Do You Really Need a Wedding Photo List? | How to Get Candid Wedding Photos

If you've spent even five minutes on Pinterest, you've probably seen those giant wedding photo lists with 75 "must-have" photos. And if I’m being honest… They can make it feel like your wedding day is one giant photoshoot instead of a day of celebration. 

Here's the thing... Your wedding photos matter. A lot. But so does actually living your wedding day! 

As a Boston wedding photographer, my goal is never to recreate someone else's Pinterest board. It's to document your day as it naturally unfolds so years from now, your gallery feels like your wedding, not a checklist you worked your way through.

The Wedding Photo List You Actually Need

Listen. I’m all about you getting the wedding photos you know you definitely want (because I know you’re saving wedding photo inspo all day long!), but if every five minutes someone is pulling you away for another photo, it's hard to actually experience your wedding day.

Documentary-style wedding photography kinda has my heart, because I’ll take natural, unposed moments over directed photos all day every day! Some of my favorite images happen while you're talking with your grandparents, wiping away happy tears after the ceremony, or laughing so hard during speeches you forget I'm even there. Those are the moments you'll want back someday.

One thing that I always suggest a list for, as a Boston wedding photographer, is family photos. It helps me keep everyone’s names organized, plus it’s a quick-reference guide for me to make family photos move more quickly and smoothly. Trust me... future you does not want Uncle Bob wandering off to the bar before we've grabbed the family photos. 

I also suggest you list any key moments you definitely won’t want me to miss. Hiring a surprise live band? Love! Make sure I know about it so that I can get everyone’s reactions. Doing some unique unity ceremony? So cute. Add it to the list! 

The Wedding Photo Checklists I Use as a Boston Wedding Photographer

As a Boston wedding photographer, I give the phrase “wedding photo list” a wholeee new meaning. Because, with me, it’s never gonna just be, “Stand right there, hold hands, and smile at me!” Instead, I have tried-and-true methods that get the cutest, most special wedding photos: the two of you laughing during your toasts, the hug you share with your mom after getting your wedding dress on, your first kiss during your ceremony… The moments that really matter. 

Here are a few things that I’ll always have on my personal wedding photo list (that you can absolutely steal if you’re wondering how to create a shot list for candid wedding photos): 

• Getting ready photos – because getting ready isn't just about putting on your dress. It's your mom helping button the back, your best friend trying not to cry, the nervous laughs, the deep breath before everything begins.

• First look photos – whether it’s you and your lover pre-ceremony or you want to save that moment for walking down the aisle, I’m a sucker for those adorable first-look reactions. If you catch me crying behind the camera… Mind your business! 

• First kiss photos – the moment you guys get your first kiss as a married couple gets me every time, and trust that you will always find me snapping away during that part of the ceremony. So cute. 

• Couple’s portraits with movement – if you know me… You know that I’m always telling my couples to run, dance, spin, twirl, walk- you name it! Getting photos where you’re moving is not only so cinematic, but it also just helps you feel way more natural in front of the camera, and I love that for you. 

• Toast candids – toasts will always be one of my favorite moments of the whole day. The tears? The laughter? The hugs?? It’s all so special, and capturing you and your partner’s reactions to them gets some of the best natural candid wedding photos. 

• Dance floor chaos – of course, your wedding gallery wouldn’t be complete without photos of your party! Blurry lights and direct flash pics live rent-free in my brain, and of course, you want some photos showing off how much fun you had. 

Wedding Photos You Can't Put on a Checklist

Now, when we talk about wedding photo lists… We have to talk about the moments that can’t go on a list, because they just have to happen naturally. It’s little things like… 

• Dad fixing his tie before walking you down the aisle

• Your flower girl twirling in her dress

• Grandma crying

• Guests laughing during speeches

• You two holding hands under the dinner table

• Your partner looking at you during dinner

• Parents hugging

Those quiet moments often become some of the most meaningful images in your gallery. 

Wedding Photo List Timeline 

If you’re needing some time to figure out when you’re gonna get all of these photos… That’s where I come in. Here’s a sample timeline that you can base your whole wedding photo list on: 

9:00 am: Getting ready photos – getting your makeup done, first look reactions with your parents, and detail shots

1:00 pm: First look + private vows – candid shots of those first look reactions, emotional crying photos, and then couple’s portraits around your venue

2:00 pm: Wedding party photos

4:00 pm: Ceremony photos – where I get guests crying, the classic first kiss shot, and you two celebrating as a married couple

4:30 pm: Family photos 

5:30 pm: Reception – special dances, you two watching your toasts, and then, of course, dance floor chaos

How to Get True Candid Wedding Photos

If your wedding photo list looks more like candid photo after candid photo after candid photo, I’ve got you covered! That’s basically my whole approach, so, yeah… We’re gonna get along great. 

Here are my top tips for getting true, natural candid wedding photos:

Live in the Moment

It should go without saying that the #1 rule for your whole wedding day is to live in the moment. When you’re staying fully present, surrounded by all your favorite people and so much love, is when you’ll get those photos that mean something. 

If you want a gallery that you can look back on and remember how your day really felt… This is the best thing you can do! 

As a type A Boston wedding photographer… I have to say that a day that feels easy to stay present comes from a good plan. Lucky for you, I have a whole wedding planning checklist that can help you with that right here. 

Ignore the Camera (And Me)

On your wedding day, I want you to pretend that I’m not even there… Seriously. Especially if you’re camera shy! 

I don’t ever want you to feel stuffy or awkward during photos, which is why I step back and let the day unfold naturally. It helps you live in the moment, and the result is a gallery that feels 100% like you. 

Move Around

When your hands are busy and you're interacting with each other instead of looking at the camera, your expressions naturally soften. That's why movement prompts almost always create more authentic images than standing perfectly still. 

Hire a Documentary-Style Wedding Photographer | Ashley Olafsson Photography, Boston Wedding Photographer

Last but certainly not least, hire a Boston wedding photographer who gets it. If you’re the kind of person who wants authentic moments captured more than posed ones, I’m your gal. I’m there capturing all the little moments and all the little emotions that you don’t even know are happening. 

I don't want you remembering your wedding because someone kept checking off a wedding photo list. I want you to remember how hard your friends laughed during speeches. How tightly your mom hugged you. How your partner looked at you during the ceremony. Those are the moments that matter! 

The beautiful photos come because you lived them, not because you posed for every single one.

If that’s the kind of photographer you’re looking for, I’d love to work with you! You can learn all about me here and inquire with me about your 2027 wedding here. 

I can’t wait to tell your story. 

Xoxo, Ashley