The Flat Lay Wedding Photo: Gorgeous Ideas From the Bride & Blossom Archives

Ana and Jack Wedding – Brides Shoes Rings Vows – The Foundry – Asher Gardner Photography

What started out as an afterthought with photographers scrambling to find bits and pieces to place on a hotel room floor while the bride got ready, the flat lay photo is now one of the most anticipated shots in a wedding album. Personal and artistic, it can be perceived as a symbolic portrait of a couple expressed through jewelry, heirloom keepsakes, and invitations. And together, these objects of affection tell a very special story.

Planning and curating are essential to getting a gorgeous flat lay wedding photo. It’s all in the details, so think about which elements of being a bride and getting married mean the most to you. Be sure to talk with your photographer ahead of time – some pros are very experienced in this type of photography and even carry a styling kit with them. Lastly, decorative accents such as flowers and petals, ribbon, ornate dishes, and beautiful ring boxes all help in making a perfect picture. To stimulate a creative flow of ideas, we rounded up highlights of flat lay shots from our Real BB Weddings.
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Planning & Inspiration

B&B Spotlight: Unique, Custom-Made Engagement Rings By Independent Jewelry Designers in NYC

by Kate Murphy

Alternative Engagement Rings – Ra Metals Causal Séance Olivia Michaels Jewelry

The tradition of the engagement ring can be traced back to ancient Rome when a bride-to-be was given two rings – a gold one to wear in public and an iron ring to wear at home while carrying out household duties. She wore it on her left hand as it was believed that what we now call the ‘ring finger’ contained a vein, the vena amoris, that led to the heart. Archduke Maximillian of Austria was the first to use a diamond ring to symbolize engagement in 1477 when he betrothed Mary of Burgundy. This started a trend within the upper class of using the diamond engagement ring to not only symbolize love, but also wealth and status. Confined mostly to the affluent for the next five hundred years, the diamond ring’s modern-day popularity didn’t begin until 1947 when De Beers launched the advertising campaign “A Diamond is Forever.”
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Cari and AnShih Wedding - Peony Garden Rose Quicksand Spray Rose Bridal Bouquet - Lotte New York Palace NYC - by Kelly Kollar Photography

Planning & Inspiration

How To Personalize Your Bridal Bouquet: Ideas For Adding Sentimental Beauty To Big Day Blooms

by Kate Murphy

Cari and AnShih Wedding – Peony Garden Rose Quicksand Spray Rose Bridal Bouquet – Lotte New York Palace NYC – by Kelly Kollar Photography

The bridal bouquet can be traced back to ancient Rome when women carried or wore flower garlands, believing that the blooms represented new beginnings, fidelity, and fertility. Things have changed a bit since then. For the modern bride, the bouquet is her ultimate accessory. Flowers are chosen not only for their symbolic nature, but also for their color, texture, and shape, complementing personal style, taste, and the overall wedding day look. Once they find their perfect floral aesthetic, many of our brides have added deeper sentiment by incorporating a special element into the arrangement. From keepsake jewelry to photos of loved ones, here are inspiring ideas from the Real BB Weddings archives for adding a heartfelt and personal touch to your bridal bouquet.
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Stefanie and Mike Wedding - Bridal Portrait - Gotham Hall - Emma Cleary Photography

Weddings

BB Featured Bride Stefanie on Her Breathtaking Anne Barge Dress

by Kate Murphy

Stefanie and Mike Wedding – Bridal Portrait – Gotham Hall – Emma Cleary Photo and Video

“My Grandma is my best friend.” If you read Part 1 where Stefanie talks about getting engaged, you already know how important her Grandma was in initiating her and Mike’s courtship. This was also true when time came for the bride to start looking for what to wear down the aisle – her Grandma was more than happy to step in and move the process along. Here, Stefanie talks about her breathtaking Anne Barge dress and personals.

Part 2: Wedding Dress & Personals
“I wasn’t the type of girl who grew up dreaming of a wedding,” Stefanie says. Her Grandma, however, had been giving a lot of thought to the momentous occasion. “She obsessively watched ‘Say Yes to the Dress,’” Stefanie says with a laugh. “Whenever a dress appeared on the show that she liked, she would hit pause, take a picture of her TV screen and send it to me. And then I would have to research the dress online.” After receiving countless photos this way, one dress finally caught Stefanie’s eye. “When I went into Kleinfeld, I still had NO idea what I wanted but asked my consultant to pull that particular dress my Grandma had sent me. I tried the dress on and knew immediately it was the one for me.”
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Melanie & Nick Wedding - Bride's Bouquet - Suffolk Theater - Sean Gallery Photography

Weddings

BB Featured Bride Melanie On Her Show-stopping Pronovias Dress

by Kate Murphy

Melanie & Nick Wedding – Bride’s Bouquet – Suffolk Theater – Sean Gallery Photography

When your wedding theme is ‘1940s Oscars Party,’ only a red-carpet worthy dress will do for the occasion. Melanie could have easily been mistaken for a movie star as she made her way into The Suffolk Theater. Here she shares the details about her show-stopping Pronovias gown and bridal personals.

Part 2: Wedding Dress & Personals

It was evident from the beginning that as a couple, Melanie and Nick had a distinct style and their wedding was going to be one-of-a-kind. Perhaps it was this genuine, ‘go with your gut’ approach that made her search for the perfect dress so effortless. Melanie had scheduled two bridal appointments, one in the morning followed by a second in the afternoon. “After trying on and liking a few dresses at the first boutique, I headed to Pronovias in midtown. I knew which gown was going to be mine from the moment I put it on. The decision was so very ‘matter of fact’ that even my Mother-In-Law, who is a very emotional woman, didn’t shed a tear… until the fitting anyway.” She continues, “My mother wasn’t there, so we made a second visit together. My mind was already made up by then and thankfully, she felt the same way.”
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Yani & Divinity Wedding - Bride - Liberty House - Studio A Images

Weddings

BB Featured Bride Yani On Her Custom Lee Petra Grebenau Dress

by Kate Murphy

Yani & Divinity Wedding – Bride – Liberty House – Studio A Images

As a top performing artist who has taken the biggest stages around the world, Yani is used to getting dressed up. Wearing showstopping ensembles is part of the job. So when it came time to look for a wedding dress, she set out to find something that would exceed any costume she had ever worn before. This was true for Divinity as well. “We both knew that we wanted custom pieces made,” Yani says. Here, she shares the details on her gorgeous Lee Petra Grebenau gown and bridal personals.
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Planning & Inspiration