My Wedding Styling Kit

For years, I would show up and style the details with whatever was available in the bride’s getting ready room. But as you can imagine, no two rooms are created equal and I was often left with very few options to create the elegantly styled photographs that I want!

So rather than leaving it up to chance, I decided to craft the ultimate Wedding Styling Kit filled with everything I need to capture my brides’ details to perfection! I’m so excited to use this kit throughout the upcoming season and I hope that today’s post inspires you to create one of your very own!

I am so excited to share a few of the items in my Wedding Styling Kit on the blog today!

1) A Neutral Fabric: This is the first and increasingly necessary of all the items in my kit! How many hotel rooms have you visited that are filled with limited surfaces to photograph the details? (Chairs that clash with the bride’s color palette or side tables that are simply too small for a full display of the invitation suite!? Been there, dealt with that!) Now I carry a yard of neutral fabric just incase we run into a situation like this and my current favorite is this: Heavy Duty Canvas.

If you’d prefer not to carry fabric with you, in the past I’ve also styled invitations and other details on the fabric of a bridesmaids dress! Just be aware that some dresses may leave a slight color cast on your detail photographs, which is why I generally prefer a neutral linen or fabric.

2) Command Hooks: These have been a life saver at a few of my weddings in the past when we have struggled to find a good place to hang the dress! Simply attach, hang the dress, and shoot. Once you’re done, they remove without leaving any damage to the wall so they are perfect for use in hotel rooms and on exterior surfaces! I love these Brushed Nickel Hooks, here!

3) Wooden Hanger: I ordered a pack of these earlier this year to have “just incase” I arrived to find the gown on a plastic hanger! A gorgeous gown deserves to be displayed beautifully for that heirloom photograph and having a wooden hanger on hand is a great way to ensure you won’t have to worry! Be sure to purchase hangers with small divets and without a wooden bar across the center. Two great options I love: Solid Beech Wooden Coat Hangers (Set of 10) or for a darker finish, the Mahogany Wood Curved Hanger (Set of 5) is a good alternative!

4) Reflector: Because I often use natural light to photograph the bride’s details, I bring a reflector with me for the first portion of the day. Currently, I’m loving this mini reflector for my ring shots that folds down into a tiny disc and whenever I’m in need of something with a wider diameter, I’ll use a white pillow right off the bed to redirect the light onto the bouquet or invitation suite!

5) The Extras: All those little pieces that you don’t need but accumulate just incase the perfect opportunity presents itself! I especially love:  Assorted & Spooled Ribbons to give a beautiful vintage look like this 2″ Raw Muslin Spool or this Natural Edge Cotton Ribbon. I also love collecting a few Vintage Stamps from the Postal Service.

A few weeks ago, I shared 5 Tips for Shooting Wedding Details and today’s post is written to take those tips one step further and refine your detail shots even more! If there are items you bring with you for your styling kit – be sure to share them in the comment section below! And just a reminder that as a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program all purchases made from the links above help to fund the free Educational Content that I share on Tech-Talk Tuesdays!