Last updated on January 6th, 2023 at 03:52 pm
Must-Have Wedding Photos for Wedding Photography
When photographing a wedding there are certain must-have wedding photos that need to be captured. Some pictures cannot be missed. Below I have listed the absolute 17 must-have pictures that need to be taken at any wedding. Sample must-have wedding photos are also shown that I have taken myself.
1. The gown by itself
Every bride wants to have some photos of their wedding gown to remember for years to come.
2. The bride’s bouquet. Try to capture all of the details of the bouquet
You can take a photo of the bouquet by itself, or with the bride and groom holding it and hiding their faces like the photo below. I also like to set the aperture so they are out of focus in the background.
3. Wedding Rings
The wedding rings are an important must-have wedding photo. If the couple you are photographing does not have the rings displayed in a pretty manner like the photo below, then you can also just have them hold them out in their hands and take a photo of that. Take it with a small aperture so only the rings are in focus, not the hands.
4. Bridal portrait
Before the ceremony, I always like to get quite a few pictures of the bride by herself. Other bridal portraits I like to include are the bride holding her shoes and the bride looking at herself in the mirror. Do not focus on the mirror image of the bridal, but instead focus on the bride herself.
5. Groom with each of his groomsmen
It is always nice to have a photo of all of the groomsmen together before the ceremony. Most of the time the guys like to do creative poses, so have fun with this.
6. Bride with all of her bridesmaids
You can’t get a photo of all of the groomsmen without getting similar photos of all of the bridesmaids!
7. Bride with the maid of honor
8. Groom with best man
9. Groom’s face as he is looking at the bride for the first time coming down the aisle
10. The bride and groom’s first kiss after being married
11. Reception tables
It’s always nice to come back years later and see a picture to remember how your reception tables were decorated on your special day.
12. The food
The food prepared for the wedding reception often takes a lot of time and consideration. Capturing a photo of the food will help the bride and groom remember all that time put forth for their special day.
13. First dance
This must-have wedding photo needs to explanation.
14. The wedding cake by itself
Capturing the details of the wedding cake is a definite must-have photo. Wedding cakes are a very special part of the wedding day and lots of details go into the cake. A photo will help the bride and groom remember those details once the cake has been eaten.
15. Cutting of the cake / Cake Smashing
Not all couples decide to smash a piece of cake into each other’s faces, but if they do this is a must-have picture!
16. Bride and groom together
17. Marriage certificate
Are there any other must-have wedding photos I have left out?
If so, please comment below and let us know!
📜 About the Photographer
Tamara Ray
I started out using 35mm point and shoot cameras, then upgraded to a 35mm DSL camera, and then finally came the world of digital DSL cameras. Gone are the days of having to wait for your film to be developed to see what you captured. Photography has never been so much fun!
