Alright, I’ll admit it. Before the first wedding I ever shot, I typed out and printed at least three copies of a shot list for myself for that wedding day. (Ahh, 18-year-old Caitlin!) I was simply terrified that I would forget to capture something important at my first wedding, and I wanted to be sure I got images of all the important details that I would want photos of and that my bride would want photos of. I still can remember meticulously checking the little boxes next to each photo description as that day went on… I’m pretty sure I even brought a clipboard for those three copies of my shot list, a few copies of the timeline, and possibly even the couple’s contract, guys! Ohh my goodness, those were the days.
Now that Luke and I shoot together full time as a husband and wife team, we don’t exactly bring three copies of a shot list on a cute little clipboard! 😉 (However, type-A Caitlin hasn’t totally disappeared, and we always have a few important printouts with us on a wedding day. Old habits die hard!) By now, we’ve shot enough weddings to know what photos are absolute necessities to capture, and there’s no risk of us forgetting something like I was afraid to back in the day!
However, we 100% understand one of the most common questions we receive from our brides and their families: “Should we write out a shot list of all of the pictures we want on our wedding day?” We understand this question mainly because we understand where it is coming from: Our couple or their family is simply nervous that we will miss a small detail or that we won’t know to photograph an important event on the wedding day.
That being said, our gentle answer when we are asked if we want a shot list is actually a gentle “no.” 🙂 Why is this?
Table of Contents
- First, whenever we’ve received a shot list from a bride or a family member in the past, it was actually unhelpful.
- Why else? We already have all the information we need!
- First, we ask our couples which parts of the wedding day are most important to them.
- Second, we ask our couples what unique details, surprises, or special events are a part of their day that we would not otherwise know about.
- Third, we educate our brides about what immediate family photo combinations we normally capture before the ceremony, and we ask them to list 5-10 extended family shots that they would like us to capture after the ceremony!
First, whenever we’ve received a shot list from a bride or a family member in the past, it was actually unhelpful.
This sounds so blunt guys, but all that we mean by this is that each photo description we’ve ever seen on a shot list described a shot we were already planning on taking. As wedding photographers, we know what moments are important to capture. We know you want a photo with your mama, we know you want a shot of your shoes, and we know it’s important to capture your first kiss during your ceremony. It’s our job to know these things and to deliver these vital images to you! So, trust your photographer’s experience, professionalism, and expertise that they’ve gained from years of shooting wedding days and being in the wedding industry. By investing in a professional photographer, you are in good hands!
Why else? We already have all the information we need!
While we ask our brides to refrain from sending over a massive shot list (full of pictures they were already going to receive 😉 ), we still think that is enormously important to know what images are the most important to our couples. Although we know to capture the basics, such as the big events and the decorative details, we still do three things.
First, we ask our couples which parts of the wedding day are most important to them.
For example, if our bride is especially excited for her first dance with her husband, she is able to tell us this! As a result, we know to provide her with even more photos of that part of her wedding day than we normally would. Similarly, if the bride deeply wants a photo with a particular wedding guest, we can make a note of that and be sure to pull them for a quick photo during the reception.
Second, we ask our couples what unique details, surprises, or special events are a part of their day that we would not otherwise know about.
This prepares us so well. For example, our couples’ answers to this question let us know if the bride incorporated a unique family heirloom in her bouquet, if the bride having a gift and a note delivered to the groom’s hotel room on the wedding morning, or if the couple is honoring their grandparents at the reception! This way, we’re prepared and ready to capture events that are meant to be kept secret from the rest of the wedding guests or family.
Third, we educate our brides about what immediate family photo combinations we normally capture before the ceremony, and we ask them to list 5-10 extended family shots that they would like us to capture after the ceremony!
This ensures we capture all the family portraits our couples need and want, and it also saves so much time trying to figure photo combinations out on the wedding day.
So, how do we get so much information from our brides that we never need a shot list? Three weeks before our wedding, we send out a questionnaire to our brides, and these are just a few of the questions on that list! (Photographers! You can find out more about our questionnaires by clicking right here.) Implementing them into our workflow has revolutionized our business forever… we believe that wholeheartedly!
What photos are most important to YOU on your wedding day? We’re always curious to hear… let us know in the comments below!
Xoxo,
Caitlin & Luke
