20 Must-have photos on your wedding day

Hiring the perfect wedding photographer should be a top planning priority. It is also a good idea to create a detailed wedding day photo checklist. While most experienced photographers will guide you on the moments they plan to document, it’s imperative that you know what you want as a client. After all, these are your priceless snapshots of special memories you’ll treasure and admire for a lifetime. Here are 20 must-have wedding day photos you’ll want to include on your photo checklist.

1. THE RINGS

Wedding rings are a symbol of your love and commitment to one another. They can be family heirlooms with sentimental meaning or you can personalize them to reflect your personality and relationship. The deep meaning behind wedding rings can make for a powerful photo on the day.

2. BRIDAL GLAM

This is the moment where you start to transform yourself into a bride, and it can be a very emotional moment. You’ll want to capture this moment and how you felt seeing yourself in your “bridal glam” for the first time.

3. THE BRIDE’S ACCESSORIES

Your accessories complete your bridal look. They also can hold a special meaning, so says the rhyme “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” As with the wedding rings, this can make for a very powerful photo.

4. PRE-CEREMONY FUN

This is the last moment you get to let loose with your bridal posse and celebrate before getting married. If you relax and let yourself have fun, this moment can create some really awesome photos you’ll want to keep.

5. BRIDAL PORTRAIT

Every girl has imagined themselves as a bride, with the wedding gown and all. That moment is finally here, so you’re gonna want that glamour shot! You should feel extra beautiful on your wedding day and it will show through in this picture.

6. THE BRIDE & HER TRIBE

Your bridesmaids are made up of important people in your life and you chose them to stand beside you during this milestone. This picture can capture the love and fun that surround you and your posse and can celebrate your friendship!

7. THE GROOM

This day is momentous for grooms too and you will want to document it just as much as the bride! You are also gonna be looking your best and feeling good on the big day, so you’ll also want a great shot of yourself!

8. THE FIRST LOOK

This can be an incredibly emotional moment. It’s the first time you and your spouse will see each other on the day, and the reaction can be priceless. This is just one moment out of many filled with love throughout your wedding, and you’ll want to save it for a long time to come.

9. POSED PORTRAITS

Posed portraits can ensure that you get some professional, clean-looking photos. It can also ensure you get time set aside to take photos with those most important to you, such as parents, grandparents, etc.

10. INTIMATE MOMENTS

You’ll want your photographer to capture small, but sweet moments throughout the day. With the chaos of a wedding ceremony, these moments can fly by before you can process them, so having a photo of them will be a true treasure.

11. THE WEDDING PARTY

Again, these are the people you chose to stand by you on an incredibly important day in your life. You’ll want a photo of everyone in your party as a way to commemorate the people you love and your relationships with them.

12. LITTLE ONES

Children can be fun to have around at your wedding and can create some heartfelt moments in your ceremony. You’ll want to capture the youthful innocence that kiddos provide throughout the ceremony.

13. THE VENUE

The venue will be decorated beautifully for your wedding, so you’ll wanna capture the feel it provided for your wedding. Taking photos that highlight the venue can also be a huge compliment for the staff who help out at your wedding.

14. THE STROLL DOWN THE aisle

This can be a special moment between the bride and her father that you’ll want to capture. It is also the symbolic first step towards officially getting married, so this moment can carry a lot of meaning.

15. THE VOWS

This is a very heartfelt, intimate moment between you and your spouse where you can really show your love and respect for one another. You’ll want to capture the real emotion that comes from the heart during this time in the ceremony.

16. THE FIRST KISS

This is literally your very first moment as a newly married couple. A lot of people see the first kiss as a way of making it official, as well as it being your first act as a married couple, and you’ll want to capture that symbolic moment.

17. THE FIRST DANCE

This is your first dance as newlyweds. This moment can be both heartfelt and a fun way to let loose. It is also a timeless tradition, and is kind of a right of passage that can be very meaningful for couples.

18. CUTTING THE CAKE

The cake cutting photo is also a timeless tradition that can make for a classic moment for you and your spouse. This moment can also make for a very fun, whimsical moment if the couple chooses, which makes for a fun photo.

19. DANCE FLOOR CANDIDS

You’re wedding is an exciting time and you deserve to celebrate with your loved ones when its over! Have your photographer take candid photos on the dance floor, as these can capture the true heart and joy of the celebration

20. THE SEND OFF

This is the symbolic start of a new chapter in your life. Your loved ones also get the chance to show their love and support and send you off with well wishes. Add some sparklers or color against the night sky and this can be a truly magical moment on film!