Wedding Flowers

Your wedding photographs will be the longest lasting reminder of your wedding day.  Long after the frozen top tier of wedding cake has been eaten,  and as the anniversaries tick by, your wedding photographs will remain in frames and albums as constant reminders of the happy day that you got married.   It is no wonder then, that your wedding photography is one of the most important aspects of your wedding.  Photographs can be formal, posed shots,  or candid images documenting your day. You should spend time thinking about the style of photographs that you want,  and try to find a photographer who you trust to capture the overall feel of your wedding.  You should also choose a photographer who you get along well with,  as they will be sharing some of the most intimate moments of your wedding day, and mingling amongst all of your guests.

On the day of your wedding, you will be too busy to co-ordinate family and friends into organized poses and ask for photographs to be taken.  This will be the job of the photographer, but he will need to know which shots that you want beforehand.  Making a checklist will ensure that you get all of the shots that you want.

Most wedding albums contain a set formula of photographs from their special day, spanning from when the brides gets ready, to when the new couple depart for their honeymoon.  While every wedding is different, there are some standard shots that most photographers will try to capture.  A sample wedding checklist of photography will usually be in four parts.   Here is a sample wedding photography checklist for each part of your wedding day.

Preparation
A wedding photographer will usually document the bride getting ready with her bridesmaids, and capture key shots with her and members of the wedding party.  These shots can be natural, in a photojournalistic style, or more artistic,  with the photographer playing the different poses, angles and lighting to create subtle effects in each shot.  Some of the most common shots for this part of the wedding day include:

• The bride or bridesmaid putting on the veil
• The bride looking in the mirror, seeing herself as a single woman for the last time.
• Putting on her shoes
• The father and mother of the bride hugging or looking at their daughter
• The father of the groom with his son.
• The groom with all of his groomsmen
• The groom checking his tie

The Wedding Ceremony
Creating a wedding photography shot checklist for your wedding ceremony will depend on what type of wedding you are having,  but for a traditional church wedding,  these are some of the most basic shots:

• The bridesmaids waiting for the bride at the altar
• The groomsmen at the alter
• The bride with her father as she walks down the aisle
• The couple in front of the officiant as they say their vows
• The couple exchanging rings
• The couple kissing.
• The hands with their new rings on top of the wedding registry
• The couple leaving the church and being showered with confetti

Post Wedding Formal Poses
This will be the most formal wedding photography shot checklist, and should include all combinations of the wedding party that you want photographs of.  This may also be an ideal time to get some nice general images of family and friends.  All combinations of the couple, their parents, bridesmaids and groomsmen will be taken, but you have the final say in any other formal poses that you would like.  For example if the grooms family does not get together often,  he might want to get a shot of himself with all of his brothers and his father.  Be sure to let your photographer know your checklist of what shots you would like of who.

Reception
This is an area where the photographer has a bit more freedom.  While a wedding photography checklist should still be made,  the more relaxed atmosphere should be recognized, and capturing the fun of the celebration should be a bit more spontaneous.  There are still some typical iconic shots that you will want to add to your wedding photo checklist for your reception:

• The wedding cake before it is cut
• The bride and groom cutting the cake
• Toasts from various members of the wedding party
• The couple’s first dance
• The bride dancing with her father
• Centrepieces

You should also speak to your parents, to ask if there are any special shots that they would like to add to the photographer’s checklist. By creating a comprehensive wedding photography shot checklist for your photographer you will be able to relax on your special day, knowing that he will be capturing exactly the right moments for you.

Websites:
www.theknot.com
http://weddings.about.com
http://www.frugalbride.com