As a communications person, I have thought about what makes blogs and magazines appealing. A lot. Why do people drop $5-$10 on glossy paper or spend hours reading and scrolling? It’s because of one word: Curation. It’s not just pictures of smiling couples. It’s lay flats of invitation suites paired with their smiles. It’s a close up of rings set up next to a shot of their kiss. It is a straight-faced bridal party besides an image of their flowers.

It is simply because an editor sat and organized the little things to emphasize the bigger things.

Your wedding photographer should come with the same ambition: To see how your details tell your story. For that reason, any bride and groom should be willing to allow forty-five minutes to an hour for the photographer to capture these elements. I know it is easy to say “I don’t need those.” But you do. Those little things are what have consumed your mind and money while planning. They are the soft touches that compliment the lingering hand holding yours. Trust me: You want these captured just like first kiss.

What kind of elements are we talking here? These sort of things:

THE DRESS. By waiting to have this photographed, you are not only going to get a few detail shots, but also have the opportunity for a photograph or two (or twenty) of your friends and family not only helping you into it, but also of them reacting to it. A very simple way to add depth to your gallery is waiting for these images before getting ready.

ACCESSORIES (TIE, HAIR THINGS, SHOES, ETC.). These are easy to mix and match when styling, so it is nice to have accessories to, well, accessorize other detail photographs.

THE RINGS. As you can tell as you scroll through my Instagram feed, I may have a little (BIG) obsession with ring shots. I like them, okay? And I can tell you with great confidence that my couples do, too. They are beautiful symbols of your love; they deserve to be captured, too.

THE FLOWERS. This includes bouquets and boutonnieres. We all know that flowers aren’t free, so why not document them while they are vibrant and beautiful? I always peg photography as “the investment you make in all your other investments,” as the photos are the one thing that remain at the end of the celebration. Being sure that the other things you have spent big bucks on documented will make every penny you spent that much more worth it.

THE INVITATION. I tend to ask my couple to send me one of these ahead of time so I can style it on my own outside the hustle and bustle of wedding day to-dos. It is so nice to have one of your invitations set aside for your photographer to incorporate into their detail shots. It is a really easy way to add variety as well as accurate document that part of your wedding.

This is not an all-inclusive list, and I always encourage you to add your own ideas, as those are the details that tell your story…but whatever you do, be sure your do just that: Allow your beautiful, unique story to be told to its fullest by allowing detail shots to happen as a part of your wedding photography.

You (and your generations to come) will be thankful you did.