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My guess is that right now you’re collecting all your favorite must have wedding photos for inspiration. Don’t forget to pin this to your favorite Pinterest board for your must-have wedding day photos in preparation for your big day!

Congratulations on your BIG DAY approaching. Here is part one of my two-part series for the Must-Have Wedding Day Photos you need taken on your special day!

This will cover tips and tricks from a photographer’s perspective to other photographers but will have some must-have tips for things to think about during the planning process ahead of time for capturing your special day.

Stay tuned for Part Two coming soon for Must-Have Wedding Day Photos! Looking for more wedding day inspo? Hop on over and connect with me on Instagram!

First Look

This photo series may depend completely on what you want to do prior to the ceremony. Some couples decide to not do this and stick to the tradition of seeing each other when they meet to exchange vows on their wedding day.

For couples that want to capture this memory ahead of the ceremony, it is one of my favorite times during the entire day. Tip for the couple when interviewing a potential wedding photographer. Make sure to ask if they will have a second shooter during this moment to capture both of your reactions.

It is so beautiful watching this moment. Getting to witness this moment between a couple on their wedding day is such a treasured moment for me. I also think it helps the couple relax ahead of their ceremony and get to spend a little quality time together before the ceremony begins and the day flies by.

Bride and Groom Portraits

There are so many different ways to approach capturing the Bride and Groom. The goal is always to capture all the different moments their personalities come out as a couple during their special day like the romantic moment shown below to the fun and celebratory moments. It is such a kick-ass feeling to capture the couple in a moment like the pure excitement that they’re experiencing through out their day.

Bride with Her Girls

Make sure to talk through all of the types of moments you want to be captured with your girls. From the process of arriving at the venue to getting ready and cherishing those special moments together. Many times the bridesmaids have come together from so many different places. Make sure to also capture individual photos of each bridesmaid with the bride.

Groom with His Guys

As you can tell, photos of the Groom with his guys can end up being pretty funny and playful. Ask if they have any fun things like unique socks to capture photos of and be ready to capture the moment they share a toast with their favorite beverages of choice.

Bride & Groom with Their Immediate Family

Make sure to map out and make a list (If you’re the Bride & Groom) or receive a list if you’re the photographer of all of the important people close to the bride and groom that they want to capture moments with during the dedicated photo time. Do they have a blended family? Will the bride be doing a “first look” moment with her dad before the ceremony? Coordinating where the immediate family should meet (the when and where for the types of photos you want to be captured). This will help to guarantee that all of the desired photos are taken and not accidentally missed

Bridal Party

Everyone loves a cheers celebratory photo. It’s always a great memory to have the entire bridal party together. You can capture a variety of styles of photos from traditional and curated to funny and playful.

Walking Down the Aisle – Being Given Away

This one is pretty self-explanatory. The one piece of advice I would give a bride and groom would be to think about how you want your ceremony to feel. Do they want to have their guests sitting and holding their phones the entire time taking pictures and filming?! I highly recommend having an electronic free ceremony so that your photographer and videographers can capture the moments without trying to work around people holding up their cell phones to capture them. This helps protect your investment and the quality of your photos.

Reaction when Bride Walks Down the Aisle + First Kiss

This is the moment where you can feel the electricity in the air. Everyone is full of anticipation, excitement and love preparing to watch the people so special to them exchange vows and enter this new and amazing chapter in their lives.

Let me know if the comments what your Must-Have Wedding Photos are!

Looking for more wedding day photo inspiration? Check out these posts on the blog. Ashley and Stephen’s vibrant Wedding at Rancho Las Lomas in Silverado Canyon California , Tiara and Erik’s Wedding at The Historic Cree Estate in Palm Springs California

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