The Ultimate Wedding Shot List (And Why You Might Rethink It)

From a photographer who wants you to have the BEST day ever — and the best photos to match.

Buckle up, Brides, Grooms, and fellow wedding photographers…because we’re diving into something everybody talks about — but few understand.

Today’s topic:✨ The Wedding Shot List ✨And why giving your photographer a massive, moment-by-moment checklist may not be the magic solution you think it is.

Formal Shot List vs. Wedding Shot List — What’s the Difference?

Let’s clear this up right away so we’re speaking the same language:

✔️ Formal Shot List

These are your must-have family + group combos —parents, grandparents, siblings, wedding party, college friends, etc.

YES — we absolutely need this list.It’s the only way to ensure we don’t accidentally leave out Aunt Kimo or your ride-or-die bestie.

❌ Wedding Shot List

This is the giant list floating around the internet that says things like:

• Groom tying shoes

• Bride looking in mirror

• Rings on invitation

• Bride smiling

• Groom smiling

• First dance

• People dancing

• Parents hugging

• Guests laughing

• Water glasses filled(…you get the idea 😅)

These are moments that naturally happen throughout the day.

Why a Huge Wedding Shot List Can Backfire

You hired your photographer because you loved their vibe —the energy, the emotion, the candid magic in their portfolio.

But when a photographer is handed a 6-page checklist of tiny tasks,something important can happen:

1. It Restricts Creative Freedom

Experienced wedding photographers see things you don’t even notice:

• Tearful glances

• Wind catching a veil just so

• Grandma whispering advice to the groom

• Your partner losing it during vows

A rigid shot list shifts focus from:intuition → documentation

That’s when things start to look posed, stiff, and flat —and you lose the wild, emotional aliveness you fell in love with.

2. It Adds Unnecessary Stress

Every line item on a shot list creates an expectation.

50 “required shots”?→ 50 chances to worry if they happened.

144 shots? (Yes, I’ve received them!)→ 144 micro-tasks eating up mental space.

Instead of celebrating everything that was captured beautifully,you might find yourself fixated on a random missed item like:“Did we get a picture of the rings on the moss outside the venue restroom?”

Meanwhile…that could have cost us time we needed to catch the flower girl sneaking cookies with Grandpa — and THAT photo ends up priceless.

3. It Risks Missing Authentic Moments

Weddings are beautifully chaotic.Every second holds something unscripted:

• Your maid of honor calming your nerves

• Your partner’s face when they hear your voice down the aisle

• Your family laughing in the rain

• The dance floor going feral at 10:37pm

If your photographer is racing down a checklist,they may literally have to walk away from magic to grab:“Couples holding hands looking at camera #42”

No thank you.

4. It Diminishes Flexibility

Time crunch?Unexpected weather?Timeline running late (this happens every wedding)?

Creativity thrives when a photographer can:✔ pivot to better light✔ improvise with changing spaces✔ stay ahead of unexpected moments

Checklist-shooting forces logistics over instinct —and weddings reward instinct every. single. time.

BUT — Here’s What You SHOULD Absolutely Include

While the mega shot list isn’t needed, there ARE things we LOVE knowing.

🎉 Special Cultural TraditionsTea ceremonies, haka, lei exchanges, breaking glass, henna blessings

💛 Sentimental HeirloomsGrandma’s locket? Dad’s cufflinks? A bouquet charm with meaning?TELL US — and we’ll treat it like treasure.

🎁 Surprise MomentsA flash-mob dance, a hidden love note, a surprise car getawayYES, ALERT US — so we’re ready!

👯‍♀️ Key People Beyond Immediate FamilyYour “chosen family,” godparents, childhood bestiesTell us who matters — we’ll seek them out.

🐾 Animals or PropsDogs, surfboards, Jeeps, motorcycles, horsesWe’re HERE FOR IT — and we’ll feature them with intention.

Think of these as your story’s unique ingredients —we want to honor them beautifully.

Trust in Your Photographer’s Expertise

Professional wedding photographers:

• have photographed hundreds of weddings

• know where the magic hides

• anticipate emotion before it happens

• are trained to see in real time

You chose your photographer for a reason:their eye, their style, their artistry.

Let them do what they do best.

Final Thought

You deserve wedding photos filled with:✨ emotion✨ authenticity✨ energy✨ wild joy✨ and REAL connection

The best way to get that isn’t by handing us a script.

It’s by:💛 giving a formal family list💛 telling us what’s personally meaningful💛 trusting us to capture the rest

Let go of the shot list — and let the day unfold.Your story deserves to be lived, not micromanaged.

And your future selves will thank you when you’re looking back at images that FEEL like the day — not staged recreations of it.