Hey, friend! Are you afraid that when your wedding day is over you are going to look back and say, “Oh no! I don’t have any photos of _____!” Don't worry, I've been there and I'm here to make sure that doesn't happen to you!
Kaelyn and I treasure all of the sweet memories that were captured on our wedding day. We have some amazing images with our whole families, but we forgot to pose for individual shots with our parents. Brides, we get it. On Mother’s Day, it’s nice to be able to post a photo with your mom from your wedding (same goes for Father's Day). Looking back, we regret not thinking this through ahead of time. We don’t blame our photographers at all! The truth is we just didn't think of it. In fact, I was putting together a much more complicated and much less helpful shot list instead of the one that really counted! Making sure you plan out the right kind of list ahead of time can help you enjoy your wedding stress-free, while eliminating regrets afterwards!
One of the first things I do when I book a wedding is send a questionnaire to the bride. This questionnaire tells me the best way to contact you, some vendor information, and includes the beginnings of a shot list.
First, let’s talk about what your shot list should not look like.
When I talk about a shot list, I’m not asking for a bunch of screenshots from Pinterest of all the wedding poses you like.
When you choose me as your photographer, you are trusting my creative direction as I seek to pose you naturally to get you the best possible images. If you focus on trying to recreate your favorite pins, your end result will consist of stiff and awkward photos. Asking your photographer for specific poses is like asking your doctor to prescribe an antibiotic for you based on your WebMD edumacation. Although Pinterest is great for inspiration and deciding what photography style you like, you want your wedding photos to tell your story, not the story of Ken and Barbie from Pinterest.
Now, let’s talk about what your shot list should look like.
When I talk about a shot list, I am talking about the combinations of those who should be included in your formal family photos.
Do you want a photo of the you and your groom with both sets of parents? Do you want a shot with just you and your mom? Would you like a shot of your dad and all his girls? The list can go on but here are just a few examples of a sample shot list.
· Bride and Groom with Smith family (Jane, Bob, Jill, Sarah, Mike, George, and Judy)
· Bride and Groom with Johnson family (William, Marjorie, Susan, Josh, Anne, Rachel, and Joey)
· Bride with her Mom (Jane)
· Bride with her Dad (Bob).
This is the kind of list that your photographer wants and needs in order to serve you best. When you choose a photographer for your wedding, you are putting a lot of trust in them, but let’s be honest. No one is perfect. No photographer has a perfect memory. Listing out the important parings for formal photos is a great way to get organized and make sure that you don’t forget anyone.
Do you have any other wedding woes that I could help you out with? Reach out at tommymontgomeryphoto@gmail.com or find me on social media because I would love to serve you in any way that I can.