5 Small Wedding Details That Make a BIG Difference

Over the years I’ve noticed a few details that really make your wedding feel sophisticated and polished even if you’re on a tight budget! 

And you’ll notice most of what you see on Pinterest (which is mostly models and staged weddings at this point) looks so nice because of small details like the ones listed below.

Groom Portrait at the Boathouse District in Oklahoma City by Kenzie's Photography

MOG/MOB Outfits and Corsages

When the mother of the bride and mother of the groom wear colors that coordinate with the wedding theme it really adds a sophisticated look to ceremony and family photos. It shows there’s harmony and communication between the families and helps keep everyone looking polished. Don’t forget corsages for the moms either, they’d both probably done a lot to get the bride and groom to their wedding day and a corsage marks them as a person of importance (which definitely helps the wedding photographer during family photos)

Boutonniere For Officiant/Pastor

​Speaking of marking people of importance, be sure to include a boutonnière for the wedding officiant. Again it looks great in photos and adds another touch of sophistication and cohesiveness!

Wedding Party Stays in Formal Attire

I really have to argue this is one of the most important aspects of great wedding day photography, especially during the reception. Your bridesmaids and groomsmen are some of the most important people at your wedding and they wear their special dresses and suits to show it. So if they change back into casual clothes for the reception it can look tacky in photos, informal and almost rude. It’s an honor to be asked to stand by you on your wedding day, so staying in their formal attire should be to!

​The one exception here would be the groomsmen can take off their suit coats if they are hot while dancing and the bridesmaids can sneak on some comfy (but still dressy) flats for dancing.

Bride and Bridesmaids at Festivities Event Center in El Reno, OK

Dress Code Guidelines in the Wedding Invitation

​This is another detail I’ve seen go very well, especially for candid wedding photos. You can take this as far as you like and request guests wear black tie/formal or simply ask people to loosely follow a color scheme and to avoid casual clothes “no jeans please!”. If your wedding colors are navy, blush and gold a family can definitely work that out without a huge expense.

Again, this helps during family photos and reception photos. It touches those sophistication and coordination notes we love so much! I will often offer to take family photos of extended family because they made the effort to dress up so why not make sure they get a professional photo!

SMILE!

Yes it sounds simple but you I’d be surprised how many times I catch people with RBF or “thinking face” and for couples who want candid wedding photos a smile is a must to make those moments special and memorable. No one wants to print a wedding picture of someone frowning right? Right.

Use these tips as you’re planning your wedding and I can promise your wedding photographer will love taking the photos almost as much as you’ll love them when you see the final result!