Your wedding day is a once-in-a-lifetime event filled with unforgettable moments and cherished memories. As you plan your celebration, it's essential to consider the must-have photos that will capture the essence of your special day for years to come. In this post, we'll highlight the Top Nine Essential wedding photos that every couple should include in their album.
For idea’s and inspiration about the Must-Have Wedding Photos, read about in our post here.
1. The First Look:
Arrange a private moment to see your partner for the first time on your wedding day. These photos beautifully capture the raw emotions and anticipation shared between you and your beloved. It also gives you more opportunities for great couple photos that you’ll cherish forever - there’s no such thing as too many photos!
2. Bridal Party Portraits:
Gather your bridal party for group portraits that showcase the love and support surrounding you. These photos are a testament to the bonds you share with your closest friends and family. It’s recommended to put aside at least 60mins for this, as you’ll capture a combination of group photos, and individuals portraits. This is where having two photographers can help, as you can focus on photos with the bride and bridesmaids, plus the groom and groomsmen, at the same time!
3. Ceremony Highlights:
Request photos of the key moments during your ceremony, including the exchange of vows, ring exchange, and the first kiss as a married couple. These photos immortalise the beginning of your lifelong journey together. Key moments like the first-kiss and ring exchange are where having a second photographer is worth the budget to get the second angle. A solo photographer can’t be in two places at once!
4. Family Portraits:
Ensure formal portraits are taken with your immediate family members, including parents, siblings, and grandparents. These timeless photos capture the love and unity of your family on your special day. The best time to do this is immediately after the ceremony. so no uncles/aunties run off to get the best seats at the reception, and before the cousins get distracted by a nearby bar. The best advice I can give you as well, is to create a list of every important family photo you want from the day, so your photographer and go through it methodically, ensuring you don’t miss anyone special.
5. Romantic Portraits:
Set aside time for intimate portraits with your partner, capturing the love and connection between you. These photos serve as a beautiful reminder of the bond you share and the joy of becoming newlyweds, and will be the most printed and shared photos from your day. These are generally done at the same time as the bridal party photos, and also around sunset.
6. Candid Moments:
Ask your photographer to capture candid shots throughout the day, documenting genuine emotions and spontaneous moments of laughter and joy shared with your loved ones. These are best captured during canapé and reception parts of the day, as you might walk around and talk to your guests. Some couples think that candid moments also take up a bulk of the formal photos, but this is a misconception. Good photographers who know their couples want more candid photos during a photoshoot, will actually instruct their couples on what to do. Not posing mind you - more “hold hands and walk this way while pretending to be drunk”.
7. Reception Details:
Request photos of the decor, floral arrangements, and other details that make your reception uniquely yours. These photos highlight the beauty and elegance of your celebration. Some couples never get a chance to see their details before the rooms are full and in use - and after spending quite a lot of money on them, and time deciding on them in the first place - they deserve to be remembered too!
“Go walk in the garden holding hands and just look at each other and talk about your day so far”
Reception details before the bridal party arrives
Ask for some empty shots of the reception room!
8. Toasts and Speeches:
Ensure your photographer captures the heartfelt toasts and speeches given by friends and family during the reception. These photos preserve the love and support shared by your closest relationships. It’s important to schedule in your speeches so your photographers knows roughly when they’re happening. During reception, it’s the first time of the day they usually get to sit down and have a break, and dinner is served to them generally at an inconvenient time for them, so make sure they know whats happening!
9. First Dance:
Capture the romance of your first dance as a married couple. These photos encapsulate the love and happiness of this special moment shared with your partner. It’s trendy these days to have dry ice and even fireworks during the first dance, and they look amazing, but they’re absolutely not a requirement for a romantic first dance! If I was to recommend one over the other, I would definitely choose the dry ice, it lasts for the whole dance, and I personally think it brings more into the moment!
By prioritising these essential wedding photos, you can ensure that every cherished moment of your special day is beautifully preserved for generations to come.
For idea’s and inspiration about the Must-Have Wedding Photos, read about in our post here.
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