When you invest your hard earned money in your wedding photographer, I'm sure your stomach must be a jumble of butterflies hoping they deliver exactly what you want. It's ALWAYS a good idea to communicate with your photographer and make sure you're on the same page!
When I capture a wedding day, I have a list of must have photos that I usually get on the day! Here they are:
Prep:
1. The dress
When I arrive, usually the bridal party is in the early stages of getting ready. They're waking up or getting settled, which gives me time to gather the details. I often spend about 30 - 45 minutes taking photos of the details (dress, shoes, rings, etc.)
2. The rings
3. Accessories - shoes, necklaces, braceletes, earrings, if you're wearing them.
4. Location shots (wide shots of your venue from the outside)
5. Candids of the bridal party getting ready
6. The ceremony area - wide shots, details
First Look:
How I photograph the first look varies on the location and how events unfold naturally, but here is what I keep in mind:
1. Wide shot of one walking up to the other
2. Reaction shots of them seeing each other
3. Capture naturally as events unfold
4. Photos of the couple
The Ceremony:
1. Guests arriving, signing a guest book if it's there
2. Ceremony entrances (If given permission by you and your venue, I stand up by the altar area for entrances and shoot down the aisle)
Reaction of Groom/Bride/guests (as it unfolds naturally)
6. Both sides of the bridal party
8. A wide shot of the ceremony with guests - I take this photo from the back of the ceremony area, behind the guests
9. Close up of putting on the rings - How close I can get depends on the venue layout
10. The vows
11. First kiss
12. Exits
Posed Family Photos:
I prefer to keep these brief if possible so that you can get to the reception! I try to take the grandparent's photos first so that they can relax and leave as quickly as possible. Then I take the biggest group and work down to smaller groups so that we can get big groups of people to the reception as quickly as possible.
1. Grandparents
2. Grandparents and parents
3. Three generations
(Grandparents leave)
4. Parents and siblings
5. Parents
6. Siblings
(Parents and siblings leave)
We can do different combinations of those family members based on your relationship to them and what family members you have. This list is personalized and you will create it and I will let you know if I think anything should be adjusted based on time.
Reception:
If you book a second shooter, they would take wide shots and photos of decor before the reception area is filled with guests.
1. Candids of guests
2. Bridal Party entrance
3. Newlywed entrance
4. First dances
5. Food
6. Toasts
7. Cake - the cake by itself, then you cutting it, people's reactions
8. Dancing!
9. The exit - if all natural light is gone by the time of your exit, it might be impossible to capture depending on the lighting of your venue. This is something we would talk about together.
Prep:
1. The dress
2. The rings
3. Accessories - shoes, necklaces, braceletes, earrings, if you're wearing them.
4. Location shots (wide shots of your venue from the outside)
5. Candids of the bridal party getting ready
6. The ceremony area - wide shots, details
First Look:
How I photograph the first look varies on the location and how events unfold naturally, but here is what I keep in mind:
1. Wide shot of one walking up to the other
2. Reaction shots of them seeing each other
3. Capture naturally as events unfold
The Ceremony:
1. Guests arriving, signing a guest book if it's there
2. Entrances of grandparents (If given permission by you and your venue, I stand up by the altar area for entrances and shoot down the aisle)
3. Entrances of the parents
4. Entrances of the bridal party
5. Entrances of the couple
6. One side of the bridal party
7. The other side of the bridal party
8. A wide shot of the ceremony with guests - I take this photo from the back of the ceremony area, behind the guests
9. Close up of putting on the rings - How close I can get depends on the venue layout
10. The vows
11. First kiss
12. Exit
13. Bridal party exit
14. Parents exit
15. Grandparents exit
Posed Family Photos:
I prefer to keep these brief if possible so that you can get to the reception! I try to take the grandparent's photos first so that they can relax and leave as quickly as possible. Then I take the biggest group and work down to smaller groups so that we can get big groups of people to the reception as quickly as possible.
1. Grandparents
2. Grandparents and parents
3. Three generations
(Grandparents leave)
4. Parents and siblings
5. Parents
6. Siblings
(Parents and siblings leave)
We can do different combinations of those family members based on your relationship to them and what family members you have. This list is personalized and you will create it and I will let you know if I think anything should be adjusted based on time.
Reception:
If you book a second shooter, they would take wide shots and photos of decor before the reception area is filled with guests.
1. Candids of guests
2. Bridal Party entrance
3. Newlywed entrance
4. First dance
5. Food
6. Toasts
7. Cake - the cake by itself, then you cutting it, people's reactions
8. Dancing!
9. The exit - if all natural light is gone by the time of your exit, it might be impossible to capture depending on the lighting of your venue. This is something we would talk about together.