Wedding Photography: The List
As your wedding photographer, we don't walk around with a prepared list of photographs that we might need to capture on your wedding day. With my many years of experience and ability to view a room with a photographer's eye, we work from our own plan, capturing the day naturally--as events unfold. However, we're often asked about photographs that we capture during the family portrait session that is either done before or after the ceremony. To answer those requests, I've developed a list of wedding photographs that are commonly taken during the family portrait (aka formals) timeframe. For planning purposes, you should budget a minimum of three (3) minutes per photograph grouping to account for delays due to organization or availability. In other words, if you'd like ten different portrait configurations, you should plan on setting aside at least thirty (30) minutes for me to take those photographs. In most cases, that budgeted time is more than enough. On some occasions, the photos take a little longer than expected.
As part of our service, we'll carefully review your photo list prior to your wedding. Among other benefits, this review will help ensure that things run smoothly for that portion of your wedding day.
Once you compile your initial list and send it to us via e-mail, we'll review the list and point out any potential issues with timing or the photo order. After our review, we'll e-mail you a revised list along with suggestions for additional modifications.
After I've made our final review, you should provide this information to your "event guide/coordinator." They will be responsible for the list and for making sure that the folks who need to be in the photo are available at the appointed time. In most cases, this role is best served by one or more family members who know the parties involved--not a professional wedding coordinator. Wedding coordinators are often too busy coordinating your day to take on this task.
Please remember that you should provide this list to your event guide directly since we're not the one providing this list to the appropriate parties. We'd also recommend that you assign a backup guide and give them copies of everything. This is often important because the person designated by the couple will sometimes fail in his or her duties (for a variety of reasons; they are not always personally at fault).
Formal Group Portraits (Pre or Post Ceremony)
The list of groupings seen below are what we're commonly asked to photograph in the time period immediately before or following the ceremony. The "Optional Portraits" are sometimes included based on the family dynamic and the time available.
• Bride and Groom
• Bride and Groom with Flower Girl(s) and Ring Bearer(s)
• Bride and Groom with Bride's Parents
• Bride and Groom with Bride's Parents and Siblings
• Bride and Groom with Bride's Grandparents
• Bride and Groom with Bride's Parents and Grandparents
• Bride and Groom with Groom's Parents
• Bride and Groom with Groom's Parents and Siblings
• Bride and Groom with Groom's Grandparents
• Bride and Groom with Groom's Parents and Grandparents
• Bride and Groom with Sons / Daughters
Optional Portraits
• Bride and Groom with Bride's and Groom's Parents
• Bride and Groom with Bride's and Groom's Parents and Grandparents
• Bride and Groom with Bride's Family
• Bride and Groom with Groom's Family
• Bride and Groom with Special Friends and Family
• Bride and Groom with Entire Family
Creative Session Portraits
The Creative Session is the timeframe you've set aside for your more fashion forward (aka Romantic) photographs. Those individuals in attendance will include the bride and groom and bridesmaids and groomsmen. Typically, family members or other members of the wedding party are not present. It is up to the bride and groom to determine how much they want to involve the wedding party in this part of their photographic coverage. We typically allot half of the Creative Session to working with the bride, groom, and wedding party while the other half is for the bride and groom only. Please note that you don't have to include these portraits on the list you send for our review, because unless you specify otherwise, we'll do our best to capture all of these photos--time permitting.
• Bride Only
• Groom Only
• Bride and Groom
• Bride and Groom with Bridesmaids and Groomsmen
• Bride with Bridesmaids
• Groom with Groomsmen
Optional Portraits
• Bride and Groom with Maid of Honor and Best Man
• Bride with Groomsmen
• Groom with Bridesmaids