Creating your wedding day shot list

Written By: Anna Behning

May 3, 2022

You might be wondering, where do I begin when giving me photographer a shot list for my wedding day? This post will break down ALL things wedding day shot list and give you a resource that may be able to help you plan your wedding day shot list.

About a month before my client’s wedding day I send them a questionnaire that includes these questions:

1. How many bridesmaids and how many groomsmen are in your wedding party?
2. Are there any additional members of your wedding party? (Flower Girl, Ring Bearer, Personal Attendant, Ushers, Hosts, etc)
3. List all of the BRIDE’s immediate family and any special family members that you want in photos.
4. List all of the GROOM’s immediate family and any special family members that you want in photos.

After receiving these answers from the couple, I get to work on a shot list. However, if your photographer doesn’t do this, you may need to answer these questions for yourself and start a shot list from those answers. Let me break down my process.

Plan 30 minutes for a first look and formal portraits of you and your spouse. Including the following photos: First Look, Bride & Groom, Bride Only, Groom Only

Plan 30 minutes for Bridal Party photos which can include any of the following shots:

1. Bride & Groom, Bridesmaids, Groomsmen, Flower Girl, Ring Bearer, Personal Attendant, Ushers, Hosts

2. Bride & Groom, Flower Girl, Ring Bearer

3. Bride, Flower Girl

4. Groom, Ring Bearer

5. Bride & Groom, Personal Attendant, Ushers

6. Bride & Groom, Hosts

7. Bride & Groom, Bridesmaids, Groomsmen

8. Bride, Bridesmaids

9. Groom, Groomsmen

10. Bride & Groom with a individual shot of each bridal party attendant

Plan 30 minutes for the Bride’s Family photos which can include any of the following shots:

1. Bride & Groom, Mom & Dad, Siblings & Spouses & Children, Grandparents

2. Bride & Groom, Mom & Dad, Siblings & Spouses & Children

3. Bride & Groom, Grandparents

4. Bride, Grandparents

5. Grandparents only

6. Bride, Siblings

7. Bride & Groom, Mom & Dad

8. Bride, Mom & Dad

9. Bride, Mom

10. Bride, Dad

11. Mom & Dad only

Plan 30 minutes for Groom’s Family photos which can include any of the following shots:

1. Bride & Groom, Mom & Dad, Siblings & Spouses & Children, Grandparents

2. Bride & Groom, Mom & Dad, Siblings & Spouses & Children

3. Bride & Groom, Grandparents

4. Groom, Grandparents

5. Grandparents only

6. Groom, Siblings

7. Bride & Groom, Mom & Dad

8. Groom, Mom & Dad

9. Groom, Mom

10. Groom, Dad

11. Mom & Dad only

Now that I’ve broken down my most popular shot list requests, it’s important to note that there will always be tweaks to everyone’s individual timelines. No two timelines are the same. For instance, if parents are divorced, you will need to consider the photos you want with mom’s side, both sides, and dad’s side. I usually separate these out for my clients.

All in all, I generally recommend a solid 2 hours for formal portraits. You will also need to consider travel time, where you want to take formal portraits, and the accessibility/mobility of your family and friends.

If you want more information on planning your wedding day timeline, check out this blog post.

Don’t forget this one important piece of advice: if you don’t tell our photographer you want it, we may not capture it.