Wedding pictures - what to take and why

Digital wedding photography has given photographer the opportunity to take ‘lots’ of images in the wedding day. However it is easy to loose site of those all-important key wedding images that tell the story of the day.

A wedding is a story of a special day in two peoples lives and while the couple will enjoy seeing and including many spontaneous images in their wedding album there are some key images which must be included in order to capture the salient points of the day.

Twelve essential images to create on the wedding day

Bridegroom on his own
Generally it is more often than not better to photograph the bridegroom as a three quarter length, as apposed to just a head and shoulders.
Bride and her father
A full length shot is a must as this will not only show of the bridal gown, but also her flowers and veil, additionally it will show of her father in his new or hired suit..
Bridesmaids together
This wedding photograph may be taken in several ways depending upon how many bridesmaids and their ages.
Signing the register
It is always a good idea to take a look inside the vestry for church weddings prior to the couple arriving to actually sign the register. Reason being they can often be small and cluttered.
Bride and Groom full length
This is almost certainly the most important photograph of the entire wedding
Bride and Groom head and shoulders
Full-length portrait of the Bride his image is considered by many to be as important as the full-length image of the bride and groom
The Bride, Bridegroom, Bestman and Bridesmaids
This is the vital group shot and must not be rushed in any way as it includes the main attendants and the bride and groom.
Full-length portrait of the Bride
This image’s intention is to the beauty of the bridal gown in all of it’s glory.
Bride and bridesmaids
Consider this image as a full length or three quarter shot to give a little variety to the selection
Bride and Groom with parents
Bring in the bride to begin with then bring in the groom and pose them as a couple balancing their body position, this will include the careful placement of their feet, arms and hands.
Bride and Groom by the wedding Limo
For the story of the wedding this is a very important image, the couple will have spent a great deal of time choosing their mode of transport and investing substantially to have it there on the day.
The Bride and Groom with the wedding cake
Consider posing this as a group of three, the groom with his dark suit between and just a little behind the cake and his bride.

Read related articles: Wedding photography what do I charge?

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