Wedding Photography Checklist for the Reception

With so much going on at the reception, a bride and groom should let the photographer know what their must-have pictures are before the big day.

Make certain the photographer knows your must-have photographs of your wedding reception. A month later, when looking at the proof book, it?s too late to notice that the relative who traveled from Italy or a close family friend eluded the photographer?s lens. So make certain the photographers know how to identify those special people.

Provide the photographers with an itinerary for key events, like cake cutting, first dance, etc. Also let them know, beforehand, that the bride?s father is deceased so they don?t go looking for certain pictures. There are a lot of wedding pictures that can be shot during the day, from getting ready pictures, ceremony pictures, and portraits, as well as the pictures at the reception.

Since the photographers will spend the most time at the reception, make certain they know what you find important. Years from now, these are the pictures that help prompt your memories of your wedding day.

Reception Site Pictures

You spent hours selecting place cards, centerpieces, and menu items but a year from now the details will be blurry. Even if these images don?t make it into your final photo album, you?ll still want the photographer to record these aspects of your wedding.

• Reception banquet hall outside shot
• Place card/escort card table
• Gift table
• Food shots/cocktail hour
• Centerpieces and other decorations
• Table settings
• The buffet, or if having table service, a dinner serving
• Guestbook signatures

Pictures of Wedding Guests

Be specific. Do you want pictures of every guest? Would you prefer formal pictures or candid shots? The difference is people smiling at the camera versus sitting at the table staring at their phone as they text message someone.

• Bride and groom arriving at the reception site
• Bride and groom greeting guests
• Shot of each table full guests
• Bride and groom greeting guests at each table

Photographs of the Bride and Groom

• Close-up of bride and groom?s place card
• Bride and groom?s table (head table)
• Bride and groom eating
• Bride with college friends
• Groom with college friends

Wedding Photographs of Dancing

Let your photographer know the important members of your family. The photographer should know that the bride?s mother has passed and the groom?s mother won?t be physically able to dance; this eases any awkwardness with the photographer calling up parents or grandparents who aren?t present.

• Musicians or DJ
• First dance
• Bride and father dance
• Groom and mother dance
• Wedding party dancing
• Random guests dancing
• Small children dancing with the bride and groom
• Bride?s parents dancing
• Groom?s parents dancing
• Grandparents dancing

Wedding Reception Pictures of Speeches

• Best man toast/blessing
• Maid of honor toast/blessing
• Bride and groom toasts or speeches
• Other speeches/toasts/blessings (specify who will be giving them)

Special Wedding Pictures

Although your photographer will likely ask for a timeline, remember to provide one a week before the wedding day and have a back-up copy the day of the ceremony. You don?t want the photographer caught taking pictures of the guests while you?re cutting the cake. Each wedding is unique, so be certain your photographer knows the images you want recorded that will hold your memories.

• Bouquet toss
• Garter belt toss
• Wedding cake
• Groom?s cake
• Cake cutting
• Bride feeding groom cake
• Groom feeding bride cake
• Bride and groom giving away party favors
• Groom helping bride into her coat
• Bride and groom waving from the backseat of their car
• Bride and groom?s ?just married? vehicle driving away

Wedding photographers should know how formal or informal a wedding is ? let them know about special decorations, how the meal will be served, interesting features of the reception site, etc. A timeline will allow them to be ready with their camera when special moments, like a bouquet toss occur (and make them aware that there will be no bouquet toss, if that?s the case).

Copyright Susan Caplan. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.

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