Wedding flatlay checklists: So you’ve been looking around at all your favorite photographers’ portfolios, and one thing you noticed is the gorgeous photos of all the bride and groom’s details – jewelry, invitation suites, and heirloom items. I truly love all parts of the wedding day, but designing and photographing the flatlay is one of my favorites. I always do them right away when I arrive for your wedding, and ideally I take an hour to style & shoot everything.

But what’s the process of getting these items gathered? Is it stuff you bring? Is it stuff your photographer brings? Well, it’s both. I bring a styling kit with several colors of ribbon and some linen mats for a clean background if I need them. I have tiny scissors and some antique stamps, and a couple neutral ring boxes. But those things are meant to just be an accent to the more personal items that you want to remember about your day! These images will probably end up in your album, and you may not want a bunch of photos of my stuff around your invitation.

I share a wedding flatlay checklist with my clients during the planning process so they are sure to think about it in time to gather a few more items if they want to, and usually put a reminder right on the timeline too. And today, I’m going to share that checklist with you too!

Wedding Flatlay Checklists

BRIDE

• Extra florals*
• Dress
• Dress Hanger
• Rings (cleaned – engagement ring & wedding bands)
• Shoes
• Veil
• Bouquet
• Ring
• Hair pieces
• Jewelry
• Invitation Suite (2 full sets with envelopes)
• Any other paper stationary you may have, like program cards or menus
• Vows Book
• Gift/letter for the groom
• Special gifts she is giving or has received (i.e. matching hand mirrors for all the girls or the new bracelet that her mom gave her)
• Any other sentimental keepsakes/family heirlooms you would like to include

A really sweet way to incorporate something very personal is to have your calligrapher write your first dance song’s lyrics or part of your personal vows to each other on a pretty card that matches your invitation suite.

*IMPORTANT: I would love to have some of the florals you’ll be using throughout your wedding day. If your florist will supply me a small bucket or box of extra pieces so I can incorporate those in your detail shots, that would be so marvelous!

GROOM

• His shoes
• Socks (if they’re special)
• Cufflinks
• Tie or Bow Tie
• Pocket Square
• Boutonnière
• Vows Book
• Ring
• Watch
• Gift/letter for the bride
• Special gifts he is giving or has received (i.e. matching flasks for all the guys or the new cufflinks that his dad gave him)
• Any other sentimental keepsakes/family heirlooms you would like to include

BONUS ITEMS

Outside of the basic lists above, try to think about some other small things that would coordinate with your decor. There are SO many great inspo photos for flatlays on Pinterest. Don’t feel like you need to have it ALL, but some looking around might give you some great ideas for things your photographer could incorporate. I’ll bring the things I have in my flatlay kit, but some other accent pieces you could have available are:

• medium-to-large confetti in your wedding colors
• wax seals and the seal stamp you used
• silk or velvet ribbon on a coordinating wooden spool
• fancy pen or letter opener
• a stock of the special stamps you used on your invitations
• velvet ring boxes in your colors (try to get ones that have removable lids)
• matte silver, matte gold, or wooden trays/ring dishes (whatever you think will go best with the vibe of your decor)
• tiny bottles of champagne that coordinate with your wedding colors
• a yard of luxurious fabric like silk or velvet in your wedding colors
• a pretty book that is meaningful to your relationship and coordinates with your wedding colors
• cigar(s) and/or cigar box, if smoking cigars is a part of your life or part of your wedding day
• extras of whatever smaller objects you are using in your wedding (Ex: if you are using pomegranate halves and blueberries in your deep red & navy centerpieces, save some for me for the flatlay! Or if your wedding favors are tiny jars of local honey with a little honey dipper, throw a few of them in the bag with your other detail items)
• calligraphy card with part of your first dance’s song lyrics or part of your personal vows (ask your calligrapher to do this in a way that compliments/coordinates with your invitation suite)

 

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Corrie Childers is a sought-after Northwest Arkansas wedding photographer, Arkansas engagement photographer, Arkansas bridal photographer and Arkansas proposal photographer. Corrie has a natural passion for classic, timeless wedding photography in an elegant and relaxed style. Corrie is currently booking Arkansas weddings in Bella Vista, Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers, Siloam Springs, Eureka Springs and all of Northwest Arkansas, as well as Little Rock, El Dorado, Dallas, St. Louis, Kansas City, Tulsa, Oklahoma City and beyond!

Wedding Flatlay Photography