The Photographer’s Wedding Day Shot List

Photography Tips  •  Wedding Photography

Most wedding photographers an identify with photographer Jasmine Star when she says, “When it came time for me to shoot my first wedding on my own, I was beyond nervous.” Star has a few words of advice for how to handle your first wedding—in the form of a suggestive list of all the must-have shots:

When it comes to shooting weddings, the breakneck speed at which such events flow can become extremely disconcerting for wedding photographers. They fear that they’re going to miss the most important shots. That fear alone can make you freeze up and miss the most important shots.

Star suggests you start with the bride’s shoes.

“By the time I photographed my second wedding, I made a list for myself to ensure that I had the basics covered. Throughout different portions of the wedding day I’d sneak a peek at my list to make sure that I documented what I needed. Then this allowed me the creative freedom to hone my skills and get creative shots knowing that I had the traditional photos captured.”

A bride getting ready

Sample Wedding Day Shot List

Star gives an example of the bride getting ready:

• Start with her shoes by getting a vertical photo
• Complement this with a horizontal photo of her shoes
• Close it off with a side angle of the shoes

Get some creative shots after this.

Next up is the wedding dress:

• Start with a vertical photo
• A horizontal photo
• A close-up showing the intricate details of the dress

Once she has these traditional photos of the dress, Star tries for more creative shots.

The bride getting dressed is a moment that every photographer should make special. There are a lot of emotions involved, and the ritual needs careful handling to capture those emotions in a two dimensional photo.

The bride and her mother.

For capturing emotional moments, Star suggests these shots:

• The bridesmaids preparing the dress
• The bride getting dressed
• The bride getting zipped into the dress
• The bride and her mom

“In between each of these photos I had the room to find various stories or scenes throughout these moments to document the day as it naturally unfolded. But the key was get the safe shots and then focus on getting creative.”