyond shoes, think about the accessories that complete your look. Are you wearing heirloom earrings that belonged to your grandmother? A hair piece that took you six months to find? A tie clip engraved with your wedding date? A pocket square that matches the exact shade of the bridesmaid dresses? These things deserve photographs.

Set aside your full accessory collection — earrings, necklace, bracelet, hair pins, cufflinks — in a small pouch or box so we can arrange them together. I often photograph accessories alongside the invitation suite, rings, and florals to create one cohesive detail story from a single flat lay composition.

Should you follow detail shots with a first look? Check out my guide!

Fragrance

Perfume, Cologne & the Scent of the Day

I know this one might seem unexpected, but hear me out. Perfume bottles are genuinely beautiful objects — the glass, the architecture of the stopper, the label design. More than that, scent is one of the most powerful memory triggers we have. Years from now, when you smell that same fragrance, it will take you straight back to your wedding morning. Having a photograph of the bottle ties that sensory memory to a visual one.

If you have a signature scent you’re wearing on your wedding day — or if you’re both wearing something — bring the bottle. It works beautifully in a flat lay or as a standalone close-up near natural light. Cologne bottles are equally gorgeous, and I love capturing both together as a paired detail for couples who want their getting-ready photos to reflect both sides of their story.

Even a roll-on perfume or a pretty travel-sized bottle is worth bringing along. The detail isn’t in the size of the object — it’s in the meaning behind it.

Meaningful Mementos & Sentimental Items

The Things That Hold the Whole Story

This is the category I care about most, and it’s the one couples most often underestimate. Your wedding day is one of the few occasions in life where you will consciously carry pieces of your history into a new chapter. I want to photograph those pieces.

Think about what you’re incorporating as your “something old.” Is it a locket? A handkerchief? A piece of your grandmother’s wedding dress sewn into your bouquet? A brooch pinned inside your jacket? These things photograph extraordinarily well and add layers of emotional depth to your wedding gallery that no posed portrait can replicate.

Consider also: a love letter or vow booklet — even just the envelope, sealed, can be a stunning photograph. A photo of a loved one who has passed, perhaps tucked into a bouquet or framed on the getting-ready table. A gift exchanged between partners on the morning of the wedding. A special book that means something to your relationship. A military medal, a family crest, or a cultural symbol that reflects your heritage.

None of these items need to be large or expensive. They just need to matter. Tell me the story behind them, and I’ll make sure the photograph honours it.

Florals

Your Bouquet & Any Loose Blooms

If your florist can provide a few loose stems or a small bud vase of blooms that match your bouquet, this is pure gold for detail photography. I use florals as natural framing elements, colour accents, and texture in flat lays. They make everything feel alive and organic.

Your bridal bouquet will obviously be there, but if your florist is willing to drop off even a handful of extra flowers to your getting-ready suite, let them know it would be so appreciated (and well photographed). Flower girls’ crowns, boutonnières, and small corsages all make wonderful detail subjects on their own as well.

The Dress, Suit & Veil

Before You Put Them On

I always try to photograph your dress or suit hanging before it goes on. If you can bring a beautiful hanger — a personalized wooden one with your name, a vintage padded satin hanger — it elevates the photo enormously. If you don’t have one, don’t worry; I travel with a clean, simple backup.

If you have a veil, set it aside somewhere it won’t get wrinkled. I love photographing veils in window light, sometimes draped across a chair or floating in a doorway. They’re ethereal and romantic and genuinely one of the most satisfying things to capture.

For suits and tuxedos, laying the jacket flat with the tie, pocket square, and boutonnière alongside it makes for an excellent getting-ready detail that’s just as intentional as the bridal flat lay.

Your Complete Details Checklist

Full invitation suite	Cufflinks & tie clip
Save the date	Perfume or cologne
Ceremony program	Something old / borrowed
Engagement ring	Sentimental mementos
Wedding bands	Love letters or vow books
Ring box or dish	Photo of a loved one
Bridal shoes	Loose florals (optional)
Groom/partner’s shoes	Personalized hanger
Earrings & necklace	Veil
Hair accessories	Any meaningful jewellery

A Few Final Thoughts

How to Prepare Your Details the Night Before

My biggest piece of advice? Gather everything the night before your wedding and put it all in one place. A small tote bag, a decorative box, a linen pouch — whatever works. When you arrive at your getting-ready location, just hand it to your maid of honour or a trusted bridesperson and let them know it’s the “detail bag.” That person becomes your detail guardian for the morning.

The getting-ready hours are joyful and full — hair, makeup, mimosas, happy tears, last-minute steaming. The last thing you want to be doing is hunting for your grandmother’s earrings while your hair is half finished. Having everything curated and ready means we can move through detail photography efficiently and beautifully, and you can stay fully present in those morning moments.

I typically spend the first 30–45 minutes of my time with you on details, while hair and makeup are being finished. This is when the light is often at its loveliest, and when the room still feels calm and unhurried. It’s one of my favourite parts of the whole day.

Don’t Stress About Having “Enough”

If you read this list and thought, “We only have the rings and the invitations,” please don’t worry. A simple, beautifully composed flat lay with just a few meaningful items will always outshine a cluttered one full of things that don’t connect. Quality over quantity. Meaning over volume. Always.

And if you have questions about what to bring — or you’ve found something special and want to know if it’ll photograph well — send me a message. Seriously. I love these conversations. They help me understand your story before I even pick up my camera, and that makes every single photograph better.

Thank you for trusting me with the details — the small, sacred, quietly beautiful things that make your wedding day entirely and completely yours. I can’t wait to see everything you bring, and even more, I can’t wait to tell your story through them.