This is Part 4 of a five-part “To the Newly Engaged” series about making your engagement, wedding planning, and wedding as enjoyable and productive as possible! This is from my personal experience as a bride, and from my perspective as a wedding photographer as well. Check back next week to catch the last part of the series, and share with your friends who are engaged as well!

Today’s installment is all about the beauty in the details. There are so many opportunities to incorporate meaningful details into your big day, and I think weddings with those personal touches tend to be the most memorable and moving! You don’t have to stress about every detail having some sentimental connection to you and your fiancé, but finding at least a few key opportunities to infuse meaning and emotion will be such a great return on your investment. So here go with a few tips for your wedding day details:

• Re-read point 2 from Part 2: Don’t let Pinterest take over your wedding!!! Sure, those adorable table numbers may be something you just HAVE to HAVE, and that’s fine! Go for it! But you also want to be able to look back at your details and see YOU, not a version of someone else’s wedding. Be smart about what ideas you incorporate from Pinterest. Try to use it as a springboard for finding your own twist on those images/ideas.
• Be creative. I know this isn’t everyone’s strongest area, but maybe you have a bridesmaid or a mother who comes up with great ideas? Bring them in on the planning! Think about things that mean the world to you – and then think about if there’s a way to incorporate that into your details.
  • Example: are you going to have photos of your parents, grandparents, etc. on their wedding day displayed at the reception? Find out what each of those brides’ favorite flower is, and put 2-3 in a small vase near their photo. Keeping them all in the same color palette or in your wedding colors will make things sweet but seamless! Imagine a table of polished silver vases with black and white wedding photos, small pale mint vases with one holding white peonies, one with white white hydrangeas, one with white tulips, and one with white roses. BOOM!! Your wedding just got pinned by thousands of other family-focused, soon-to-be brides looking for great ideas.
  • Another example (from my own wedding): My bouquet was gorgeous and it ended up being one of my most treasured details from my wedding day… but I admit flowers weren’t my #1 top priority. Why is the bouquet a stand-out for me even though I didn’t focus on flowers? The meaningful details it contained!! The wrap on the stem of my bouquet was the lace trim from my mother’s wedding dress. My sweet, thoughtful aunt (and God-mother) bought my bouquet as a gift to me. I had jewelry wired into the blooms that my late grandfather had given my grandmother who wasn’t able to make the trip out from California, so they were both with me as I walked down the aisle.

• Don’t keep your sentiments a secret. Make sure you communicate with your photographer about these personalized details so that they can get quality photos of them to preserve them forever (like mind did – thanks, Korie!)! Think about your granddaughter seeing those, hearing the story of the meaning behind the details, and choosing to do the same thing at her own wedding. Makes me teary-eyed just thinking about it!

So take your time to think about the things you love most, and try to find ways to sneak them into your day. Trust me, there’s nothing like having something extra special in each moment filling your heart more than you could ever imagine.

You can find the rest of the To the Newly Engaged series here:

• Part 1: Enjoy it!
• Part 2: Get Organized!
• Part 3: Picking a Photographer
• Part 5: Have a Deadline