Its All In The Details | Quail Branch Lodge Bridal Session | Valdosta, Georgia Wedding Vendors | Captured by Colson Photography

“The difference between something good and something great is attention to detail.” — Charles Swindoll 

The details of your wedding day will be the things that set it apart from every other wedding you’ve ever attended.  Sometimes the details look like the behind-the-scenes efforts that you’ve put in (or hired out!) to make things run smoothly, and sometimes, details are the very obvious statements made throughout your wedding day.  The elements of your wedding day work together to create the unique and oh-so-personal celebration of the first day of your marriage!  And while there can be a LOT of choices to be made, I think its important (coming from a photographer’s point of view) to think it through…

Bridal Suite:

While this may not seem like an obvious wedding-day detail, it can be seen as a ‘behind the scenes’ type of detail that sets the stage for every single ‘getting ready’ image in your gallery.  When choosing a place to get ready, it’s important to think about the space in regards to how many bridesmaids, small attendants, and moms will be joining in on the ‘getting ready’ process.  There’s nothing worse than a tight, cluttered, dark room for a bride to get ready in.  Selecting a bridal suite with plenty of space and light is the ideal way to start your wedding day in a relaxed and comfortable way.

Melissa Boatenreiter of Quail Branch Lodge has this to add:  “There should be places in the bridal suite to stash items that you need to get ready but don’t necessarily want in your pictures. We all know “getting ready” ain’t pretty, but it should be clutter free and gorgeous in your wedding day images.”

Quail Branch Lodge is a prime example of a venue with an amazing bridal suite!  Beautifully white-washed walls and tons of windows bring in the best kind of light.  Its spacious enough to host your entourage of bridal party, hair dressers and makeup artists while still giving you space to breathe!  The neutral color scheme is the perfect palette to photograph alllll of your small bridal details in the room without carrying them all around the lodge.  This room checks all the boxes of what a perfect bridal suite should be.

Hair + Makeup:

Adeana Dillon (professional hair and makeup artist, Makeup by Adeana) offers some advice:  “Hire a working professional for your big day, someone that is well seasoned in bridal makeup. There is a huge difference in a hobbyist artist and a professional.  I always say that after venue and photographer the makeup artist and hair stylist should be up at the top of your list.  Photos are the biggest way to recall your wedding and making sure that you go from morning to night looking picture perfect is so important. It is Makeup By Adeana’s goal to make sure that rolls over to a flawless makeup application for not just you the bride but your bridal party as well. I believe it’s safe to say that nobody will be photographed more than you and having your makeup perfectly applied is vital when the camera picks up all those details so beautifully.”

Nothing better than a super soft pajama set (ours were provided by Perfect Settings), satin robes or even monogrammed button downs to let your bridal suite attendees get ready in style!  Selecting a comfortable “getting ready” attire for your bridesmaids and yourself insures a cohesive look even in candid images.  Be sure to choose a style that is easy to get out of so that beautiful hair and makeup doesn’t have to be sacrificed for the sake of getting dressed!

Invitation Suite:

I agree with Lori Taylor (manager of Perfect Settings) when she said, “Wedding paper is your guests’ first glimpse into the tone of your wedding day”!  It sets the tone completely!  Ornate script in gold embossing on thick textured paper just screams classic black tie affair!  Sending out a velum envelope covered in vintage stamps containing an invitation with a custom watercolored crest and your guests know that a stylish and chic wedding is on their horizon!  The tone (and wording!) that your invitation suite sends can also be a good indication on the attire of the event as well!  Be sure that you’re sending the right messages with these first details!

Perfect Settings is our local example of a wedding vendor who can help guide the personal touches of this detail!  Its no longer the olden days of cookie cutter invitations that look just like everyone else’s!  Providing examples, customizing options and bringing your visions to life is what makes this shop unique!  Lori Taylor adds, “The colors, fonts, motifs and texture of your paper suite are all important details. The response cards also help the bride plan for a quantity for catering, napkins, programs and other wedding day-of factors. Perfect Settings is here to guide you through the wedding paper process and give any advice on the etiquette and design of your invitation suite. We stay up to date on the latest trends, but also keep the balance of tradition.”

Wedding Dress:

The bride’s dress is always the showstopper and best kept secret of the wedding day!  Choosing a wedding gown that looks amazing and feels comfortable is such an important decision.  Something to consider is how your dress will fit in at your venue of choice… for example — getting married at a barn may not be the best fit for absolute satin that shows dirt but it would be perfect for an estate or country-club wedding!

Jewelry:

Florals:

Bouquets bring in pops of color that may not be in the dresses you chose for your bridesmaids, and add a softness to the detail images of your day.  Little bits of accent colors add in more than just your star color and keeps things from looking too bland.  When thinking about your bouquet, its more than just color to concern yourself with, consider the shape, density and textures available.  Want a formal wedding with tight dense bouquets of roses, or a more casual wedding with loose greenery — florals help determine the overall vibe of your day!  Photographer Tip:  Asking your florist to add in a few “extra” pieces of greenery or left over flowers will help your detail flat lay photos come to life and be more organic!

Heather Squires, owner of Southern Occasions Florist in Lake Park, Georgia gives some insight on her process: “As a florist, opportunities are always brought to you to be creative. Creativity is always great, but I always make it my first priority to truly understand the style of the bride and their vision for the day. From the colors, to the textures they are using- these small details help guide me while choosing the floral selections. Florals truly bring the entire wedding together and being creative with the decisions you make are what will make your perfect day, yours!”

Southern Occasions Florist hit the nail on the head with this beautiful bouquet.  Subtle colors of pinks and deeper muted reds were the perfect match for our deep sea bridesmaids dresses and added just the right amount of accent color.  I especially love how their loose arrangement fit the vibe for this shoot.  Being able to give examples and NON examples of what you’re looking for helps the florists to achieve what you desire while being allowed creative freedom that you hired them for in the first place!

Behind the scenes:

I see you there, feeling maybe a tad overwhelmed with #alltheweddingthings running through your mind.  The beautiful thing about wedding vendors is that we’ve helped hundreds of brides through the process of our speciality.  Finding a team of wedding industry vendors is what will take your day from stressful to carefree and relaxed.  The number one advice I can give to my brides is to find professional and experienced vendors that you trust to fulfill the vision of your day.  Everyone will not be a perfect fit for you, but finding your team will empower you and give you the confidence to build the celebration your marriage was meant to have.

The photo below contains some of the most powerhouse wedding vendor boss ladies in our area.  From left to right — Devan Martin and Mary Beth Smotherman of Perfect Settings, Emily Johnson of Mary Elizabeth’s Bridal, Lindsay Colson of Captured by Colson Photography, Adeana Dillon of Makeup by Adeana, and Melissa Boatenreiter with Quail Branch Lodge.  (Not pictured, Nicole Steele of Steeles Jewelry, Heather Squires of Southern Occasions Florist and Nicki Young of Adele Amelia Designs)

Lindsay Colson, photographer and owner of Captured by Colson Photography, is a Valdosta, Georgia based photographer who specializes in plantation and estate weddings in the southeast as well as natural light senior photography.  Interested in choosing Lindsay document your first day of marriage?    Get in touch and let’s chat more!

Styled Shoot Vendors: