What photos should I be sure to get at my wedding (not hiring a pro)?

Question

We're going pretty inexpensive at my wedding and so not hiring a professional photographer. I'm going to hand my pretty decent camera off to a friend or family member to get shots (I'm in the "prosumer" range myself but can't really photograph my own wedding :) ), but I'd like to whip up a list of shots to get, i.e. vows, walks down the aisle, closeup of rings being slid onto hands, etc. I'm afraid if I don't specify at least a little it will be several of the same shot. The people I'm considering will be find with such a list, so if you're a professional photographer (especially wedding) or have experience from a wedding, lemme know what shots I'll want but might not be thinking of.

P.S. We're putting disposable cameras on the tables at the reception, so I think we'll have a good amount of group shots from that.

Answer 1

SHot of you holding hands (close up on the hands)
ring exhange (both)
first dance
"I know pronounce you,,,"
Bride being "given away"
bride's appearance at head of aisle
groom when he first sees bride
close up of rings
maid of honoe and bride
best man and groom
family shots
exting
empty church decorated
guests in seats
aisle walk
getting ready
arriving at reception
arriving at church
outside of church
sign at reception hall
entering reception hall
reception decorated but no guests
guests signing guest book
all special dances
first kiss
cutting cake
cake before it is cut


Sorry for being out of order.

Answer 2

As a wedding photographer I have to advise against getting a friend or family member to do it. All to often things can go wrong and are you really willing to lose that friend or family member then? Or are you simply going to be angry with them and not tell them? Hireing someone to do the wedding puts less strain on everyone as they probably have done more than your friend and they know the poses already. ....

BUT...

If you are really against getting someone to do it for you... here is the link I send to my brides.

http://www.usabride.com/wedplan/w_photolist.html

I have them let me know which ones are the ones they want... Some are not for everyone.. IE if you have two dads due to a divorce or such.

You will also want extra pictures of people that you may never see again such as sick or elderly relatives. I know this isnt the time to think about that, but think of how special the picture already is now add that it was the last picture you got of..... before they passed away.

The cameras on the table is a good idea. BUT too many people have no idea what that is about and think that they are gifts to them to take pictures they want for themselves and they leave with the camera. I lost 4 this way at my own wedding.

As a photographer I knew the importance of hireing a photographer for my wedding. I had several friends in the business offer to do it as a wedding present and they were photographers. Due to the chance that something could go wrong and not wanting bad blood between friends and family I still hired someone else to do it.

Answer 3

There are massive lists of must have shots on practically any bridal website.
Important things:
Make sure to have lots of batteries, digital media, or film on hand. Have your camera fully charged with an empty card to start. Have a backup camera of some sort on hand. Mechanical/electronic devices fail at the worst times!

Sit the "photographer" down before the big day and thoroughly review camera operations. Make sure they understand to take their time when doing the shots to give the camera time to focus and fire. Some digicams are a little slow.

If possible, ask another family member or friend to also take shots. Surely someone has a decent camera, and hopefully knows how to use it.

Many churches won't allow flash during the ceremony. That could be a real problem for a novice/inexperienced photographer to get useable pics, especially if it is dark. Plan on using a tripod for the ceremony shots if that's the case. Set it up in the balcony or in the back. Use a longer lens, a fast one if possible, and plan the shots when everyone is still. Take lots, some will be blurry but some should be useable.

Unless the photographer is allowed and comfortable with moving around during the ceremony, the closeup ring exchange may have to be re-enacted.

If you have a smallish wedding party, you may get by with doing group shots inside at the altar with only the on-board flash. Take at least 2 of each to avoid blinkers etc. The usual group must haves are B & G w each set of parents, grandparents, wedding party. You can take that as far as necessary. Divide B & G with wedding party. Add stepparents, aunts, uncles ect. Start with the biggest group shots first and work down to just the B & G. Have someone in control of rounding up everyone. The B & G in the middle and spread the others out on the sides. If you have steps, use them. Get close enough, but try to save a little room on the sides....8x10s are not shaped like 4x6s and need more breathing room.

Try to take a few shots outside. Look for even open shade and use the flash. Don't stand under dappled shade. If no even shade, try open sunlight, but not squinting into the sun. Again, use flash.

A pretty shot I always get is both rings atop the boquet. (Both on hands and off) If your camera has macro mode, that is a great closeup.

For the cake cutting, make sure to pause a moment with the knife poised to cut. Take one with B & G looking at camera and one looking at cake. Makes a good shot if the wedding party is gathered around as well.

The boquet toss is better if the boquet is visible in the shot in midair.

Go to wedding photography websites and browse the photography there, it will give you some ideas.

Good luck!

PS: About disposable cameras: I am a lab manager and see LOTS of wedding disposable camera pics. In a nutshell, don't count on getting much from them. You may luck up, but most of the shots will be underexposed because they didn't turn on the flash or pics of the back of the head in front of them, blah blah blah. If you do use them, I suggest getting either the Kodak powerflash or the Fuji smartflash. The flash fires on them all the time, and they are loaded with decent film. The cheapie off brand cameras are iffy, some are good and some not so good.

Answer 4

I was going to tell you basically the same thing that Lodiju and Pamphotographer just said but they both said it so much more eloquently than I ever could! Listen, first, save more money and grief by spending money wisely. Skimp on flowers and caterer since the flowers wilt and die; the food is eaten, digested and forgotten by day's end but the photographs are meant to last a lifetime! Forget the disposible cameras; that's a total waste; you won't get many usable images from them. Are you hiring a limo service? Reconsider; it's a wasted luxury. Please reconsider your priorities? The photos of your weddings are more important than the limo ride and the fancy flowers... the photos are meant to last a lifetime, to be shared with your friends and family, your parents AND your grandchildren; don't set yourself up for regrets. Contact a few local camera clubs (local colleges and universities, local YMCA/YWCA and/or other similar organizations) and put the word out that you're looking for good yet inexpensive photographers, see their portfolios and see which one can do basically what you want for what you can afford. Negotiate with them, invite them to take photos and do not treat them like "just hired help" (Feed them, be nice to them, assign a family member to help gather the wedding participants for the formal/traditional group photos and to assist in dealing with the other invited guests, they'll do a far better job, I promise). Tell them that it will be OK for them to use your images to build up their portfolio; that should win you some "points" and sweeten the deal in your favor. Make sure there's a signed contract, by the way. Bob has given you a list that I keep for newbies in the field but, truth be told, I won't recommend that you hand over such an immense responsibility to someone who may not know what he/she is doing with your camera (regardless how good the camera is, it's only the instrument) and the lack of experience will show in the resulting images. Imagine how I cringed when I first read your post when I usually discourage amateurs from doing weddings unless they've had a few years under the tutelage or apprenticeship of an established and experienced professional photographer! Best wishes.

Answer 5

Ask for some of these:
1. Pre-wedding shots of getting ready of bride and groom (separate shots)
2. Going down the aisle shots of bridesmaids, bride, any and all attendents and the moms
3. Shot of the wedding if the pastor will allow it during the ceremony
4. Shots of bride and groom leaving
5. Make list of the most importnat people there that you want photos of and ones you want photos with. Be very detailed or you will miss out!
6. Formal shots of wedding party with pastor after the wedding.
7. Parents shots with bride and groom
8. Shots of presenting of the bride and groom at the reception
9. Shots of first dance, cutting the cake, toasting each other
10. Shots of bride and groom greeting guests
11. Shots of bride and groom saying good bye
12. Shots of the wedding guests waving good bye.

Be sure to add in that you want candid shots of all of your guests, too. Maybe this list will help. My daughter got married last year and my son this year. :)
Best wishes to you!

Answer 6

This is mark's wife. Think about what moments from your big day that you are going to want to see again years from now. In my case from my first wedding we had a lot of shots of different versions of family. I now wish we had just taken 3 my family his family and a group. The sisters, brothers inlaws ect.. reduntdant and unessiary. Be sure to get some photos of the two of you by yourselves, after all this day is about you two. Good luck with everything. Here is a tip that you didnt ask for but I wish someone had told me. Something will go wronge relax and go with it years from now it will be a funny story.

Answer 7

i would hire a pro just for the wedding and give them a list of just certain shots you want...each bridesmaid as they walk down the aisle...rings on fingers..lighting unity candle..then after the service the wedding party standing on the alter the parents with the couple and such then let the guests use the disposables and also give your camera to someone to get shots of the garter toss and so on...

Answer 8

my dad and his new wife didnt have a pro. either so i made a list of what pics would need to be taken like with parents and kids. wedding party that kind of thing.

Answer 9

well in that case invite me i ll snap all ur pics without paying anything btw i m a pro photographer

Answer 10

hire a pro after paying for all the develloping you will need it may end up cheaper