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A practical wedding shot list covering getting ready, ceremony, family group photos, couple portraits and reception, plus how to run family photos quickly.
A good wedding shot list is short. Your photographer will cover the obvious moments anyway, so the list should focus on what only you know: which family groups you need, who must not be missed, and any details with special meaning. The essentials are getting ready, the processional, vows, rings and first kiss, the recessional, family groups, couple portraits, speeches, first dance and cake. Write family groups out by name, in order, and give the list to someone who knows everyone.
A long list of generic poses turns your photographer into someone ticking boxes instead of watching the day. The shots that really need writing down are the ones a photographer cannot guess: that your grandfather is flying in, that your stepmother should be in a particular group, that the ring belonged to your great-aunt. Keep everything else as a checklist you share once, not a script.
A few details: rings, shoes, invitation, anything heirloom Each of you getting dressed, with the people helping Parents seeing you dressed for the first time Letters or gifts exchanged A portrait of each of you, alone, once ready
Guests arriving and the venue before it fills Each partner's entrance and the processional The other partner's face at the entrance Readings, vows and the ring exchange Any cultural or religious rituals (tell your photographer what happens and when) The first kiss and the recessional
This is the part of the list that matters most, because it is the hardest for a photographer to get right without help. Plan it with names, not roles, and run the groups in an order that lets people leave as you go.
A handful of portraits right after the ceremony, while the emotion is fresh A longer session later, ideally in late-day light (the NOAA solar calculator gives sunset times for your date and venue) Any location that means something to you
The room set up, before guests come in Your entrance Speeches and the reactions of the people listening First dance and parent dances Cake cutting Guests at each table, if that matters to you The dance floor at its busiest Your exit
Send the final list to your photographer a couple of weeks before the day, together with your timeline, and go through it on a call. On the day, give a printed copy of the family groups to your wranglers. Wedding photography mistakes covers what tends to go wrong.
Only as many as you will value. There is no standard number, and each group takes a few minutes to gather, so a short, well-organised list is better than a long, rushed one. Ask your photographer how much time to allow.
List only candid moments your photographer might not expect, such as a grandparent arriving or a surprise performance. They will cover the ordinary candids without being asked.
Usually straight after the ceremony, while everyone is together. Some couples do some or all of them before the ceremony after a first look.
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