Each wedding is unique and has hundreds of details and important moments that need to be captured, but sometimes it can be overwhelming to remember which shots to get. While a photographer should be focusing on capturing a wide variety of moments throughout the entire day, my wedding career has taught me that these 30 specific shots should definitely be on every wedding photographer‘s list of must-have shots. For the bride looking for ideas on her wedding day, or the photographer looking for ways to prepare themselves for the big day, this post is for you!
1. The Preparation Shot – At every single wedding, the bride and her bridesmaids will spend hours working to look their very best for the big day. Taking photos of her preparing for the biggest day of her life is something every wedding photographer should incorporate. Don’t forget to get prep shots of the guys too!
2. The Dress – This shot is a no-brainer. The bride’s dress is one of the biggest aspects of a wedding, I mean come on, there’s a whole show on TV just about wedding dresses!
3. The Shoes – Pictures of the shoes by themselves is one shot that is often overlooked. Even though they are usually hidden and covered by the wedding dress, it doesn’t mean they’re not an important piece to the ensemble!
4. Bridal Portrait – A shot of the bride by herself is always important. Make her look as beautiful as she can by using soft light. She’s spent hours of preparation getting ready, so capture all of those details asap!
5. Groom Portrait – While most men aren’t as excited about getting their portrait taken as the women, it’s still just as important to get a photo of the groom by himself. He’s looking pretty sharp- get a photo of him!
6. Preview Shot – For those couples who want to wait to see each until the ceremony, it’s okay to give them a little preview before everything goes down. This helps build up anticipation and get them excited, just make sure they can’t see each other!
7. First Look – The “First Look” shot is gaining popularity in recent years. Even for those couples who want to see each other before the ceremony to take photos, that doesn’t mean you can’t make them seeing each other for the first time a special moment.
8. Isle Shot – Walking down the isle is something every girl envisions when she thinks about her wedding day. It’s a very special and emotional moment for everyone – make sure you’re there with a camera!
9. Groom’s Reaction – The groom’s reaction is always something important to get a photo of. It’s a very emotional moment for him as he sees his wife-to-be walking down the isle. Adding a second photographer to your package helps capture more moments like these!
10. Parent’s Reaction – Ceremonies are a very emotional part of a wedding. To see their son/daughter take such a dramatic step forward in their life is a very special moment for parents.
11. Ring Exchange – The rings are a symbol of a marriage between a husband and wife. Exchanging rings is the moment that hits the bride and groom the hardest with the wonderful truth that they are bound together for life.
12. First Kiss – A kiss is a sign of love that a couple will share with each other constantly for the rest of their lives. Capturing their first kiss as husband and wife is an important shot that should not be overlooked.
13. Shot of the Rings – This is a shot that surprisingly is overlooked a lot. Capturing a picture of the rings together always makes for a great photo.
14. Venue Shot – This is another overlooked shot. Photographers are always so busy getting shots of the action they tend to forget that the venue is one of the most important aspects of a wedding. It’s nice for the bride and groom to have photos of the venue to remember every aspect of their day.
15. Table Shots – The reception hall and tables are always decorated in a unique way. The bride and groom have spent countless hours preparing all the details of their wedding day, it’s very important to get photos of everything!
16. Traditional Posed Photo – This may seem like a pretty obvious photo to get, and it is. While a lot of couples may say they want a style that is unique and artistic, it’s still important to throw in a photo that’s simple and not too over the top.
17. Bridal Party – The bridal party are a very important piece to the wedding, they are the bride and groom’s closest friends that have helped make their big day possible and have shown them support from the beginning. Incorporate them in your photos too!
18. Cake – One of the first things that guests are drawn to at a wedding is the cake. It’s important to get a good shot of the cake! Who doesn’t like cake?
19. First Dance – The first dance is another one of those special moments between the bride and groom. Create an exciting photo from of it!
20. Father-Daughter Dance – The father daughter dance is always a very emotional moment for the father of the bride. Make sure you capture this!
21. Romantic Photo – While not every couple may consider themselves overly romantic, every wedding couple loves each other and shares romance. Capture it in a unique way!
22. Toasts/Speeches – Toasts and speeches give family and friends the opportunity to make the bride and groom laugh and cry. Capturing these moments helps everyone remember that special speech!
23. Cake Cutting – A classic wedding shot that never goes out of style!
24. Garter Toss – This is definitely one of the more humorous parts of the night and it’s always amusing to see which guys are ready to get married – and which one’s try to avoid it!
25. Bouquet Toss – It seems like whenever someone gets married in a movie, there’s always a bouquet toss scene. There’s a reason for that! It’s always exciting and entertaining to watch hopeful brides to be fight over the bouquet!
26. Candid Moments – Every wedding has them! An experienced wedding photographer is prepared to capture those candid moments and goes beyond taking just posed photographs.
27. Something Different – Incorporate something different in your wedding photos. Get a unique shot of the bride and groom together – their faces don’t always have to be in the photo!
28. Artistic Photo – Within the past decade, the standard for good wedding photos as increased. Every couple expects some sort of artistic and unique photograph. This is the photographer’s chance to give their bride and groom something unique so they can show it off to their friends and family.
29. Night Shot – If the bride and groom are willing to leave the party for 10 minutes, night time shots create a unique opportunity to get some really cool shots. Get creative with light to produce stunning photos.
30. Grand Exit – Not every couple does this, but if the bride and groom do something special for their grand exit, be there to capture it!
Sean Lara is a Fort Collins Wedding Photographer and provides coverage in Colorado and Orange County, California. Sean specializes in Denver Weddings and Fort Collins Weddings.