Your wedding day is a one-off and you’ll want to treasure the memories forever. Looking at your wedding photographs will make you smile for years to come – so it’s vital you have a wedding photography checklist.
You don’t want to forget anything. All those important moments need to be captured.
We’ve listened to brides, professional wedding photographers and planners and we have come up with what we think is the definitive must-have list. Obviously you don’t have to have all the shots – and you may think of others you want. But use this handy wedding photography checklist and you won’t miss out on the classic images. And you’ll have a beautiful set of wedding photographs to enjoy for a long time to come.
The Photos You Really Don’t Want to Forget on Your Wedding Day
Before the ceremony
- Shots of the bride and bridesmaids getting ready
- The bride and father in the car
- The groom preparing
- Wedding dress hanging on a beautiful hanger
- Wedding Shoes
- Groom waiting (nervously!) outside venue
- Shot of the bridesmaids
During the ceremony
- The bride’s grand entrance
- The guests’ faces on seeing the bride
- The groom waiting at the altar
- The ring exchange
- The kiss
- Register signing
- Bride and groom leaving
- A confetti shot
It’s traditional to have photographs of:
- Bride, groom, best man and ushers
- Bride, groom, and both sets of parents
- Bride and groom as new couple
- Bride and groom with bridesmaids
- Bride and groom with brothers and sisters
- Bride and groom with grandparents
- Bride and her mother
- Groom and his father
- Bride and groom with friends
- Whole bridal party and guests
Reception
- The decorated room and table plan before the guests arrive
- Bride and groom entering
- Speeches
- Cake cutting
- First dance of the bride and groom
Of course, you can add to and amend our wedding photography checklist however you want. But these are the classic images to build around. Enjoy your big day!
All photography by Mark Bothwell. See the full real wedding here.
