Do you need a shot list?

I totally understand that some photos are MUST haves!! Images like the groom’s face as the bride walks down the aisle, the bride dancing with her father at a reception, or that perfect sparkler-lit exit! My hot take is just that, as a photographer I make it my job to capture the day as is. That means, whatever happens, I’m more than likely going to photograph it. Those big moments I mentioned before are moments that happen at almost every wedding. Those moments I know to look for and make sure to capture.

Before I show you what I mean, I want to express that if you DO have a shot list and you DO have photos you want to recreate, you can definitely send them my way and I will do my best to recreate them! I don’t want you to believe I’m going to say no to a shot list- but I want you to see the other side of it as well!

I wanted to use this post as a way to share what I really look for throughout a wedding day. It’s the in-between moments, that fill a wedding gallery with extra feelings and authenticity. Some of the photos below are from moments that weren’t listed on anything as a “must-have” photo. These are the images that I get excited to capture and share with the world. The images that are unique to each couple and couldn’t be recreated unless someone was pretending so that they have a cute photo- which takes out the whole point of photography to me: capturing the real moments that have a story behind them.

Your wedding day shouldn’t feel like a photoshoot. I urge my couples to experience their day and to trust me to capture all of it, unscripted.