Wedding Videography Shot List
A wedding is the least forgiving shoot there is. It happens once, it happens fast, and the moments you miss cannot be recreated. Every experienced wedding filmmaker works from a list, not because they cannot remember, but because at 4pm on a long day, memory is not something you want to be relying on.
This list is grouped by phase of the day rather than by shot type, because that is the order you will actually film it in. Work down each group as you reach it.
The shot list
Details — before anyone is ready
Film these first, in the best light you can find. They are your opening sequence and they are the only shots of the day you fully control.
- 01Dress hanging, full length
- 02Dress detail — lace, beading, buttons
- 03Shoes, both partners
- 04Rings, macro, on a textured surface
- 05Invitation and stationery suite, overhead
- 06Jewellery, cufflinks, watch, tie
- 07Perfume and aftershave bottles
- 08Bouquet and buttonholes
- 09Something old, new, borrowed, blue
- 10Venue exterior, wide, empty
- 11Ceremony room before guests arrive
- 12Table settings, place cards, favours
- 13Cake, full and detail
Preparation — partner one
- 14Wide of the room, mess and all
- 15Hair being done — hands, close
- 16Makeup detail
- 17Robes, drinks, laughter with the party
- 18Parent or friend watching
- 19Getting into the dress or suit — from behind, respectfully
- 20Buttons, zip, tie being fastened
- 21Final look in the mirror
- 22First reaction from a parent
- 23Full-length portrait, ready
- 24Leaving the room
Preparation — partner two
Systematically under-filmed at most weddings. Give it equal weight.
- 25Wide of the room
- 26Getting dressed — shirt, tie, cufflinks
- 27Shoes being put on
- 28Help from a friend or parent
- 29Group with the wedding party
- 30A quiet moment alone
- 31Reading a letter or gift, if there is one
- 32Leaving for the venue
First look or letter exchange
If it is happening, it is one of the emotional peaks of the day. Two angles minimum.
- 33Wide showing both, before the turn
- 34Close on the waiting partner
- 35The turn and first reaction — long lens, do not intrude
- 36Reverse of the second reaction
- 37Hands meeting
- 38Their first private conversation, from a distance
Ceremony
Lock off a wide and let it run for the whole ceremony. It is your safety net for everything else.
- 39Guests arriving and being seated
- 40Locked-off wide of the whole ceremony, running throughout
- 41Partner waiting at the front, close
- 42Processional — each member of the party
- 43The walk down the aisle, from the front
- 44The reaction of the waiting partner — this is the shot of the day
- 45Reverse of the arrival
- 46Readings and readers
- 47Vows — close on each face, in turn
- 48Ring exchange, hands, macro
- 49The kiss, wide and close
- 50Signing the register
- 51Guest reactions throughout — parents especially
- 52Recessional, from behind and in front
- 53Confetti — both directions
Post-ceremony and drinks
- 54Congratulations and hugs
- 55Wide of the crowd mingling
- 56Candid guest moments and laughter
- 57Drinks and canapés detail
- 58Children playing
- 59Any live music or entertainment
- 60The couple moving through the crowd
- 61Family group shots being organised
Couple portraits
Usually your only 20 minutes of controlled filmmaking all day. Use them.
- 62Wide with the landscape or venue behind
- 63Walking away from camera, holding hands
- 64Walking towards camera
- 65Static portrait, both to camera
- 66Close on faces, talking to each other
- 67Detail — hands, rings, dress moving
- 68Backlit shot into the sun
- 69A shot with them small in a big frame
- 70Something in motion — dress spinning, veil in the wind
Reception — the set pieces
- 71Room reveal, empty and dressed
- 72Guests entering and finding seats
- 73Grand entrance of the couple
- 74Speeches — speaker close, couple reacting, guests laughing
- 75Toasts being raised
- 76Cake cutting, wide and close
- 77First dance — wide, close, and from behind the couple
- 78Parent dances
- 79Dance floor filling up
- 80Party — wide, and close on individual guests
- 81Late-night candid moments
- 82Sparkler or send-off exit
Audio
A wedding film is carried by sound. Missing audio ruins usable footage.
- 83Lapel mic on the officiant
- 84Second recorder at the front for the vows
- 85Feed from the PA for speeches, plus a backup recorder
- 86Ambient room tone at each location
- 87Any live musician recorded separately
Tips for this kind of shoot
- Lock off a wide camera for the ceremony and the speeches and let it run. Everything else becomes a bonus rather than a risk.
- Two audio sources on the vows. Always. A single failed lapel mic loses the most important 90 seconds of the day.
- Film the details before anyone is ready. Once the day starts you will never get that time back.
- Walk the venue the moment you arrive and note where the light is at ceremony time and at golden hour.
- Confirm the timeline with the planner on arrival, not the week before. Weddings run late and the order changes.
Use this list on your next shoot
Storeyz keeps your shots in story order for planning and regroups them by location for the day — then you tick them off on your phone as you get them.
Questions
How many shots are in a wedding videography shot list?
A full day typically runs to 90–130 distinct shots across preparation, ceremony, portraits and reception. This list covers roughly 100, which is a realistic single-shooter day.
What is the most commonly missed wedding shot?
The reaction of the waiting partner as their other half walks down the aisle. It requires a second camera or a second shooter pointed the opposite way to everyone else, and it is the single most emotionally valuable shot of the day.
Do I need a second shooter for a wedding?
Not always, but you need a second camera. A locked-off wide running through the ceremony and speeches covers the moments you physically cannot be in two places for.