In the lead up to your big day, if you have booked a newbie or an old school wedding photographer, they may ask for a list of specific photographs you would like to have included. We never do this, as lists on a fast-paced wedding day always make things more complicated and lots of time is lost finding the things needed to tick of the list. In the midst of the madness of your wedding day some wedding photographers may forget to take pictures with certain loved ones or certain moments.

For ourselves these things just come naturally due to our experience level and the way that we work. For couples that have chosen an inexperienced wedding photographer, it is only when the bride and groom are looking through their wedding album or gallery that they realise that certain photo opportunities have been missed or ignored. To give you some inspiration on what types of photographs you should expect when you book us to photograph your wedding, we have detailed the photographs we would expect to try and capture at every wedding.

Detailed Accessories Photos

A lot of thought and time goes into planning a wedding so you want to make sure that the little details that you put time into are remembered. The invitations for example are a huge part of lead up to your wedding and a lot of detail goes into creating them. On your wedding day a picture of your invitations alongside your accessories is a lovely touch. It is likely that you may never wear your wedding accessories again. Getting solo pictures of the bride's glistening jewellery, wedding shoes, bouquet and of course the dress will add lots of context to your wedding album. People may not notice these special details throughout the day but having these pictures in your wedding album ensures that they are never forgotten.

Getting Ready Photos

In the rush of the morning, getting ready pictures can be easily forgotten. These photos are a must as they are such a special reminder of those moments with your nearest and dearest before you walk down the aisle. Having pictures of the bride's mother or one of her bridesmaids helping her with her dress and putting on her shoes are beautiful photos that will be cherished. These photos also show the beginning of your wedding story.

Bride and Groom pre-ceremony portraits

Bridal and groom solo portraits are fabulous photographs to have. Bridal portraits allow the bride to have full length portraits of her dress in full view and close ups of her hair and make-up. Groom portraits show off the groom's suit and finer details. These are some of the only photos that the bride and groom will get to do by themselves as once the wedding begins the majority of photographs will be with each other or with family and friends.

Bridal Party photos

Pictures with the bridal party before the ceremony as they help the bride get ready and pictures of the bridal party after the ceremony are lovely mementos to have as they show the excitement and love the bridesmaids have for the bride. Capturing the bridal party's reactions to the wedding dress reveal is a special image to have forever.

Groomsmen photos before the ceremony

Pictures of the groomsmen with the groom are lovely sentimental pictures to have and show the groom with his friends and family before he says his vows and becomes a newlywed. Taking photos before and after the ceremony shows the nerves turn to excitement as the day proceeds.

The First Look

Not every bride and groom will opt for a first look but if they do, it is always something special to photograph. First looks show the raw emotion felt by the bride and groom as they see each other for the first time. It is a very intimate moment that you will always remember and having photos to look back on will bring these emotions back every time you see them.

Candid wedding photography

We love capturing real moments. Brides and grooms spend time having photos taken so they can get lovely pictures that they can look back on. Often it is the pictures that they don’t know are being taken that will end up being our favourites. Getting your wedding photographer to take candid photos throughout the day will show the true emotions felt by everyone during your wedding.

The Ceremony

The ceremony is a vital part of your wedding day. Getting your photographer to take photos throughout the ceremony will allow you to see it from someone else's point of view. Just be sure to double check with your celebrant if there are any wedding photography restrictions well before your wedding day so that there is no nasty surprises on the day. There are four main images that are very important during the ceremony. The bride walking down the aisle and the groom as he sees his future wife. The exchanging of the rings and the first kiss are must have images as these capture the bride and groom as they become husband and wife. Lastly, a picture of the newly weds as they exit the ceremony showing the pure joy in their faces as all the wedding ceremony nerves fade away.

Couple portraits

Every couple should have portraits shot of them together after their wedding ceremony, of course. These are the photographs that celebrate the day of your marriage and showcase the love you have for each other. These are the photos you will be filling your Instagram feed with for years to come.

Group Photos

While group photos with family and friends are often one of the more boring parts of the day, we feel that they are still an important part of every gallery we deliver to our couples. It isn’t often you are going to have all of your family and friends together at the same time. We know how important they are from our own experiences at our own wedding. We have photos with some of our family and friends who are longer with us and while at the time they seemed unimportant they are now very precious to us. There are some group photos that every bride and groom should have including photos with their parents, grandparents if they are lucky enough to have them with them on the day and off course their brothers and sisters. Every couple should also have photos taken with their bridal party.

The Wedding Reception

The wedding reception can go by in a blur and you may forget to soak in the whole atmosphere and the reception details. Having pictures of the wedding reception venue and the table and chair decorations and arrangements will allow you to always remember how beautiful your wedding reception was. It is also nice to get photos of the cake by itself and to get the old school but still much-loved image of the bride and groom cutting the cake. After dinner the first dance will take place and we must recommend getting your first dance photographed. Whether you like to dance or not, the first dance is a very special moment between the bride and groom as you dance along to your favourite song. Capturing the moment that the wedding party joins in also makes for great fun images.

Extra Tips

In between dinner and the dancing, we always offer our couples the option of another quick portrait session with them. The evening time can often provide the best light for photography. Depending on the venue and what it offers in terms of the location most of the bride and groom’s portraits may have been taken away from the venue, so its always nice to use this time to get a few photos at the venue itself as well.

More times than not wedding albums are full with images of only the people who were at the wedding and couples sometimes forget to include the places and items that made the wedding what it was. Couples pick their wedding reception venue because of its beauty so why not have some of the images of your venue and the details shot during the day included in your photo album. If you have chosen to get married and to have your wedding reception at one of the best wedding venues in Northern Ireland photos of the venue itself and details can help add to the story your album tells.