Shots You Don't Want to Miss

With the excitement of your wedding day, you're likely to feel that you've posed for a thousand pictures. Make sure those include the special shots that you wanted by planning with your photographer and/or videographer in advance. If you want a picture with just siblings or you and your groom and just grandmothers, make your preferences known ahead of time. There are countless combinations, and while memory-making experts, photographers are not mind-readers. During your planning stages, decide which poses are must-haves and give your photographer a written list of your preferences. Below, we've compiled a list of popular shots to help get you started. • Before the Wedding • The Ceremony • After the Ceremony • The Reception • Silly (but Popular!) Shots Before the Wedding • You getting ready • Your bridesmaids getting ready • Your mother and you looking in a mirror • Your mother affixing your veil • You leaving for the ceremony • You arriving at the ceremony • The groom waiting anxiously before the ceremony • The groomsmen lining up at the ceremony The Ceremony • The mother of the bride getting escorted in • The mother of the groom getting escorted in • Each grandparent being escorted in • Each bridesmaid walking down the aisle • The flowergirl and ringbearer walking down the aisle • Several of you walking down the aisle • All major ceremony events -- the vows, the exchange of rings, presentation of flowers to the mothers, lighting unity candle, the kiss • Shots of your guests (parents especially) watching the ceremony • Documentation of any speaker, singer or reader • Shots of the ceremony location, both inside and out • The parents and grandparents exiting • The flowergirl and ringbearer exiting • Each bridal party couple exiting • Several of you and your groom exiting • You and groom getting in your transportation • Close-up shots of any "Just Married" decoration on vehicle After the Ceremony (the family combinations) • Several of Bride and Groom alone • Close-up of Bride and Groom looking at each other • Close-up of wedding rings • B&G and wedding party • B&G and flowergirl & ringbearer • B&G with Maid of Honor and Best Man • B&G and parents • B&G and grandparents • Bride alone with parents • Bride alone with siblings • Groom alone with parents • Groom alone with siblings • Bride with groomsmen • Groom with bridesmaids The Reception • Bride and Groom entering • Wedding party entering • Several of receiving line • Bride and Groom's first dance • Bride dancing with father • Groom dancing with mother • Best man (and fathers') toasts • The headtable • The parents' table • Shot of the meal (before being eaten) • The cake (before being cut) • Several of cutting the cake • The bouquet toss • The garter retrieval and toss • The band • The gift table • Several of wedding guests dancing • Bride and Groom leaving reception Silly (but Popular!) Shots • You showing your bridesmaids your garter • You and your bridesmaids all exposing one knee • The groomsmen forcing a nervous groom into the ceremony • The groom kissing the maid of honor (on the cheek) • The bride kissing the best man (on the cheek) • The maid of honor and the best man cozying up • The groomsmen holding the bride lengthwise • The bridesmaids fawning over the groom