Are you planning a wedding? If you are, I am sure you have seen them all over blogs, publications, and posts. They are the wedding details. I’m not going to reinvent the wheel; wedding details are all over publications and many other photographers and vendors have written about them. I am sure you can find other posts written on why details are so wonderful and relevant, but in my small corner of the internet, I will try to give you my take on details and why they matter so much.
In the past years of photographing weddings I have seen details as a growing trend at weddings. Where once, really not that long ago, photography was based solely on the alter photos and the groupings around them. With the influx and slant toward documentary photography there came the challenge to photographers to not only capture the groupings and candid moments of the wedding day, but also tell the entire story of the day… thus the idea of storytelling of a wedding in photos was born. 
Not only will the photographer capture the people of the day, he or she will also be capturing the elements that make the wedding day unique to the couple. Gone are the group shots on the alter, now couples are in fields with flower crowns and at barns with livestock roaming about. Hay bales are used as seating and outdoor furniture under tents are widely accepted. Food trucks and patio seating are considered just fine and as unique and interesting as the couples hosting them. 
The details of the day not only tell your story as a couple in what you love doing together, but they make the day completely your own. They are also shots that editors want to see (and if you want your wedding to be published somewhere) things you need to inform your photographer to shoot, but most likely if you have them, they will be shot. 
One of the things I have made the change in doing in the past few years, is showing up early to a wedding and documenting the small details before my contract begins. I have found it super helpful because I have the time to shoot these beautiful details without feeling rushed, and also because my brides love them and they are ordering these shots to go in their albums. It also gives me more of a portfolio to give to editors and also just gets my creative juices flowing. So there you have a few thoughts on detail shots, any other ideas/ thought feel free to comment below!
Gabe & Mikayla- July 2015:: For this wedding I was able to travel to the plains of South Dakota and was welcomed by an extremely kind, generous, and loving family. I spent a night through a South Dakota thunderstorm (and let me telly you I was pretty sure I was going to be like Dorthy in the Wizard of Oz and swept up in a tornado!) but it passed as all storms do and the next day gave way to a sweltering 90 degree day spent in a gorgeous garden. We climbed bails of hay in a field not too far from where Mikayla grew up and I was smitten by the incredible landscapes of South Dakota!
Sam & Brooke- October 2015:: Minneapolis was the place they fell in love with each other and the skyline was what they wanted captured in their wedding photos. Being later in October didn’t matter a bit this year as the fall weather was incredible. I love this one of their faces as well as the beautiful fall lit Minneapolis Skyline. (Side note:: this is also the wedding where I was stuck in traffic right after the Gopher game let out and again, I am thankful for my amazing assistant who beat the rush and was able to photograph the before math-is that a word?- of the game!!)
Steve & Gina-November 2015:: Believe it our not, the way the cards fell for me was that November was my craziest month. It started with Gina and Steve who headed to a great alley way in St Paul for me to capture this photo of them together before their wedding part met them!
Josh & Brittany-November 2015:: With another amazing 50 degree day in November, I was flying. Running around without a coat on all over the beautiful greens of Rush Creek, I was able to photograph these lovebirds. We hit a sweet patch of great fall light where I stopped these two to kiss and snuggle together. This shot was taken right after the two broke loose and the gorgeous light that surrounded them.
Mike & Bridget-November 2015:: Why are waking poses my favorite??? Because you get the true embodiment of the couple. Bridget and Mike’s day, only a week later in November, was a whopping 40 degrees cooler and had a crazy windchill that sent this sun loving photographer out to get hand warmers after the wedding! I LOVE this shot of Bridget leading Mike out of the St. Paul Hotel’s garden as they headed back to their wedding party on the bus. Smiling and walking together simply captured this sweet part of the day, though some-what rushed because of the fleeting light, you would never know based on the joy on their faces!
Ryan & Sarah- December 2015:: These two wrapped up my 2015 season and it was yet another warm day weather wise that I was so blessed by. This photo was taken right after Sarah and Ryan had seen each other for the first time and I absolutely love the joy on both of their faces.
