Ultimate List of Must-Have Wedding Day Photos

If you’ve been planning a wedding for the past few months or even years, you know how much work has gone into every single detail! As the big day approaches, make sure none of your hard work goes unnoticed by putting together the perfect shot-list! As you go through this list of must-have wedding day photos, write down your favorites, and share them with your photographer! You’ll want these moments captured for tangible memories you can hold onto!

Photographer: Boheme Winter Photography

Details

While the details might be small, they’re a huge part of your big day! So much work went into everything from your invitations to your flowers, and the jewelry you picked out to the shoes you plan to wear. Don’t leave out any of the important details from getting photographed!

Invitations
Special Signs (seating chart, welcome sign, ceremony signs, etc.)
Gifts/ Gift Table
Wedding Rings and Ring Boxes
Wedding Dress and Veil
Bride’s Accessories (shoes, jewelry, perfume, hair barrettes, etc.)
Groom’s Suit
Groom’s Accessories (shoes, cufflinks, cologne, handkerchief, etc.)
Bridesmaids Dresses
Bouquets, Corsages, Boutonnieres

Photographer: Surita V. Photography

Getting Ready

Getting ready is one of the most exciting parts of your big day. This is the time when your emotions are on high, your excitement is bursting, and your nerves are going crazy. Taking photos during this time will help bring you back into those exact feelings when looking back on your big day. They say a photo is worth a thousand words, but none of those compare to bringing you back into a moment like you’re reliving it!

Bride and Bridesmaids Doing Hair/Makeup (you’ll want these pictures taken when your makeup and hair is nearly done)
Pre-Wedding Fun (popping champagne, dancing, cheersing, smoking celebratory cigars, praying, etc.)
Mother Helping Bride Get Ready
Family Shots (separate shots for bride and family and groom and family)

Photographer: Amanda Allphin Photo

Before the Ceremony

Once you’re ready for the day, there are still some things to get photos of before the ceremony begins! Take into consideration that these are specific for your day, and if you’re not doing these things (or are), you’ll want to let your photographer know so they can create your custom photograph schedule.

Venue Shots (ceremony site, flowers, arch, interior and exterior details, etc.)
Couple First Look
Bride and Father First Look
Bride, Bridesmaids, Flower Girl(s)
Groom, Groomsmen, Ring Bearer
Bride and Groom Gift Opening
Reading Vows (if vows are read before ceremony)

Photographer: Ean at Cuenca Creative

During the Ceremony

Now it’s time for the moment you’ve been waiting for, and you definitely don’t want to miss this. Read through all these must-have photos, but don’t focus on them DURING your big day! Tell your photographer what you want and trust them to capture these moments perfectly. You’ll want to be fully present during this time, not focusing too much on what photos your photographer is getting. Trust us, when you get your pictures back, they’ll be everything you wanted because you’ll be transported right back to the moment you said “I do.”

Guests Arriving
Wedding Party Entrance (get each couple/ person walking down the aisle)
Flower Girl and Ring Bearer Entrance
Bride’s Entrance (get bride walking down the aisle)
Groom’s Reaction
Father/ Mother Giving the Bride Away
Exchanging Vows
Other Ceremonial Traditions (lighting candle, tying rope, taking communion, etc.)
Exchanging Rings
First Kiss
Signing Marriage Certificate
The Recessional (couple walking back up the aisle – include a statement dipped kiss here)

Photographer: Moments that Matter Studios

After the Ceremony

Once the ceremony is over and you’ve had a short celebration and accepted your ‘congratulations’, take these next set of photos while your guests enjoy a cocktail hour.

Wedding Party Photos (bride with groomsmen, bride with bridesmaids, groom with groomsmen, groom with bridesmaids, couple with each wedding party, and couple with both wedding parties)
Bride with Maid of Honor
Groom with Best Man
Couple with Flower Girl and Ring Bearer
Family Photos with the Couple (bride’s family, groom’s family, grandparents, etc.)
Bride and Groom After Ceremony (intimate photos of couple alone – go somewhere private for these photos so the couple can have a few quiet moments between the hustle and bustle of the big day)

Photographer: Andrea Kelley Photography

Reception photos

You’re officially married and it’s time to celebrate! The reception is the time to get all the pictures of the people you love, the ‘in-between’ moments, and the dancing of course! Follow this ceremony shot-list so you don’t miss a moment on the big day.

The Details (table settings, place cards, centerpieces, favors, food, etc.)
Wedding Cake
Grand Entrance of Couple and Wedding Party
Toasts and Speeches
Cake Cutting and Champagne Sip
First Dances (Couple, Bride with Father, Groom with Mother (or alternatives))
Couple Mingling with Guests
Dancing & Entertainment

Photographer: Hannah Langford Photography

End of the Night

The day is finally over and it’s time to leave the wedding and celebrate together as newly-weds. Before the night is officially over, there are a couple more pictures you’ll need to end the most perfect day of your life!

Last Dance (once the guests are lined up outside, take a few minutes alone on the dance floor to enjoy one last moment together at your venue on your big day)
Exit (couple running through streamers, sparkler exit, bubbles, or whatever exit is being done for the big day)
Driving Away (last picture in the couple’s vehicle, or rented vehicle, while driving away from the perfect day)

The Butterfly Pavilion

Having the perfect venue makes getting the perfect pictures even easier! If you’re in the process of planning your wedding, contact The Butterfly Pavilion! We are booking for 2024 and 2025 now!

We are proudly locally owned and operated in Acworth, GA and can’t wait to work with you! Schedule a tour on our website at https://thebutterflypavilion.com/contact-us/ and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram.