Leading up to the big day, you’ll want to make sure there are major moments being captured. Some are obvious, some are not. After all, it’s likely you’ve never had to plan a wedding before. When thinking about your shot list, work with your New York wedding photographers to create something that will ensure the best moments of the day are captured. Let’s go through the different options for your wedding photo shot list.

Getting Ready Shot List for Your New York wedding photographers

The getting ready shot list is a combination of photo lists. This includes photos like the ring shot and first look as well as first looks with wedding party and parents. We recommend putting all these into one single list that your wedding photographers can follow.

Sample of Getting Ready Wedding Detail Photo Shot List

• Rings
• Invitations
• Shoes
• Jewelry
• Dress hanging
• Suit hanging
• Vow books
• Letters

Sample Shot List for Getting Ready with Loved Ones

• Bridesmaids first look
• Mother of bride doing up dress
• Maid of honor putting on bride’s shoes
• First look with father of bride
• All bridesmaids on bed
• With all groomsmen cheering

Creating a Family Photography Shot List for Your New York Wedding Photos

Making a family photography shot list for your wedding is a great way to make sure you get all the photos you want. You can even turn your list into a checklist. This way, you know that all of the family photos are taken care of before the wedding starts. Family portraits might be one of the first things on your mind, but don’t forget to include some fun shots too.

Choosing Immediate Family Members for Your Shot List

You’ll want to use this list to capture combinations with any immediate or important family members and VIPs at the wedding. These are the formal photos you’ll be taking where you stand in one place and your family members shuffle in and out. These are usually the photos of you with your parents, grandparents, and siblings.

Don’t Forget VIP Friends in Your Formal Shot List

Don’t forget about any friends or colleagues who’ve played a special role in your life. These can make for a really nice touch to include in your wedding album or scrapbook — especially if they were involved with the planning process as well! Don’t forget about other important family members, too — like your nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, and uncles.

Example of a Formal Family Shot List for Wedding Photos

Here is a sample formal family shot list. You can see here that this includes different combinations of people. We will use the terms “bride and groom” for ease in this shot list, but the couple can replace that with their preferred terms for their list.

• Bride, mom 1
• The Bride, mom 1, dad 1
• Bride, mom 1, dad 1, groom
• The Bride, dad 1
• Groom, dad 1
• The Groom, dad 1, dad 2
• Groom, dad 2
• The Groom, mom 2
• Groom, dad 2, mom 2
• The Groom, dad 2, mom 2, bride
• Bride, mom 2

Tip for Creating Combinations During Family Photos

If someone is wearing a wedding gown or heels on the big day, make sure to bundle shots with that person. For example, we don’t want a bride shuffling back and forth over and over. Instead, ensure all photos with the bride are taken care of at once so any shots without her can be done after.

Kickstarting the Process of Taking Photos with Family Members on the Wedding Day

Be sure that everyone in your formal family photos knows where they need to be. They also need to know when to be there. We recommend giving them a time 15-20 minutes early in case they arrive a little late. That way you have some wiggle room to ensure everyone shows up for photos. Send out an email ahead of your wedding and be sure that everyone confirms.

Let Your New York wedding photographers Know About Any Issues

If there are any tough family situations, let your photography team know ahead of time. This will save any awkward situations. One major thing that’s important to remember is not everyone may be physically able to participate in your formal family photos. If someone has trouble standing or walking for a long period of time, let your wedding photographers know so they can adjust the schedule accordingly.

Having Someone Help Wrangle Your Loved Ones

On the big day, assign someone to work with your New York wedding photographers who knows your family well. This could be a bridesmaid or sibling. This person will help with giving directions and helping everyone hear where they’re supposed to go. Sometimes, this is the only way you can get family members to cooperate on such a busy day.

Making a Wedding Party Shot List for the Big Day

Every couple’s favorite part of formal photos is taking ones with their friends. These can be more loose and fun with your bridesmaids and groomsmen. It also sets the tone for the rest of the day. The wedding party shot list can be as long or as short as you want.

Fun Wedding Party Photo List

The process is very similar to creating a formal family shot list where you should give your New York wedding photographers names to work with. Ensure that you also list any fun ideas you have. Otherwise, your photography team will take charge to get the best possible photos.

Sample of Wedding Party Photo Ideas

Here is a sample of a wedding party shot list. It’s a lot more simple than a family shot list, but makes it nice and easy for the photographer to follow. Plus, you get to be a lot more creative when it comes to these group photos.

• All bridespeople and groomspeople
• Just bride + bridespeople
• Solo groom + groomspeople
• Bride + individual bridespeople
• Groom + individual groomspeople
• Groomspeople lifting up bride
• All bridesmaids throwing up bouquets
• Whole group cheering
• Entire group walking down the street

Taking Photos with Extended Family on the Wedding Day

At first blush, it might seem easier to create one very long list that includes everyone you could possibly ever want to take a photo with. However, you’ll want to create shorter lists for every group that is nearby instead. Then combine these groups into one large family portrait post-wedding after they’ve had the chance to celebrate with you.

Creating a Reception Shot List

You’ll want to work with your New York wedding photographers to create a reception shot list instead. This is a more casual list of combos where you can pull them aside quickly. These are not as formal or staged as the immediate family members. These typically include aunts and uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews, and so on. They can also include friends from college, sororities, fraternities, and more.

Pulling Family Members Aside

Give your New York wedding photographers a copy of your reception shot list. They will work with you to ensure that everyone is crossed off the list. You can work together to point people out and pull family members aside. Additionally, you can assign a bridesmaid to pull people out for your photos. This helps ensure that your photos are done in a timely manner.

Wedding Ceremony Shot List for Photographers

Your experienced photography team should know all the shots to take in your wedding ceremony. That being said, if something is really important to you to capture, let the photographers know. They can work with you to identify what you want and ensure that all the shots are taken.

Traditions and Special Moments During the Ceremony

Be sure to let your photographer know about anything special taking place during the ceremony. Examples would be blessings, unity candle lighting, and vows. Put these together in a list for your NYC photography team to take a look at ahead of time. You’ll want to be sure these moments aren’t missed.

Sample of Wedding Ceremony Shot List

This is a sample of a wedding ceremony shot list. Your photographer in New York should know exactly what to do already, but it’s always good to have. Letting your team know about what’s important to you makes a big difference.

• Partner walking up the aisle
• The partner’s reaction to seeing their future spouse
• Couple holds hands under arch/at altar/under hoopah/etc.
• Pair reciting vows
• Couple reacting to vows
• Parent reactions
• The ring exchange
• First kiss
• Walking back down the aisle
• Kiss down the aisle

Hiring the Right New York wedding photographers for You

Planning your wedding is difficult, and keeping on schedule is important. However, the most important thing to figure out during this time is who will be taking pictures of your big day. You don’t want to hire someone that can’t capture all the special moments you worked so hard to organize. Nor do you want someone who doesn’t know the ins and outs of wedding photography.

New York Wedding Photographers Capturing Fun, Candid Moments

Shot lists are helpful, but we love genuine emotions too. We mix formal with fun when it comes to taking your NYC wedding photos. If you’re looking to tie the knot in the big city, let us know. We’d love to help capture your beautiful wedding day. As candid Brooklyn wedding photographers, we make sure to capture every moment for our couples.