On the few occasions that I’ve been asked to photograph weddings by friends I always found it helpful to create a list of shots that I wanted to take on the day. I found that setting out a list with the couple of not only ‘WHERE’ they wanted shots but also some of the different combinations of WHO they wanted IN the shots was helpful.
There’s nothing worse than getting to the end of the day and realizing that no one took a picture of Aunt Mildred or that you only got shots of one set of parents with the bride and groom and not the other side of the family!
Earlier in the week Brian Delia from The New Jersey Wedding Photographer sent me a list of 50 ‘must have shots’ for weddings (although many of them are actually multiple shots so taking them all will leave you with potentially hundreds).
While I highly recommend adjusting and customizing it for the couple whose wedding you are photographing (if this is all you took you could end up with a somewhat cliched album) it certainly makes a worthwhile starting point for the type of shots you might want to capture on the day.
Here are the ‘must have’ shots:
Wedding Photography Shot List
Prep Shots – Bride & Groom
The Dress – Hanging or Draped
The North Window Shot – Bride facing out northern most window
Bride walking down stairs
Bride looking out (window or door)
Maid of Honor & Brides Mom – Zipping Dress
Bride Applying Make Up
Groom Fixing Hair
Grooms Father & Best Man – Attaching Boutonnière to grooms lapel
Groom Checking the Time
Groom with Grooms Men & Fathers
Bride with Bridesmaids & Mothers
Bride with Mother & Father (also grandparents)
Groom with Mother & Father (also grandparents)
Bride Limo – Groom Limo
Bride & Groom – Exiting Limo (Bride being helped out)
Groom waiting at altar
Church Wide Shot (with & without guests)
Bride walking down aisle ( Side Profile & Front )
Father giving away bride
Groom over the shoulder shot of bride ( & Vis Versa)
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