Must-Have Wedding Photos For Your Big Day

Your wedding day won’t last forever. There are so many special moments that you will want to be captured, from getting ready with your bridal party to walking down the aisle. Planning your wedding photo checklist should be high on your list of bridal duties. The wedding shots allow you to relive those magical memories for eternity and share them with your loved ones.

The first step is to hire a professional wedding photographer that you are comfortable with and trust. Most photographers understand the importance of establishing a wedding photo checklist that includes the typical bride and groom wedding shots. However, we’ve curated a wedding photography guide of the 22  must-have wedding photos for your big day, so you don’t miss any special moments. 

Pre-Wedding Photos

1. Getting Ready 

Capture your pre-wedding excitement with your bridal party and family members. This is when you will finally put your wedding dress on for the first time as a fiancée and take it off as a wife. Let the photographer snap photos of your mother zipping you into the beautiful dress. Also, get those casual images of you sipping on champagne in matching pajamas with your bridesmaids. 

p.s. Don’t forget your partner’s getting ready moments as well.

2. Beauty Moment

Make sure your wedding photographer captures the beautiful makeup on your face and the products themselves. Show off your hairstyle and makeup look that your beauty stylist perfected. Those detailed shots are worth remembering as you may want to recreate your wedding appearance for a special occasion with your spouse. 

3. The Outfit 

Everyone is going to be fawning over the way you look in your wedding day attire. So go ahead and get detailed shots of your wedding dress, shoes, veil, and accessories by themselves. 

Are you wearing something old, new, borrowed, and blue? Make sure the wedding photographer captures it! Snap pictures of your veil at every angle. And most importantly, document the reactions of your loved ones when you’re finished getting ready. 

4. Bridal Bouquet

Hold on tight to that gorgeous bridal bouquet for all of your photo ops.  The bouquet isn’t yours to keep forever. Eventually, you will need to toss it to a crowd of romantic and hopeful ladies looking for their future husbands. 

5. Bridal & Groom Portraits 

Don’t get too excited; these portraits are not with each other. You still need to wait a little longer until the first look. It’s important to get images by yourself that you’ll be able to treasure forever. You have all night to take photos with your bridal party, family members, and friends. Enjoy being alone for a few seconds more. 

6. First Look 

The special moment that needs to be cherished, remembered, and framed on your wall. You will see how excited he looked while waiting for you and how stunning you looked while walking up to him. The images will allow you to reminisce on the smiles, tears, and ‘I love you’s when you first locked eyes on your big day. 

7. Daytime Couple Session 

Have you ever wanted bridal photos similar to the ones in magazines? At Said Yes Studios, our photographers offer two-time slots (daytime and nighttime) for the couple to get precisely that. The images are intimate and artfully composed that never come across as stuffy or posed. They are a must.

Wedding Ceremony Photos

8. The Ceremony Site

Ask the photographer to capture detailed shots from the altar to the beautiful decor. Get the moment when it was all empty and then filled with your loved ones walking in and taking their seats. 

9. Walking Down the Aisle

You will want the photographer to capture the faces of your loved ones gazing at you in awe, but don’t forget the smiles and tears of the happy couple. Walking down the aisle can be nerve-wracking, but look at your spouse, and everything will be okay! 

10. Ring Exchange

The exchanging of rings is a special moment. You are declaring “I do” to spending eternity with your significant other. However, when the ceremony is over, let the photographer take detailed shots of the wedding rings. 

11. The Giggles & Candid Moments

Don’t forget about the memories in between. The giggles and candid shots tend to be many couples’ favorites because it shows them simply being two people in love.

12. First Kiss

You are officially husband and wife. Congratulations! The first kiss photo is so wonderful to look back on as it marks the beginning of your marriage. 

13. Husband & Wife Exit

Whether your wedding ceremony exit is filled with confetti or kept very simple, it is such a fun experience to capture. Throw your hands in the air and let out all the happiness of the day as it will make a great photograph.

14. Family & Wedding Party

First, make sure to get images of the bridal party, groomsmen, and family members by themselves. Then, put everyone together! This is probably the first time everyone you’ve loved is here together celebrating your big day. Photograph those happy moments of celebration that you can always frame for your loved ones as a gift.

Wedding Reception Photos

15. The Reception Site & Details

The wedding photographer should get detailed shots of the tables, reception site, centerpieces, name cards, seating chart, and any details that create the atmosphere of your wedding. Decor shots are too stunning for us not to admire.

16. Grand Entrance

The wedding reception is a time to finally celebrate with your guests. A great photo idea for when you’re entering the reception site is to jump around to your favorite song or re-create the experience of how you guys met. These are great ways to spice up your photos. 

17. First Dance

This is a big photo-op moment, so don’t worry about the dancing; instead, focus on having fun and singing to each other. First dances serve as an amazing time to express your love to one another while swaying to your favorite song. It’s just you two in a crowded room. 

18. Father-Daughter & Mother-Son Dances 

The waterworks will happen. I think it’s important to forget about the camera and let yourself cry on your father’s or mothers’ shoulders. The dance is a very bittersweet moment; you’re saying goodbye to the person that has raised you and starting a life with someone else. Don’t worry about the tears; the pictures will be touching and beautiful. 

19. Cutting & Eating of the Cake 

Before you and your guests destroy the cake, allow the photographer to capture detailed shots of the delicious cake. This picture can be very adorable or messy, depending on the direction you take. 

20. Nighttime Couple Session 

Take nighttime photos during the twilight time, after the sun has set. Similar to the daytime couple session, enjoy artistically posed pictures with your significant other.  

21. Dance Party 

The dance floor photos are always the funniest and most carefree images. It shows everyone having a great time, celebrating your marriage, and messing up while doing line dances. Let the wedding photographer snap away. 

22. Grand Exit

Plan something simple, like a sparkler exit, or extravagant, like a firework show, for the perfect ending to your big day. You are officially starting your marriage and hopefully heading on a honeymoon soon after this night. 

How Many Photos Should You Take at a Wedding?

A wedding photographer should make sure that they personalize their wedding photo list to your wants and wishes. If there is a special moment that you want the photographer to capture, add that to the list.  Remember, a photo is worth a thousand words, so hire a photographer who won’t mind taking around 400 to 800 wedding photos. 

Said Yes Studios: A Wedding Day Must-Have

 Said Yes Studios is the ideal wedding photography company for capturing your special day’s fleeting moments. At Said Yes Studios, our exceptional team of professional wedding photographers offers engagement sessions, pre-wedding photoshoots, elopement photography, and, of course, wedding photography and videography packages. We will capture your must-have wedding photos. All you have to do is say yes to Said Yes Studios!