Wedding Photography Shot List
The part of a wedding photography shot list that actually matters is the family groups. Everything else you will get by instinct. The group combinations are the ones that cause a twenty-minute delay while someone finds an aunt, and they are the ones a couple will notice missing years later.
This list covers the full day, with the family combinations written out so you can agree them with the couple in advance.
The shot list
Details
- 01Dress hanging, full length
- 02Shoes, both partners
- 03Rings — macro, on stationery or a textured surface
- 04Full invitation suite, flat lay
- 05Jewellery and accessories
- 06Bouquet and buttonholes
- 07Venue exterior
- 08Ceremony space, empty
- 09Reception room and table detail
- 10Cake
Preparation
- 11Room wide, both parties
- 12Hair and makeup in progress
- 13Robes and candid laughter
- 14Getting into the dress or suit
- 15Final mirror check
- 16Parent first-look reaction
- 17Full-length ready portrait, both partners
- 18Wedding party group, both sides
Ceremony
- 19Guests arriving
- 20Wide of the full ceremony space with guests
- 21Partner waiting at the front
- 22Processional
- 23Walk down the aisle
- 24Waiting partner reaction
- 25Vows, both faces
- 26Ring exchange
- 27The kiss
- 28Signing the register
- 29Recessional
- 30Confetti
Family groups
Agree these with the couple in advance and give the list to someone who knows the names. This is where weddings run late.
- 31Couple with partner one's parents
- 32Couple with partner one's immediate family
- 33Couple with partner one's extended family
- 34Couple with partner two's parents
- 35Couple with partner two's immediate family
- 36Couple with partner two's extended family
- 37Couple with both sets of parents
- 38Couple with all grandparents
- 39Couple with siblings only
- 40Couple with the full wedding party
- 41Couple with each attendant individually
- 42Couple with children in the party
- 43Whole-guest group shot, from height
Couple portraits
- 44Full length, environmental
- 45Half length, both to camera
- 46Close portrait of each partner alone
- 47Walking together
- 48Candid interaction — talking, laughing
- 49Backlit or golden hour frame
- 50Detail of hands and rings
- 51Wide landscape frame with the couple small
- 52Night portrait with off-camera flash
Reception
- 53Room dressed and empty
- 54Grand entrance
- 55Speeches — speakers and reactions
- 56Toast
- 57Cake cutting
- 58First dance, wide and close
- 59Parent dances
- 60Dance floor, wide
- 61Candid guest portraits throughout
- 62Send-off
Tips for this kind of shoot
- Print the family group list and give it to a family member who can call names. It is the single biggest time-saver of the day.
- Shoot the details early, in window light, before the room fills with people and bags.
- Get a shot of every guest at some point. It is what fills an album and it is what gets shared.
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 long should wedding family photos take?
Budget three minutes per group combination. A typical list of 12–14 groups needs about 40 minutes, and it always overruns if nobody has been nominated to round people up.