I’m willing to bet that 90% of wedding photographers LOVE the morning of a wedding when we get to photograph the bridal details. For me, this time is the equivalent of the opening chapter of a great book. The details set the stage for how awesome the rest of a wedding day will go. It’s a warm up period to get our creative juices follow for the rest of the wedding day. However, there is one accessory every bride needs to remember for the morning of her wedding. It’s the one accessory that is easily forgotten. It’s simple but makes a world of a difference – a wooden hanger for the beautiful gown.
The One Accessory Every Bride Needs to Remember
According to FoxBusiness, a Bride spends on average $1,100 for her wedding dress. After a Bride makes that kind of investment on her gown, it boggles my mind that a dress shop hands over the dress on a flimsy, ugly, plastic hanger!
As a wedding professional, I take great care in making sure that everything I do is professional and has a professional delivery. Everything from the ribbon I choose to wrap magazines, to the delivery of albums. If I delivered something in plastic, my Brides would wonder if I was feeling okay! It’s sad that a beautiful gown being handed over to its new owner on a plastic hanger is acceptable.
There are a couple of different routes you can take with your hanger. You can pick up a plain wooden hanger from places like Amazon, Marshal’s, TJMaxx, Walmart, Target, or any other department stores. There are also beautiful decorative hangers available.
If you want a custom hanger with the wire that spells out your new last name, date, or even engraved, check out Etsy. If you want something truly unique that many brides just aren’t doing yet, you need to check out these beautiful hangers!
Blogging about the one accessory every bride needs to remember may seem trivial, but I want to make sure that everything about a bride’s wedding day is beautiful and magazine worthy. I typically carry a plain wooden hanger with me but more than once, a hanger has been left behind after a wedding day. So there’s a chance that I won’t have a dress hanger with me!
Hanger Considerations
When you’re shopping for a hanger, it’s essential that the hanger has notches. 95% of dresses will slip off the hanger if there’s nothing to hold the straps up. Also, please do not let someone talk you into cutting those thin white straps off. They may seem like they’re in the way, but there is no other way to hang your dress without those straps! They’re easily tucked between your side and the dress!
If you’re shopping for hangers, what best fits the theme and style of your wedding? Something plain? With a floral pattern? A beautifully engraved monogram? Have fun with this small item! One day, it will be fun to sit down with your little girl showing her your box of wedding items! You can explain to her that this beautiful hanger held your dress so your photographer could photograph your gown!
When you’re searching for a hanger, think about the style of your dress. If you have your new last name bent in a wire, but you have a dress with capped sleeves, will the lettering be visible for photos? Chances are, it won’t. I made this simple mistake. Instead, have someone engrave the wood.
Finally, when your hanger arrives, place it immediately in your garment bag. This will ensure that the hanger is left at home instead of holding your dress!
Tip for Photographers – Be the hero of the wedding day and keep a hanger or two (maybe even THREE) in your car so when your bride forgets her hanger, you have a backup! You’ll be thankful for that backup hanger when you can photographer a beautiful gown on a non-tacky hanger!
