Updated on: Mar 03, 2024
Having a wedding photographer checklist will help fill one of the most essential roles while planning a wedding. Photographers are the ones responsible for immortalizing one of the most special days of your life, and it’s important that they capture the most important shots of the day for you and future generations of your family to come. However, with so many things happening in one day, it’s a lot to remember exactly what you want to be captured and what you’re okay with letting pass by. That’s why it is important to have a wedding photographer checklist to refer to before, on, and after your wedding day that relates to all of your wedding photography needs.
Wedding Photographer Checklist: Where to Start?
In an era where an in-person meeting is incredibly limited, having the EEP checklist to help you out with your photography needs is extremely helpful, but in general, with a wedding photography checklist, it’s hard to know exactly where you want to start. What moments do you want your photographer to capture and what tasks do you want both you and your photographer want to complete both before, during, and after the wedding is done?
To answer these questions, here are some ideas/tasks to begin your wedding photography checklist that’ll help you get an idea of how you want to capture your wedding.
Wedding Photographer Checklist Ideas: Before The Wedding
1. Finding a Photographer
This task itself is extremely big in its own way, so to start off with this big task, begin with some of these little tasks.
2. Collaboration
You want to be on the same wavelength with your photographer when it comes to what you want to be captured on your wedding day. Add ideas of what shots you and your partner want on your wedding day and ask your photographer to add ideas of their own Setup meetings- whether you meet on Zoom, Skype, or Face Time, find days and times to meet to talk about things (it helps to not type all the time and to know your photographer’s face and personality!) Discuss both of your ideas and edit the worksheet as you go and come up with a definite shot list for the day.
Wedding Photographer Checklist Ideas: During The Wedding
Of course, every wedding is different, but here are some typical photo ideas that you can add to your wedding photography checklist for your photographer to look at. Feel free to adjust/change this however you’d like! You can easily add any of these shot ideas into the EEP Checklist for your photographer to comment on/be aware of. The majority of these ideas apply to an in-person wedding, but if you choose to hold your reception and/or ceremony online, we have ideas for you to consider as well.
3. Getting Ready Shots
This includes both partners getting ready, including putting on respective outfits, makeup and/ or hair, and the Bridal Party/Groomsmen from either party.
4. Guests Entering
Capture parents, friends, and acquaintances entering the wedding venue.
5. Scenery Shots
For the venue entrance, make sure that the flora and fauna used to decorate the venue, a photo of the couple, the welcome sign, and pictures of people coming in and interacting with the venue are captured. This includes signing their name in the guest book and putting in money if the couple is accepting monetary gifts. Also photograph the venue interior, as well as the ceremony interior and exterior.
6. First Look
If the first look is done before the ceremony, make sure that this special moment is captured!
7. Ceremony Overview
This includes waiting at the aisle, a wide shot of the ceremony area, waiting at the aisle, the partner waiting to enter the ceremony venue, and walking down the aisle. During the ceremony, capture the exchanging of vows, exchanging of rings, exchanging "I do's", "I pronounce you.." (the first kiss as spouses,) and exiting the aisle married.
8. Reception Overview
At the reception, make sure to have captured scenery shots (example- tables, dance floor, etc,) guests chatting and getting seated, food pictures, spouses greeting their guests, outfit change shots, first dances, cutting the cake, guests, and couples having fun, the dance floor, and guest leaving the venues.
Wedding Photographer Checklist Ideas: After The Wedding
9. Make Decisions
Think about whether you want to have your photos edited or not. It’s optional and depends on your preference on how much editing you want your photographer to do on your pictures. Either way, this part of the process requires constant communication with your photographer to make sure that the final products come out looking exactly the way you want them to be.
10. Finalize Your Photos
Now that the wedding’s over, the next part is to get all of the photos finalized! Whether you want to have a physical album or have all of the photos sent online, make sure to collaborate with your photographer about what medium you want your photos to be in.
Wedding Photographer Checklist: Conclusion
Our wedding photographer checklist will ensure that you have everything prepared for your big day. You want to make sure that your photos capture every aspect of your event and that you remember all the little details you want your photographer to catch!
Written by Jennifer Hoang