After 9 years of photographing weddings, it’s safe to say that I’ve witnessed many beautiful days!! While I loved everything about my own wedding 11 years ago, there have been several occasions I’d see a gorgeous bride’s boho hairstyle or stunning invitation suite or a couple’s late night reception snack (and everything in between)…

and suddenly feel like this girl ⬇️ ⬇️ and like I needed a wedding redo so I could add in all of these amazing details to what I already considered my perfect day!

All joking aside, after years of considering wedding details, there is truly just one thing I wish I would’ve done differently for my wedding–

I wish I would’ve used my wedding as an opportunity (aka “an excuse” for any frugal brides like me out there! 🙋🏼‍♀️) to invest in a few important details that would last a long time or that I could pass down to my children.

So, here are three long term investments I wish I would’ve made for my wedding day:

Heirloom Jewelry:

I wish I would’ve purchased high quality (and classic) earrings, hairpiece, a ring, or necklace to wear on my wedding day that I could wear on fancy occasions in the future and then pass down to one of my children.  As a mom of three, I really wish I would’ve invested a bit more into my jewelry on the big day in order to make any item I pass on to my girl that bit more special. Guys could always invest in a watch or cufflinks, too!  My recent bride Emily chose this gorgeous hairpiece that she will pass down one day, and it totally stole my heart.

Fancy Perfume:

Your wedding could be a great opportunity to splurge on that scent you’ve only ever used from the samples in the Ulta catalog because you’ve never been able to justify the price tag!  Or if you don’t want to invest a ton in perfume, I’d recommend just finding a completely different scent than your everyday fragrance.  Research* shows that a certain smell can conjure up strong memories in your brain- stronger than your other senses.  Because your memory and smell are so intertwined, it’d be such a special idea to invest in a perfume that you only wear on your wedding day and then save for very special future occasions–so each time you wear it you’ll be immediately brought back to your big day!

Shoes:

Surprise, surprise–of course I said shoes!  But as a shoe-lover that is seriously jealous of Carrie Bradshaw’s collection, it pains me to say that I wasn’t very intentional with my wedding shoe choice.  Even though shoes may be a difficult item to pass down to a daughter due to sizing, it could be a really special item to pass down or even save for yourself for very special occasions like other weddings, anniversaries, etc.

And for any brides who are in the midst of planning and are interested in investing in meaningful details for their wedding that they can actually use after the wedding (even pass down as an heirloom one day), here are some of my favorites!

                                                                                  
                                                                     

Did anyone make an investment in details on your wedding day that I didn’t include here? I’d love to know in the comments below!

*Read here if you want to learn more about the connection between your sense of smell and your brain!