The Dangers of a Wedding Photography Shots List

Here at Le Image, Inc. we love our brides! Your excitement for planning your special day is truly inspiring. Brides can get so wrapped up in the wedding planning process that they spend hours pouring over wedding images on websites like Pinterest, Tumblr and the Knot. While it’s a great thing that there is so much bridal advice available online, there is one popular piece of bad wedding advice that has making the rounds that has affected even our wedding photographers here in New York.

The issue at hand, the creation of an extensive wedding photography shot list by the bride or groom may at first seem like a good idea, but that is not the case. As a Type-A, to-do list queen, I certainly understand the desire to create a huge list of desired photos for your wedding day. You only get one time to do it right and you want to make sure it’s captured the way you want, right? Well, take a deep breath in and realize that sometimes its best to let go. I know it can be hard to trust a wedding photographer with capturing your special day but realize that you picked this person to do your wedding photography because you liked their work and could see their skill level and experience through their previously shot weddings.

So what makes a wedding photo shot list so bad? For one, it will make all your wedding pictures seem stiff and forced. The wedding photographer will be so wrapped up in making sure you get every shot you listed that he won’t capture what makes your day special or the unique atmosphere of your wedding ceremony. At least in New York wedding photography, most photographers are very experience and know enough to get the iconic wedding shots (ex. The first kiss, the first dance, the bride with her family) that they don’t need a huge wedding photo list to remind them. I would say, the only shots worth sharing with your wedding photographer would be a unique request that has special meaning for you, for example, our New York wedding photographer once had a couple that requested photos of watches that belonged to the bride’s beloved grandfather. He had passed away before her wedding day and she wanted to include him in her special day. For instances like that, we definitely recommend sharing that with your wedding photographer. Otherwise, it is best to trust in your wedding photographer to capture your wedding day.

So, with that exception in mind, it is best you keep your desired wedding photo shot list to a minimum. You want to have YOUR wedding captured, not just a likeness of it that can be compared to your Pinterest board. With that in mind, Le Image wishes you the best with your wedding plans! We know it can be overwhelming, so, we hope that this article gives you at least one place where you can let go of the reins and just enjoy your engagement. Congratulations on your upcoming nupitals!