Ever wondered what’s actually going through a wedding photographer’s mind during a wedding day?

A lot of it is quietly noticing the details that make the day feel unmistakably you.

Not just the big obvious moments, but the smaller things too, the worn boots underneath a formal outfit, handwritten vows folded into a pocket, layered jewellery collected over years, candles dripping onto old tables, chipped nail varnish from the morning rush, sentimental rings, embroidered sleeves, tattoos peeking through fabric, or tiny personal details that probably mean nothing to anybody else but everything to the people getting married.

Those are usually the things I notice first.

One of the reasons I love alternative weddings so much is because they tend to be full of personality in ways that feel natural rather than performative. The details are rarely there just because weddings are “supposed” to have them. They’re there because they actually reflect the people at the centre of the day, their style, their history together, their interests, or simply the atmosphere they wanted to create.

Honestly, these smaller details are often what make wedding galleries feel emotional years later too. They help transport people back into the feeling of the day rather than just showing what it looked like.

So, here are some of my favourite alternative wedding details to capture — the little things I genuinely never get tired of seeing at weddings.