At the heart of it, your wedding is a collection of decisions all affecting each other, culminating into the look, feel, and “vibe” of one of the most important days in your life together. From your venue to the cake topper, everything interplays with one another. Your layflat details are no different.
While they may seem small compared to most of the obstacles you have to hurtle while planning your wedding, these details reflect all of your choices — from a top-down view of sorts. There are so many ways that you can design and pull from various other moments in your day to create a proverbial synopsis of your wedding in photo and film form.
Here are 9 tips for designing the layflat photos of your dreams!
1. Planning, Planning, Planning:
It should come as no shock that the first place you want to start when planning anything for your day is just that — get a game plan together. Even if you haven’t ordered your invitations, start a physical checklist of the details you know you’ll want to include. Keep adding to this list as you get other pieces of planning tackled. Did you just finish deciding which perfume/cologne you’ll be using? Put it on the list! Do you know you’ll have wax seals for the invitations? Put them on the list!
There’s so much going on in the final months leading up to your day that if it isn’t in writing chances are you’ll forget it.
2. Dedicated Invitation Set:
As a general rule of thumb, you always want to order an extra 2-3 dozen invitations. You’ll need additional stationery to send invitations out to your B list guests as “no’s” roll in, and you’ll ALSO want one dedicated, pristine stationery suite for your layflat photos.
The moment these come in the mail place the dedicated suite into a “lay flats box” or inside a vellum jacket for protection.
Also, whether you are doing printed or hand-addressed envelopes, make sure that one envelope set aside with your invitations is addressed to “The Future [insert your names here]” at your married address. That way you don’t have to have a random guest’s address featured in all of your photos 😉
3. Floral, Bouquets, and all things Plants:
Anything and everything plants really will take your lay flats to another level and again will sprinkle in elements featured elsewhere throughout your day. Are you doing a potting-ceremony during the wedding? Do you have tropical centerpieces at the reception? Tie these in by having your photographer include a cutting or a leaf.
Similarly, be sure to coordinate with your florist to ensure that your bouquet will be ready when your photographer will be taking your detail photos. Also, ask if they can supply a few extra loose cuttings of flowers and greenery either incorporated in your bouquet or from other moments such as your ceremony or reception.
As a plant parent, this might be biased but I’ve never said no to more florals and all things green!
4. Don’t Forget Letters and Vow Books:
Whether you're exchanging letters before the ceremony, or sharing your vows publicly or privately, DO NOT forget to include these in your lay flat box. While there is no shortage of significant, meaningful moments during your wedding, these are two of the most important ones.
And if you aren’t planning to do either — write each other a letter for your first anniversary and include those instead! Do not underestimate the power of putting pen to paper, especially when it comes to your detail photos.
5. Details can be three-dimensional too:
Layflat details don’t have to be limited to only the ones that can lay on the floor — they can also be the ones you wear. From the train of a dress, a cathedral veil, a bow tie, or watch, all of these can have a place in your layflat photos. Not only can they help add dimension, but they can also add texture and contrast to various backgrounds.
Now, this may require some coordination, especially if you are getting ready in separate locations. But all of these can add elements that reflect each of you individually to weave them into the greater story of you together.
6. Include the Shiny Details:
More specifically, your jewelry! Anything from bracelets, earrings, cufflinks, watches, necklaces, and most importantly your rings; add these to your layflats box. Even If you’re between two options for any of these, give them to your photographer and they can find ways to interweave multiple options into smaller vignettes. It’’s possible that one watch will pair better with the invitations and one better with the shoes, or one necklace can be placed lying across the bouquet and one can be posed with your perfume.
Also, you get a 2-for-1 tip here — Make sure that your engagement ring and your wedding bands for both of you are cleaned and polished. This might seem like a no-brainer but make sure to add this to your week-of To-Do list so you don’t forget.
7. Two Layflats Can be better than one:
Branching off the last two tips, again, especially if you are getting ready in different locations or have a lot of options when it comes to details — no one said you have to stop at just one lay flat setup. You can have lay flats for each of you, one where elements are combined, and one of the latest trends is to even have a layflat from just your reception as well.
Having more than one layflat setup can give you countless new ways to incorporate elements from throughout the day.
8. It’s the little things that add up:
The Devil is in the details as they say, and that extends to all of the little ones too. Your layflat can not only incorporate the major decisions like your flowers or dress, it can also showcase the smaller, more subtle choices for your wedding. Add in loose ribbon (that either 1. matches the wedding party or 2. will be used to wrap your bouquets), a handful of wax seals from your invitations, your signature perfume for the day, and even little trinkets such as a ring box/plate or even a jewelry case.
The possibilities are endless when it comes to adding significance to these photos. The key is finding the right ones that bring meaning to your images.
9. Necessity is the mother of inspiration:
Which brings us to our last tip — deciding what to include!
Have you ever heard the old phrase, “Good artists create; the great steal?” The same goes for wedding planning. When you begin trying to envision any element of your wedding day, scrolling Instagram and Pinterest looking for ideas and inspiration is one of the best places to start. Your layflat details are no different. Look through detail photos from your friends’ and families’ weddings. Ask your photographer if they can share some inspo photographs that they have taken as well.
The moment you see something you love, add it to your list.
