Should You Give Your Photographer a Shot List?

You’ve probably seen those templates all over Pinterest with those pre-made lists of photos that you are going to want on your wedding day. But is it worth it to send one of those to your photographer?

The short answer is: it depends. I know this seems like a cop-out answer, but it’s true! It really does depend on the experience level of the photographer you’ve chosen to hire, and this is a great question to ask them before you hire them. If you’ve hired someone who's a little bit lower budget or maybe on the newer end, they might appreciate having specific requests from you as the couple. However, if you're hiring someone more experienced (like myself), it's not as necessary because I have my tried and true shot list ingrained into my head.

So, what does a shot list look like? The ones you see all over the internet will have some really basic things on them, like “a photo of the first kiss.” Duh. Or, “a photo of the wedding party walking down the aisle.” Also duh. For me, those kinds of photos are a given! Of course you want them because they’re so obviously important to your wedding day. I ask my couples to dive a little deeper when thinking about specific photos they want. For example, if you saw a cute Pinterest picture where the wedding couple each held one of their own baby photos in front of their faces, and you know I don’t normally do that photo with my wedding couples because it’s so specific, all you have to do is ask!

Other things I will ask for your specifics on are family photos. My wedding and elopement couples always get a questionnaire from me before the big day where they can check the boxes of what family members they want photographed and what combinations they want. Then, they list out everyone's name so I can build those combinations and be able to call out the names of those in that grouping. This keeps things moving much more smoothly and more organized. If my couples have a special request for a family photo combination, all they have to do is list it out, and we’ll do it!

In general, I like to keep my couples as hands-off as possible so they can truly relax and enjoy the day. The last thing I want is for any couple to feel like they need to micromanage their wedding day, because that's what I'm here for – to support you! Better yet, that's what your wedding planner and wedding party are there for.

So if you’re ready to let me take the reins of your wedding photography, get in touch and let’s get you on my calendar!