Anatomy of a flat lay: my ten favorite items to include
As someone who delights in the details, I am a major sucker for a good flat lay photo — which (for those who don’t know) is an aerial shot capturing the small items included in an event design, most notably the invitation suite. They’re not specific to weddings only, but have become a staple in the wedding industry for the way they capture the personal touches and details of the day. You can find entire Instagram accounts dedicated to flat lay photos (my kind of accounts to follow!) as well as all kinds of flat lay inspiration on Pinterest and in bridal publications.
When you’re discussing your timeline with your planner and photographer, don’t miss out on the opportunity to put together a beautiful flat lay, because you weren’t completely prepared with what you want photographed or didn’t allocate enough time to have these details captured.
** Pro Tip: I find it helpful to put together a small bin containing all of the items you’d like to have photographed. As a planner, I grab this bin and get a head start on organizing and styling everything, so your photographer isn’t starting their day by running around looking for these items. If you’re not working with a planner who handles this for you, have your bin ready and in an accessible location, making it easy for your photographer to get to work once they arrive (since detail shots are one of the first things they will likely photograph.) For bonus points, tape an inventory list to the side of the bin. This helps to ensure that everything finds their way back into the bin, and helps with locating items for anyone else who could potentially need them. Think “best man at the alter with no rings” — we don’t want that!
Below, I’m rounding up 10 items of my favorite items to style in a flat lay photo — all of which come together to tell the unique story of your day!
Photo by Courtney Leigh Photography | Invitation suite by Yellow Rose Calligraphy
Photo by Darce Ross Photography | Invitation suite by Regan Saha Design
Photo by Megan Kay Photography | Invitation suite by Regan Saha Design
First, the invitation suite. And really, the whole point of the flat lay photo is to photograph your invitation suite. It will be the focal point of your flat lay photos, capturing that beautiful first impression that you sent to your guests.
The following items are the ones that further add personality and sentimental value to your photos…
Loose blooms for styling. Essential for softening up your paper goods and creating cohesion with the other design elements of your day, which are likely pretty floral heavy. As a planner, I always make sure that we have a line item on the floral quote for styling blooms.
Shoes. My favorite!
Rings. Both his and hers. And a ring box, if you feel so inclined.
Photo by Color & Beam | Calligraphy by Yellow Rose Calligraphy
Photo by Jessica Kent Photography
Photo by Bailee Starr Photography
Photo by Megan Kay Photography
Photo by Lauren Leigh Whicker | Invitation by Chirps & Cheers
Other jewelry or accessories. Those earrings that tie in perfectly with the florals on the invitations. The bracelet that was a gift from your mother. Anything else that you plan to wear — whether it is sentimental or not, it will become sentimental after this day.
Perfume or cologne. These have become popular items to include. If you’ve chosen a special scent to remember the day by, this would be a sweet thing to include. I’ve also seen where some artists will paint perfume bottles (like you many times see with champagne bottles) to further customize and incorporate your wedding design.
Wax seals and stamps. Adding visual interest to your envelope goes a long way in these detail photos.
Ribbons, belly bands, or whatever is used to tie your suite together. This creates dimension across the invitation suite and allows us to style it in both its assembled and disassembled forms.
Photo by Lauren Leigh Whicker
Photo by Sara Abdulaziz Photography
Photo by Camera Shi Photography
Photo by Color & Beam | Portraits by Yellow Rose Calligraphy
Photo by Bailee Starr Photography | Suite by TinyShindigs
Family heirlooms. A brooch pin. A cake topper from your parent’s nuptials. A grandmother’s ring. You can’t fabricate the history found in any of these passed-down treasures, so be sure to capture them!
Any other small pieces of wedding signage, or items that are meaningful to you and tell the story of your day. This could include place cards or escort cards, a ceremony program, favors, etc. It could be polaroid pictures of you, your partner, and your beloved pet. If you’re choosing to exchange letters or vows, they would be perfect items to include. Truly, anything that tugs at your heart strings, further exemplifies your design elements, and are physically small enough, should be included in these photos.
But really, these detail shots, along with all of the other photos that will make up your wedding gallery, should be true to you! Don’t be afraid to think outside the box, and if it holds meaning — capture it.
And one last thing — all of these photos were styled by me. As a detail-oriented planner with detail-loving brides, I understand and value the importance of memorializing these details in a way that does justice to them. I love working alongside photographers to style the perfect photos for them to capture (it truly is a collaborative effort) but not every photographer has the same eye or comfort level for styling, which is why many of them don’t mind when I step in to take the lead. Of course, every photographer is different and ultimately, my job is to support them best. My clients know it, and prospective clients should know it too, that this is an aspect of service that I provide to everyone regardless of the level of planning they hire me for.
So with that, I’m going to say ‘happy styling!’ I hope this gives you some ideas and inspiration for what you can gather for your own detail photos. Be sure to follow me on Instagram and Pinterest for more flat lay inspiration, and tag me in your wedding detail photos so I can gush over them too!
-LNC