Your complete wedding photography shot list
From your pre-wedding prep to your first dance, there are so many magical wedding moments you don’t want to miss. To ensure you cover all bases, we’ve put together an in-depth image guide to inspire your wedding photography shot list. After putting so much effort into planning your wedding, you’ll want to capture it in the best way possible so you can look back on all the pictures and re-live every detail.
While all good wedding photographers will have their own list of important moments, we recommend putting together a shot list of wedding photos you’d love to have taken, so nothing is missed. “You put an incredible amount of work into planning your wedding and want it captured in the best way,” explains Steve Morris from Blue Ginger Photography. “Because of this, I encourage my couples to create a shot list to make sure nobody wakes up the next day realising that the shot of Aunt Mary wasn’t taken.”
Creating a shot list and sharing it with your wedding photographer is a win-win — you can relax knowing that you’ll get the specific images you’ve envisioned, and your photographer’s job is made a little easier by having clear instructions to work with.
Detail Shots
One of the few moments on a wedding day that can be entirely staged, the detail shots capture the colour palette, stationery, and overall aesthetics of the wedding that you’ve so carefully planned. We love the idea of playing with textures and lighting for these shots to capture dreamy images of your accessories, invitations, outfits, florals, and more.
- Invitations
- The program
- Wedding rings
- Wedding dresses/suits
- Flowers
- Outfit accessories — shoes, cuff links and jewellery, bouquets, fragrances, corsages and boutonnieres
- Special signs
Getting Ready Shots
As the excitement builds and your hair and makeup dream team work their magic, your photographer will be busy snapping away to capture the all-important getting-ready shots. To ensure they don’t miss anything, we suggest allowing plenty of time to get ready, so your photographer can allocate enough time to capture both the bridal party and groomsmen as they prep for the wedding.
- Your ‘getting ready’ outfits (matching robes and pyjamas etc.)
- Reading your love letter from your partner
- Bride and bridesmaids getting their hair and makeup done
- Wedding party having fun
- Family shots
- Mother and bride/groom portraits
- Father and bride/groom portraits
Pre-Ceremony Shots
While this is entirely up to you, many couples choose to do a ‘first look’ before the ceremony to save time later in the day and calm their nerves. Spending a few quiet minutes together before exchanging vows can be a beautiful way to connect and capture those intimate, emotion-filled shots.
- Couple alone for intimate portraits