Best Flat Lay Risers – Want to know how to style your flat lay photos while still doing destination weddings? You’ve come to the right photographer because destination work is truly all I do (because I live in Iowa soo…)!

Let’s dive into my favorite tools for flat lays, the styling boxes that I create and make myself, and how you can get the best creative items at places you might not have thought of.

Best Flat Lay Risers – The Box Set

Want to secure your Box Set – Linked in my ThriveCart here!

This is what I bring to every wedding or elopement, because it’s super small, compact, and lightweight. It legit is about the size of a 50mm canon lens so it takes up so little space in your camera bag (or carry on).

This is how I get dreamy, layered flat lay images fast and consistent every time.

Make sure to order yours, because wedding season is quickly coming for the 2025 year!

Tips for Styling Flat Lay Photos

Have you checked out the soap dishes at Home Goods lately? They range $5-10 and are so fricken cute!

Otherwise your local second hand stores you can usually find jewerly trays & trinkets that make styling flat lays fun.

Personally I love adding ribbons, even using peel & stick wall paper as the mat, stamps, wax seals, unused wax sticks, scissors, all the little things that go into crafting your invite suite can add to your flat lay photo.

Best Practices:

1. Do the flatlays not on client time, this way you can get a feel for arranging items without being on a time crunch
2. Get weird with extra items, and florals
3. Don’t be afraid of harsh light – the shadows & highlights can add so much depth

What I ask clients to bring for their flat lay photos

The best flat lay images will come from prep, so I have to ask my clients for a few things.

1. What is important to that client? Are they eloping, is this a detail heavy wedding?
2. They might have a heirloom pieces of jewelry, something blue?
3. Clients might want multiple set ups if they want their wedding featured in blogs (Blogs want the detail photos!!)

Then I have a general list to make sure to get good flat lay photos:

1. 2x invite suites (this way one can be spread out, while one is folded up)
2. Rings
3. Shoes
4. Earrings
5. Neckless
6. Letters
7. Vows
8. Special trinkets
9. Ring Boxes
10. Socks
11. Veil (Sometimes this can be used in the photo otherwise with the dress)

I have a lot of these listed on my Amazon store front – they are affiliate links so I get a little bit of a kickback if you purchase through my links.

Do Detail photos matter?

I personally think they do. These photos are part of the story, the story that lead your clients to meeting each other, vowing to each other, and passing down their own family heirlooms.

Detail photos can be printed as wall art, too. Big fan of seeing a flat lay photo as decor in a guest bath, just saying.

At the end of the day these items are more than just stuff – it’s the items that are the invisible strings of your clients. Take care of them, be the photographer who goes the extra mile for your clients and your clients will rave on you.

Best Flat Lay Risers // The Box Set // Flat lay styling for wedding photographers

The Box Set is a custom nesting tool created, designed, and made by photographer Jamie Tobin in Iowa. She’s a mama to two toddlers, and loves giving back to the wedding community