What to include in your wedding photo shot list, logistics to make it happen and how to keep expectations realistic
The wedding is coming up and you’ve poured your heart and soul (and wallet) into planning the perfect wedding day. You’ve got an amazing wedding photographer booked and, while you trust them with your story, it’s always helpful to outline some of the key items, moments and people that are most important to you. No one wants to wake up the morning after their wedding panicking about forgotten people or photos. That’s why sharing a photo shot list with your photographer and planner can be super helpful.
Before the pen hits the paper…
It’s important to remember that this list is an amazing tool to help make sure you and your photographer are on the same page but isn’t a guarantee of all requested photos being captured. Make sure to talk through this list with both your photographer and planner to prioritize the moments, items and people that matter the most to you.
Wedding Details
For us specifically, details are typically items we try to capture being used- clothes or accessories being put on, florals being held, veil being places, etc. If you are looking for a lay flat of your details, consider setting aside 30 minutes at the beginning of the day for your photographer to take still photos. Examples of details you could include:
- Invitation Suite
- Grandmothers pearl necklace
- Moms wedding veil
- Wedding rings
- Perfume/Cologne bottle
- Vow book or handwritten letter
- Shoes, boots or heels
- Wedding lingerie
- Bouquet/boutonniere
Important Moments
This is something that should be discussed in detail with your photographer before your wedding- typically about 4-8 weeks prior. Key moments important to outline beforehand might be:
- First look with family
- First look with wedding party
- First touch/look with your fiance
- Gift exchanges
- Any surprises you have planned for your spouse or guests
- firework show
- interactive experiences
Important People & Family Formals
This is absolutely vital to have laid out in order to get you to your reception as quickly as possible. Here are a few pro tips to maximize efficiency and get you to the party as fast as possible:
- It takes approximately 3-4 minutes PER GROUPING for family formals.
- It is super helpful to have a family friend or wedding party who know your families well to help call out peoples names. This allows for your photographer to focus on getting people in place, and catching those beautiful smiles quickly while the next group gets on deck and ready to come in.
- Start with your biggest groups first and work smaller
- i.e. Grandparents, parents, siblings and their significant others down to just you and your parents.
- This helps get some of the extra people to the party fastest while also ensuring that grandparents and children are able to go to the reception and comfortable as priority
I hope this wedding photo shot list guide helped you out! As always, it’s important to remember that every wedding day unfolds a little bit different and each couple has a unique story happening between each of these outline “photo needs.” Ultimately, communication and trust that you’ve hired the best pros out there to tell your story is going to enable your photographer to use their creative and professional judgement to tell your wedding story in a way that is most impactful and authentic to you.
And if you haven’t found a Dallas-Fort Worth wedding photographer to tell your story yet, hop on over to the homepage to discover more about us! We can’t wait to celebrate your I Do!
The Vendors That We Know Can Make It Happen!
Venues We Love: The Joule Dallas, 400 N Ervay, Hotel Crescent Court, D’Vine Grace Vineyards, Hall of Lights, Ritz Carlton Las Colinas, Hotel Zaza , The Adolphus, Hotel Swexan, The Nasher
Photography, Yours Truly: The MacMeekens
Best Videographers Around: Red Creative Weddings & Memoir Film
Planner Dream Teams: Plan It With Me, Karis Concepts, Weddings and Events by Ruth, Lorainne Tomas, Each and Every Detail
Wedding Moments We Love
