Relatively speaking, the little details shouldn’t really matter… the stationery, wedding signs, accessories, ushers’ colour-coordinated socks and cufflinks. Or should they?
Little things hold their own special memories
Wedding blogs and magazines have been criticised for focusing on the minutiae of wedding decor. Our “real weddings” share too many images of DIY details — or so some have said. I’m referring of course to the infamous ‘Dear Wedding Bloggers, You Suck’ on Mountainside Bride blog.
But for some reason, a year later this letter is still making me think. Why should we dismiss the little details which have taken couples so long to create or source from creative wedding suppliers?
I saw a beautiful wedding on Brides Up North recently, with calligraphy by my lovely friends at Urbis Scriptores. It made me happy to see the work of a master craftsman like Brian at the top of a UK wedding blog. It also made me realize it’s a rare event!
Photography vs Details?
Wedding blogs have grown thanks to the generosity of wedding photographers submitting real weddings for us to share with you.
Photographers pride themselves on capturing key moments, spontaneous emotion and beautifully lit images — of people.
To a photographer — and from a traditional perspective — details can be of minor importance. The memories of your wedding in ten or twenty years time won’t be about the details, right? Or is that just because you won’t have photos of your place names and favours to remember them by? Choose the right wedding photographer, and you’ll preserve the memories of those little details which mean a lot to you.
Weddings are changing. DIY is a huge trend and modern brides and grooms spend a huge amount of time crafting memories through details. Wedding blogs and magazines feature detail ideas, yes. Our publications have influenced trends in wedding styling and even in photography styles. But the real focus on details is inspired by you — and should be reflected in your wedding photography.
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Katie and Chris’s winter wedding had some beautiful details, captured on camera by Chris Hanley Photography. Click to see the full wedding!
Love your details — and get those photos!
If you’ve spent hours making bits and pieces for your big day, or spent time choosing and buying gorgeous details, you should make sure they live on in your wedding photos. A great wedding photographer will have asked about your wedding plans early on, before the wedding. They’ll recognise that the little touches mean a lot to you, and they’ll watch out for those special details to photograph.
There’s an older generation of wedding photographers, often those who don’t read blogs, who won’t realize how important your creative touches are. So if you’ve poured your heart and soul into crafting beautiful accessories and stationery for your big day, make sure you check that your photographer won’t dismiss them. Ten or twenty years into your married life, you’ll smile fondly to remember the afternoons spent with your partner and family making pom-poms, orders of service and bunting — but only if you have gorgeous pictures to remember them by.