April 1, 2020

What’s a Styling Kit?
So most of you are probably wondering, what is a styling kit and why do I need one? Well, it’s used by wedding photographers to style the wedding details and invitation suite during the getting ready section of a wedding day. These tools help to tell the story and coordinate with the colors, theme and location of the wedding. I’ve collected these pieces over the last 3 years and always keep an eye out for interesting things to add to it while I’m out and about. You can use these tools to elevate your flat lay game and blow away your couples with beautifully styled photos.

A few additional pieces I try to use/add when photographing the details of the day that are dependent on the couple:
1. Day of jewelry/cufflinks
2. The rings
3. Florals/greenery (ask your couple for their florists information so that you can reach out and ask if they can leave a few extra florals to style your flat lay with!)
4. Shoes

Link to this box or a smaller clear box that I also have here

What’s inside?

Vintage Stamps
I’ve sourced most of mine from a local vintage store (Newburgh Vintage Emporium) or Etsy. If you search vintage stamps you will find a ton. I love to add these for a pop of color, or to coordinate with the suite to make it look like it was really mailed. I also try to find stamps that have imagery related to the theme or location of the wedding which is a small detail that I think helps tell the story.

Ribbon
You can find ribbon on sites like Etsy, Tono + Co., and Ling’s Moment. It’s a great way to coordinate the colors of the wedding, and to add some texture and depth to your flat lay.

Small Dishes
I like to use dishes to hold the rings if I feel like that fits better than a ring box, I also use them to hold other pieces of jewelry, or a boutonniere or cuff links if I’m photographing the groom’s details.

Wax Seals
They can be a little accent to an envelope if it’s plain and there aren’t many other elements to add in. Etsy all the way for these! I actually had a bunch left over from my wedding invitations, so I added them to my kit!

Ring Boxes
A lot of photographers get their ring boxes from The Mrs. Box, but I prefer to spend less on these, so my main sources are Etsy and Amazon. I also have a few that are vintage that I found at the same local store that I found the vintage stamps at. (Newburgh Vintage Emporium)

Vintage Trays
I don’t use these at every wedding, but for the right wedding they can be really beautiful to display the invitation suite, shoes, boutonnieres or other details. I’ve found mine on Etsy, and at Newburgh Vintage Emporium.

Museum Putty/Sicky Dots
Museum Putty is a great way to help hold everything in place once you’ve laid out all of the stationary and you’re placing the rest of the elements. It also can help to hold a ring down if you’re trying to take a shot interlaying the rings together or to stand the ring up without putting it in a ring box. It comes off easily from most materials and can be reused- a little goes a long way. I also have a roll of sticky dots which come in handy but sometimes they lose their stickiness quickly, so I prefer the putty in most situations!

Acrylic Risers
I got mine from Sourced Co. These help to elevate different pieces of the suite to create dimension. You can also find these on Etsy and Amazon. I’ve also seen photographers use a ream of staples or wooden beads, be creative with what you might already have laying around!

Command Hooks
These can be a life saver if there isn’t a place to hang the dress that is accessible. You can use a blank wall for a clean shot and the hook comes right off!

Confetti
This is by no means a key piece to my kit, but I brought a package of confetti to one of my weddings last year and had the bridesmaids pop it and it’s one of my favorite photos, so I added a few more that I got from BHLDN (creates a bit of a mess but totally worth it!)

Hanger
I got mine from BHLDN and I’m obsessed. I also bring a plain wood hanger for another option depending on the vibe of the wedding. No one wants their wedding dress to be hung with the ugly plastic hangers that come with the dress!

Now let’s see what I’ve created with these styling tools