Sample Wedding Photography Shot List or Wedding Photo Checklist

Start making notes now on the shots you think you would like and build your wedding shot list.

Wedding Photography Shot List 1 - Getting ready before the ceremony:

• Wedding dress on the hanger or on a chair or chaise
• Bride’s shoes
• Veil
• Garter
• Bouquet
• Items that have specific sentimental value, like a grandmother’s brooch or handkerchief
• Bride and bridesmaids getting ready, applying make-up
• Bride’s mother helping with a detail like putting on a necklace, the veil, or buttoning the dress
• Bride hugging her mother
• Bride’s mother and bridesmaids bustling the dress
• Bride taking a moment with the flower girl
• Portraits of the bride dressed and ready looking out the window, or in a mirror (cliché, but pretty), or doing whatever speaks to her personality
• Details of the dress and shoes (once the dress is on)
• Bride pinning the corsage on her mother and grandmother
• Bride pinning the boutonniere on father/ grandfather/ ring bearer
• Bride with her father
• Bride with both parents
• Bride with her bridesmaids ready to go
• Bride leaving for the ceremony, getting in the car
• Groom getting ready
• Groom tying tie
• Items that have sentimental value, like a grandfather’s watch or cuff links
• Father or mother pinning the groom’s boutonniere
• Groom pinning the father/grandfather/ ring bearer boutonniere
• Groom pinning mother’s/grandmother’s corsage
• Groom with his parents
• Groom with his grandparents
• Candid shots of the groom with his attendants if they’re there
• Groom leaving for the wedding

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Wedding Photography Shot List 2 - The Ceremony:

• Wide shot of the ceremony site, guests entering

• Close ups of details outside the ceremony site like a sign with the bride’s and groom’s names on it, a flower wreath on the door or a monogrammed decoration
• The bride arriving, entering
• The groom arriving
• Key family arriving and being seated
• Musicians at the ceremony
• Officiant at the alter
• Groom waiting at the alter
• Maid of honor and bridesmaids walking down the aisle
• Flower girl and ring bearer walking down the aisle
• Bride just before she enters to walk down the aisle
• Bride and father/stepfather /mother/ friend or family walking down the aisle
• Groom’s reaction to seeing the bride
• Bride’s father/other hugging bride before being seated
• Lifting of the veil (if appropriate)
• Bride and groom come together
• Readings, unity ceremony, or other cultural or religious rituals you have incorporated into your ceremony
• Bride and groom saying vows (wide, medium and close-up shots, from front and back)
• Exchanging of the rings
• Wide shot of the audience/guests
• Close-ups of key family in the audience
• The kiss
• Couple walking together back down the aisle
• Couple greeting/receiving guests outside the ceremony location
• Couple signing the marriage license (if you choose to do it after the ceremony)
• Couple leaving the ceremony

Wedding Photography Shot List 3 - Posed photos to be taken before the ceremony or after the ceremony while guests are at the cocktail hour:

• Wide shot of the entire wedding party
• Wide shot of wedding party and family (parents/grandparents)
• The bride with her parents/grandparents
• The groom with his parents/grandparents
• The bride and groom with both sets of parents/grandparents
• The bride with the bridesmaids
• Bride with maid of honor
• Bride with groomsmen
• Bride alone
• Maid of honor and bridesmaids
• Bride and groom together
• Bride and groom with officiant (if connected)
• Groom with best man
• Groom with groomsmen
• Best man and groomsmen
• Groom with bridesmaids
• Bride and groom with flower girl and ring bearer
• Bride and groom walking together outside/near ceremony location, walking toward the camera and away from the camera, holding hands, kissing, the groom carrying the bride, the bride and groom in a quiet, still moment together

Wedding Photography Shot List 4 - The Reception:

• Exterior of the reception site, wide shot, and close-ups of any details related to the wedding like decorations, monograms
• Bride and groom arriving
• Bride and groom greeting guests
• Wedding cake
• Groom’s cake
• Musicians
• Guest book
• Seating place cards, table settings, centerpieces
• Decorations, flowers and other details
• The bride’s and groom’s first dance
• Father/daughter dance
• Groom dancing with mother
• Bride dancing with ring bearer
• Groom dancing with flower girl
• Parents/grandparents dancing
• Guests dancing
• Toasts
• Candid and posed shots of the bride and groom with guests, and of just the guests (many of these)
• Traditions like the bouquet throw, the garter toss, cutting the cake, as well as any other cultural/religious traditions you’ve added to the reception
• The getaway car, if it’s been decorated
• Bride and groom leaving the reception, driving away

Make sure your photographer also has a copy of your wedding day itinerary so he or she can anticipate events.

Note: The sample wedding photography checklist above is comprehensive so you can see all the possibilities.

You're not expected to get all these shots.

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