Wedding Detail Shots in 7 minutes

Mellissa and Ryan’s wedding ceremony was held at Old Stone Church, and The Manor Banquet facility in West Boylston, Massachusetts. When Mellissa told me that she had a lot of detailed decorations at her wedding, I was so excited! We’re talking about succulents, bright colorful flowers, and everything rustic and natural.

The only problem was, it would be better to photograph these intricate details before all of the wedding guests arrive into the reception room at the Manor.

So we planned that I would jump in my car immediately after the ceremony, and drive down the road back to the Manor to photograph these details. I was on a mission! It was hot, beautiful day, full of so many beautiful people that I wanted to photograph during the receiving line, but, like I said, I was on a mission!

This is the one day out of your life that you get to celebrate with friends and family like this, and wedding details get to show your guests the style you love, delightful exclamations of “oh my, how cute!” and add color and style as a background to photos.

Here are some of my favorite detail photos from this amazing wedding at The Manor. There are no windows or natural light in the Athenian Room at the Manor, but no fear. I pulled out my super-fast softbox, which is a beautiful soft light source with off-camera flash inside of it. (I use a Westcott Rapid Octa Softbox)

Set that softbox up in a jiffy, went around the room and photographed away! Amazing detail pics, my timing was perfect. And it all took exactly 7 minutes. The wedding guests were just arriving and waiting outside of the Athenian Room doors. Pressure! Lol.

Vendors & Shops contributing to the wedding style

Wedding Venue: The Manor, 42 West Boylston St. West Boylston, MA 01583, Phone # 508-835-4722

Cake Artist: Gerardo’s Bakery, 339 West Boyston St. West Boylston, MA 01583, Phone # 508-853-3434. Other locations in Westborough, MA, and Bolton, MA.

Flowers on the Cake: La Jolie Fleur, 263 Park Ave, Worcester, MA 01609, Phone # 508-752-2272

Cake Topper: Better Off Wed Rustics Etsy Shop

Custom forks & Cake Server: Trinkets 818 Etsy Shop

Bride and Groom Chair Signs: Fancy Face Studio

Succulents as decorations and guest favors were bought from 5 Star Succulents Etsy Shop, and were re-potted with the kits sent.

The Athenian Room at The Manor is the room that does not have any windows, however, beautiful photos can still be taken. Also, The Manor will be renovating this room to have all wood floors. If you are a photographer working a wedding in this room, I recommend stationing yourself by the partition, so that this wall and fabric can be in the background. Imagine this wood just extending the whole entire room. This is what will happen soon! I can’t wait to see!

Succulents as decorations and guest favors were bought from 5 Star Succulents Etsy Shop, and were re-potted with the kits sent.

Cake Artist: Gerardo’s Bakery, 339 West Boyston St. West Boylston, MA 01583, Phone # 508-853-3434. Other locations in Westborough, MA, and Bolton, MA. Flowers on the Cake: La Jolie Fleur, 263 Park Ave, Worcester, MA 01609, Phone # 508-752-2272. Cake Topper: Better Off Wed Rustics Etsy Shop Custom forks & Cake Server: Trinkets 818 Etsy Shop

How to Make Sure Your Photographer Gets those Detail Shots

Obviously, Mellissa and Ryan’s wedding was a rare exception that the ceremony and reception locations were super-duper close by! So I am so glad that worked out really well. If you want photos of the reception area before guests enter in, expect for your photographer to get some time before the reception starts, during cocktail hour, to photograph wedding details.

I recommend allotting enough time approximately 1/2 an hour or less into cocktail hour (1/2 hour or less prior to the reception entrance) to make sure details are photographed before wedding guests enter into the reception room. Usually, if you have a First Look photos and therefore have already finished with wedding party and/or family photos prior to the ceremony, there would be enough time for a lot of pictures taken of the untouched details. My general rule of thumb is to photograph anything and everything that the wedding couple likely paid for or added to the wedding, and any venue decor that communicates the style and atmosphere of the wedding day.

As far as image quality, some natural light is very beautiful for detail shots, but at a lot of barn venues or dark venues, you need to increase your ISO camera setting, or use flash. I do not like increasing ISO too much, as it “catches” stronger color and creates more grainy images…I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark III that has amazing image quality at high ISO, but I love the look with off-camera flash, especially with a light diffuser. All of these images taken at The Manor were taken with off-camera flash.

Ever since I purchased a macro lens, I have loved how close I can get to photograph details. All of these, except for the wide angle images of the room, were done with my 100mm macro lens. A lot of the angles could be done without a macro lens, but images such as the writing on the forks, and rings, could not have been done that close without a macro lens. IMO!