MY ACCOUNT
Checkout
Courses + Products
SHOP

Wedding Wednesday

Tips for Creating a Theme Through Details

Wedding Wednesday

filed in:

about themes on a wedding day. We had a theme for our wedding… “Vintage Peacock”!  I STILL find random feathers around our house!!  Some brides have their theme nailed down and planned out perfectly…. and some brides are like “Hey, I’m getting married and I could care less about a theme!”. No matter what type of bride I’m working with, I have to be the one that makes the wedding day cohesive! It’s really crazy to think about but the photographer determines the way the wedding day will be remembered. AH! No pressure right?!!  The way we shoot determines the look and feel of the album and the blog post… and those are two main ways

that the bride and groom will share about their wedding day! So I haven’t decided if this post is going to be more helpful for BRIDES or PHOTOGRAPHERS. I’m going to share a way to shoot DETAILS and make them flow seamlessly into the wedding day theme.  I’ve realized recently that there is a way a bride can REALLY help her photographer out with the details and that is by gathering her details and including some fabric/stationary/extra crafty stuff along with the details pile. Some of my brides have done this on accident and it’s made a WORLD of difference in their detail shots. Ok, you’re probably lost right now…. thinking “Katelyn.. this doesn’t make sense”.  I’m so bad at explaining things that I get excited about!! So let me explain with pictures!

 

 

So here are some shots from David and Courtney’s wedding (That you can see featured on the wedding channel tomorrow!!) Courtney and David had a green and black themed winter wedding and they also ordered an album. So I knew that as I was shooting their details, all of these shots HAD to flow together or else the album would look HORRENDOUS!  So, instead of finding some AWESOME antique chair or placing the details on the carpet… I intentionally used the envelope of their invitation to add a pop of GREEN to the detail shots! 
And this is what the album spread looks like:
Another example would be from Bev and Craig’s wedding this past fall! Bev included an extra piece of scrap GOLD fabric that matched their wedding colors in her details pile. YES!!! I shot her details on this fabric and it made for the most beautiful details spread!
Here’s the album spread from these images!
Are you starting to see what I mean?  By just having a consistent background, you can have amazing detail shots! So brides… gather some of your extra crafty stuff and let your photographer go to town! And photographers… when you’re shooting details, be creative and don’t just look for “good light” …. look for ways to make these details match the THEME. Here’s another example: Molly and John’s wedding was a southern cowboy theme. It was adorable. However, like most weddings, the bride got ready in a modern hotel suite. This hotel didn’t match her theme at ALL. So I had to MAKE it match. I found an extra roll of burlap that was left over from decorating the reception and I put it to use! I found good light and instead of just propping the details up against the wall, I made a backdrop out of burlap! It looks like these details were shot in a BARN… not a Marriott!
Besides using invitations and fabric… you can get creative and use BRIDESMAIDS dresses to carry out the theme and the color of the wedding day!
Hope this helped both the BRIDES out there AND the photographers! These are super simple ways to totally transform your details!!!

Thanks for reading!

— Katelyn

Free Posing Class

Free Posing Class The KJ Way

Your sessions should be working FOR you not against you!

READ MORE
Education

Welcome to your Lightroom Classic Starter Guide video!

Lightroom Classic Beginner Guide
READ MORE

Lightroom Classic Starter Guide Everything You Need to Get Started!

Youtube
5 Essentials to Turn Pro

5 Essentials Beginners Need to Go Pro and make your photography business a success!

I’m breaking down the MUST-HAVE ITEMS that every photographer needs to be successful at the start of their career! 

READ MORE
Youtube

Danny + Megan A Biltmore Estate Wedding

Oh where do I begin? This wasn’t just another wedding for me. This was a legacy KJ Wedding and I have been looking forward to it ever since my first email from Danny and Megan!

READ MORE
Weddings

I’m really excited about this YouTube video because I know that it resonates with ALL photographers who photograph PEOPLE!!

10 posing red flags
READ MORE

10 Red Flags in Posing And how to fix them!

Youtube
How to Serve a Client Who Isn't a Perfect Fit

Ep. 33 | How to Serve a Client Who Isn’t a Perfect Fit And make it a great experience

Have you ever walked into a client experience and realized “oh wow, this is not what I was expecting?” ….

READ MORE
The Katelyn James Podcast

READER FAVORITES

"Best money I have EVER spent on education! ... and I've spent a lot!”

- Kara Abbey, ALL-ACCESS MEMBER

"I love all the lessons I'm learning from KJ All Access! Thanks Katelyn!”

- Shannon Drummond, ALL-ACCESS MEMBER

"I find very few educational resources worth it ... this one is!”

- Kate gansneder, ALL-ACCESS MEMBER

"Recently signed up for KJ All Access and it's EVERYTHING!”

- Kassidy Mowery, ALL-ACCESS MEMBER

"Being able to see behind-the-scenes of Katelyn interacting with her clients has been SO impactful!”

- Angie mcpherson, ALL-ACCESS MEMBER

"Recently signed up for KJ All Access and it's EVERYTHING!”

- Kassidy Mowery, ALL-ACCESS MEMBER

"SO worth it! It's amazing the amount of knowledge you get out of them!”

- Brittany Lowe, ALl ACCESS MEMBER

"I learned just as much in one All Access as I did in a whole course! SO GOOD!"

- Joanna Krueger, ALL-ACCESS MEMBER
10 Steps to Starting Your Photography Business
Helping a friend survive a season of Infant Loss
How to photograph a first look in Harsh Light
OUR KJ COUPLES REUNION
A Lake Como Destination Wedding - Greg and Kate
A Letter to the Go-Getters fearful of Motherhood

The KJ blog
must-reads

The KJ Blog is where you get to know me, where you meet our KJ Couples and see their beautiful wedding days, where I have been building an archive of education for over a decade and where I let you see a peek into our life, our home, and hear about our purpose! 
don't miss the
Arrow KJ
Arrow KJ
Arrow KJ
Arrow KJ
Arrow KJ
Arrow KJ

YOUTUBE

Join 93,000+ others and learn, grow and get connected via our Youtube Channel! This is where I'm constantly sharing new content, talking all things gear, business, tips, tricks and letting you into the behind-the-scenes of our everyday life! 
MORE FREE EDUCATION + CUTE BABIES ON
WATCH NOW

"I have invested in all of KJ’s education!

The way she teaches makes so much sense and I’m so grateful for her! My business will be forever changed!"

- Renee Nicolo

"KJ education has been life-changing

 It has elevated my work so I could quit my day job and work from home with our baby boy!"

- joanna k.

"I'VE INVESTED IN SO MANY RESOURCES... 

and none compare to what I get from KJ!"

- LAUREN M.