Photographing formal groups at a wedding can be challenging and takes up precious time with your guests. If your do not plan this time then the different combinations of group shots is endless and will quickly eat up all your time and before you know it you will be sitting at your table without having any time to speak to your guests. And for you wedding album there will be a few detail shots and just pages upon pages of people standing in a line. While my approach is always to capture natural candid shots of your wedding many people still want some formal group shots especially the parents.
Below I have created a list of my ideal photo shoot flow for a wedding day listing the shots I would recommend having if groups are important to you. This is assuming at least an hour and thirty minutes is allocated to get these shots done between the ceremony and wedding breakfast.
Wedding Photographer shot list |
Start |
Bride Getting Ready |
Flowers |
Groom, Best Men & Ushers |
Groom & Ring Carrier |
Detail shot of Rings |
Guest Arriving |
Bride with Father and Bridesmaids |
Groom waiting at alter |
Ceremony |
Walking up the Aisle with father |
Exchanging vows |
Giving of rings |
Formal signing of Register |
Receiving wedding certificate |
Walking out of ceremony |
Throwing confetti |
Canopies & Drinks |
Natural Shots of Guests at wedding |
Formal Groups Shots |
Group shot with everyone |
Bride & Groom with Brides Parents |
Bride & Groom with Grooms Parents |
Bride & Groom with Brides uncles, aunties and cousins |
Bride & Groom with Grooms uncles, aunties and cousins |
Bride & Groom with Best Men & Ushers |
Bride, Groom, Bridesmaids, Best Men, Ushers & Page Boys |
Bride & Bridesmaids |
Wedding breakfast room details |
Wedding Breakfast |
Speeches |
Images of top table and guests at table |
Post Dinner |
Hen Party |
Stag Party |
Rings on finger |
Intimate Portrait of Bride & Groom together |
Natural Shots of Guests at wedding |
Cake Cutting |
Entertainment – Throwing Bouquet |
First Dance |
About Mark Dolman
Mark Dolman is a wedding photographer in Buckinghamshire for natural journalistic wedding photographing in London, Watford, High Wycombe, Slough, Windsor, Marlow, St Albans, Iver, Rickmansworth, Amersham, Chesham, Aylesbury, Berkamstead, Hemal Hempsted, Herfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire