Create Your Own Portrait Shot List
Family photos can be one of the most exhausting parts of a wedding day. You’ve just gone through months of planning and a day of preparation to get down the aisle. Now you have a bunch of portraits to take before you get to the celebration. Having a list of the combinations you want captured is so important – not only to make sure that the photo process goes as smoothly as possible, but also to ensure that you get all of the photos that are important to you.
Your wedding day is such a whirlwind, filled with a myriad of emotions and so many things going on around you. Don’t rely on your memory to remember all of the different combinations of people you would like photos with on such a big day. Make sure you create your photo shot list at least a few weeks out from your big day to give yourself time to remember any combination you may have forgotten. This shot list should have all combinations with the first names of the people in the photos so that your planner/coordinator and photographer can call out names to quickly get people into position. Every family dynamic is different, so every portrait list is different. Be sure to give your photo shot list to both your photography team and your wedding coordinator/planner before your big day.
A coordinator is invaluable on your wedding day. With all the planning and money you’ve put into this day, it is worth a few extra dollars for your peace of mind. One of the many ways a planner or coordinator helps on your wedding day is by assisting with your portrait photos. Your coordinator will work with your photographer as needed to call out the names of family members/friends in the photos and help arrange guests. This helps the process go by much faster and smoother, allowing you and your guests to get to celebrating as soon as possible.
Do your best to arrange the photo combinations so that there is the least amount of shuffling of people. Every photographer has their own shooting method and style as to what order they prefer to take portraits in. Work with your photography team and planner to determine what order is best for family portraits. If you have loved ones who may not be able to stand, move or wait around easily, you may want to take that into consideration as well when deciding which photos to take first.