10 Must Have Wedding Moments

When searching for your wedding photographer, you’ve probably fallen in love with a particular wedding photography style — whether that’s documentary, editorial, film-inspired, or something with a fine art edge. Choosing a style you love is important, but beyond the aesthetic, have you thought about which moments from your wedding day you’ll want to relive forever?

As a wedding photographer, one of the greatest compliments I receive is when couples tell me they trust me completely to capture their day. My approach to wedding photography is all about storytelling — documenting not just the big milestones, but the in-between glances, the nervous excitement, the laughter, and the quiet, emotional moments that often go unnoticed.

While I don’t believe in stiff posing or working through a mile-long wedding photo checklist, there are certain essential wedding photos that help create a complete, meaningful collection. These aren’t about trends — they’re about timeless, must-have wedding photos that capture the true essence of your day.

From the pure joy and raw emotion to the beautifully chaotic dance floor moments, these 10 essential wedding photos are emotionally rich, story-driven, and absolutely worth prioritising.

1. Pre-Wedding/ Getting Ready Shots

The butterflies. The deep breaths. The “wait, is this really happening?!” energy. Getting ready is where it all starts. Whether you’re flying solo with your favorite playlist or hyping each other up with your whole crew, these moments are packed with real, unfiltered magic and unforgettable moments to capture!

If you’re getting ready in separate spaces, think about adding a second shooter or building in time for your photographer to bounce between locations. No one’s pre-ceremony chaos (the good kind) should be missed.

And let’s talk about the look. Whatever you’re rocking, it deserves main character energy. Capture it hanging, styled, and in all its pre-wedding glory before you step into it. The close-ups of details matter too: textures, shoes, jewelry, cufflinks, flowers etc…these tiny personal details are the things that make your gallery feel unmistakably you.

2. First Looks

A first look is more than just a reaction — it’s anticipation, connection, and a quiet pause before the celebration begins. Whether it’s the first look of bride and groom, the reveal of the bride with her bridesmaids or a father of the bride reaction to seeing his lovely daughter in her beautiful dress. These are all great moments to capture!

Whether you choose to share it privately or wait until you walk down the aisle to see his reaction. The result? Authentic, emotional images you’ll treasure forever.

3. Before The Ceremony

Your arrival at the ceremony is one of the most powerful moments of the day. There’s nervous laughter, proud parents, excited bridesmaids, and best mates making last-minute adjustments.

Your partner misses this part — but your photos don’t. Let them tell the story of everything that happens just before “I do.”

3. The ceremony Exit

The cheers, the happy tears, and that we actually did it! grin — there’s nothing quite like that first walk back down the aisle as newlyweds. Whether you’re running through a cloud of confetti, dodging bubbles, or high-fiving your guests on the way out, the energy is unmatched. It’s joyful, a little chaotic, and completely unforgettable!

Please plan ahead, some venues only allow biodegradable confetti. My advise for the best images is to go for big dried flower petals, the bigger the better and the more confetti the better….if you think you bought enough, get more! The more confetti the better the images, trust me!

And if you have a special ‘get away car’, please let me know so we can plan where I position myself to get the cheering guests in the background…

4. The Group / Family Photos

You don’t need a mile-long shot list — promise. But you’ll definitely want a few solid group photos with your people as they are not always together in that way and might have travelled from far away. Think immediate family, your ride-or-dies, and anyone who’s been part of your story in a big way. No more than 10 frames, yes, it can be done!

Keep it quick and low-stress so no one’s stuck waiting around. And if stiff, posed photos aren’t really your thing? Skip them. Some of the best shots happen naturally — big hugs, inside jokes, happy tears, and those random bursts of laughter in between everything else. We can also make them more fun than all of you just standing in a line. Let’s discuss some ideas in our pre wedding meeting.

At the end of the day, it’s less about perfect posing and more about capturing the people who showed up for you. But make sure you mention to me who is important to you to be captured…

6. The Venue & Styling

Before the hugs, happy tears, and prosecco pops begin, let your photographer snap the scene just as you designed it. All that planning deserves its moment in the spotlight. I also try to capture the venue and surroundings/ landscape wherever possible during our couple portrait sessions. After all you have chosen this location for a reason!

7. Couple Portraits

Not the stiff, staged poses — I’m talking about those sweet 20 minutes where you sneak off together, take a breath, and realize… you’re married. No audience, no timeline pressure — just the two of you and all that just-happened magic. Think a walk down the beach with quiet laughs, and those little in-between looks you didn’t even know you were giving. It’s relaxed, romantic, and effortlessly you — the kind of photos that feel as good as they look. We will have a chat in our pre wedding meeting to discuss how you achieve the best results with minimum ‘looking at the camera’ poses needed…

8. The First Kiss

That first kiss as a married couple? Blink and you might miss it — but don’t worry, I’ve got it covered. After that, go ahead, steal a little extra smooch, hug a little longer, laugh a little louder. These are the moments that turn into the photos you’ll flip through forever, grinning like you just got married all over again

9. Champagne Pops, Cheers & Party Moments

Whether it’s a cheeky prosecco spray or full-on champagne chaos, these moments are pure joy — and absolutely worth capturing. This is where your personalities sparkle, your laughter fills the frame, and the candid energy is totally contagious. Pop, fizz, clink… let the fun (and the photos) flow! Let’s party!

10. First Dance (or some kind of dancing if the centre of attention is not your thing)

From a slow romantic sway to a choreographed showstopper or a dance floor-filling Ceilidh, this is a moment worth capturing. The lights, the emotion, the crowd’s reaction — it’s where the energy peaks and a great intro into the real party. Once you dance, your guests can’t hep joining… and camera-shy or not, you’ll be shining by then.

Moments over Poses

Unposed. Unrushed. Unfiltered.
Documentary wedding photography that captures the intimacy, emotion, and quiet beauty of your day.

Moments over poses. I focus on storytelling rather than staged, artificial poses. This approach captures raw, unscripted emotions and genuine interactions as they naturally unfold, offering a true representation of the day’s atmosphere—not just how it looked, but how it felt. Including the moments you might have missed as the day rushes by.. the flowergirls playing in the shore break, his tears of joy when you walked down the aisle, fleeting glances at each other, the fun stuff your guests have been up to, the embarrassing moments when it got messy.. and so much more. I’m there quietly observing the day as it naturally unfolds and I capture the moments which tell the story of your day!

Authenticity Over Perfection
My photography style values real life—a spontaneous laugh, a tearful embrace, or a fleeting glance—over the polish of heavily directed images.

Reliving the Day
Candid photographs allow you to reconnect with the emotions you have experienced, not just the visuals. They bring back memories in a deeply personal way.

An Unobtrusive Experience
By observing rather than constantly directing, I allow couples and guests to remain relaxed and fully present, enjoying the day and each other’s company without the pressure of performing for the camera.

Capturing the Unseen
The beauty lies in the ‘in-between moments’—guest reactions, quiet exchanges, subtle gestures—that you may miss but later treasure as part of the complete story.

Timelessness
Trends in posing and editing come and go, but genuine emotion never dates. These images remain meaningful and powerful, a treasure to to keep for a lifetime.

If this approach resonates with you and you’re planning a wedding then give me a shout and we can see if we’re a good match over a casual chat.

Please contact me for availability

Best of 2025

It's been a bit of a rollercoaster year for me personally ... Nevertheless, my work kept me focused ... Capturing love and happiness kept me going and grounded with a big smile on my face...to all my 2025 couples — thank you, you absolutely smashed it!

To celebrate every one of you, here’s my favourite wedding photos of 2025: a collection of moments that make me smile, bring back all the joy, and tell wedding stories in my own creative way.

 I’m looking back feeling hugely grateful and slightly amazed at how many miles I’ve clocked up. It’s been a year of road trips, early starts, late-night dance floors, and discovering some seriously beautiful places along the way. But here’s the thing: it’s never the venue that makes a wedding unforgettable. It’s always the people and their vibes. My incredible couples, their families, their friends, and all the love and happy chaos they bring with them. This year was overflowing with brilliant humans (and a few dogs), and every single celebration felt completely one of a kind.

My aim as a wedding photographer is to capture vibrant, joyful, authentic moments that celebrate the fun and chaos of a wedding day. In 2025, I was lucky enough to do this again and again for some truly incredible couples, whose celebrations were full of life, laughter, and love. I feel incredibly grateful to be part of this industry, and to make a living creating memories for people bursting with joy.

I’d love to share some highlights from the year with you...just some moments which caught my eye...I hope you like them as much as I do. 

Tips from your Wedding Photographer

It’s your day so do what you want…

It’s hard I get it, guest lists, kids or no kids, are dogs welcome, should I invite that auntie and uncle I haven’t seen in years, should I hire a wedding car …But life is short and traditions are there to be broken. Do what you feel like doing and not what you think is expected! Not keen on a first dance? Then don’t…Are you a bride with lots to say? Absolutely give a speech! Not into wedding cakes as you have ordered a great menu with delicious deserts…don’t have one then…

The day will fly by, so make sure to enjoy every moment and don’t waste it!

Group Shots!

Of course group photos are an important part of your wedding. After all you might have invited people from all over the globe and they are not always together in that formation.

But group photos don’t always have to be traditional and formal standing in a line shots. There is so much more potential like real human connection and interaction, the real stuff happens when you stop giving people instructions where to stand and how to to smile. That’s when wonderful moments start to unfold! Sometimes the moments in between are the magical ones

So don’t give me a list of 50 group photos, close friends and immediate family and a few others will do …

Get your dress dirty!

And you take a back up pair of comfortable shoes, especially for your beach wedding. There will be confetti in hair, sand or mud on your dress -

…all signs that you had a fab careless day - embrace it!

Confetti Shot

The more the better, he bigger the better! Not those tiny dried petals which disappear like dust, we need big petals or biodegradable paper ones and believe me when you think you bought enough…buy more!

Come Rain or Shine…

You have to embrace it! Have a back up plan where your guests go and choose your venue wisely, one which works in any weather condition! Bring umbrellas and rain proof shoes and let’s go out anyway - I love a moody rain shot!

an epic party!

take the lead on the dancefloor, it doesn’t have to be a first dance, but be present and your guests will follow. If you dance your guests will! Maybe a ceilidh is a good idea…get everyone involved and it’s fun entertainment. And if its a super sunny day in summer…think about getting the music outside if possible, if not, start the first dance a little later and give your guests time to soak up the last rays…

Wedding Photographer The Green Cornwall // Claire & Alex

A beautiful autumn wedding at The Green in Cornwall. Claire and Alex were a pleasure to work with, totally made for each other and bringing along the best laid back vibes! I met them for the bride and groom prep photos in the morning ask when I heard Claire had a surprise Boudoir photo album as a gift for Alex I couldn’t wait to capture his reaction receiving it! I think I never heard someone say ‘OMG’ in such a short period of time…Oh yes, he was marrying a beauty!

The day was overcast and drizzly as expected for this time of year, but we found a good dry period to venture down the woodland walk for some beautiful autumnal couple portraits… and even though the pair didn’t op for a first dance their guests brought along some great party vibes on the dancefloor…

Here is just a small preview of the day…I hope you like it guys!

Venue: The Green Cornwall // Date: 18.10.2026

Beacon Crag Elopement Photographer, Cornwall // Carla & Geran

Beacon Crag on the coast of Porthleven is the perfect spot for an elopement or small wedding on the coast of Cornwall. Relaxed intimate weddings always suit my style as a documentary style wedding and elopement photographer in Cornwall - making the most of scenery and natural light, to capture the celebrations and tell the story with no posing or anything contrived, just real moments. This stretch of coast offers special dramatic light from autumn into the winter months when the sun is a little lower in the sky, it’s almost like having a ‘golden hour’ all day…Carla and Geran got very lucky with the weather and even braved an outdoor ceremony late October before heading down to the cosy ‘The Ship Inn’ pub in Porthleven for lunch and drinks. It’s only a 15 minute walk away, so we made the most out of it and too some portraits along the way. And we found the perfect clifftop spot for their private vows. I feel so privileged to witness such intimate and touching moments of love. I truly love my job, to be able to capture moments of joy and love and create memories for people for years to come is a true privilege! Here’s just a small selection from to tell the story of their wedding at Beacon Crag.

Wedding Photographer Tunnels Beaches Devon // Laura & Rich

It’s always a pleasure to travel up to north to capture a wedding at Tunnel's Beaches! I juts love this venue, nestled in the North Devon cliffs.The combination of tidal pools, rugged rocks on the private beach and beautiful coastal views creates an extraordinary canvas for portrait shots. It never ceases to inspire me and one of my top favourite UK wedding venues!

Laura and Rich got super lucky with a hot August day for their relaxed vibe summer wedding. The highlight of the day was the heartfelt speeches and the outdoors first dance into the sunset. A day to remember for sure and I can’t wait to be back again end of the week!

For now just a few from Laura and Rich’s wedding story…

Venue: Tunnels Beaches // Date: 10. 08. 2025

Elopement Photographer Cornwall Lower Barns // Anita and Alan

There’s something really beautiful about an elopement. I just love capturing this style of intimate wedding. Just me, the couple and a celebrant (maybe even their dog would come along) feels so special.

And I’m pleased to observe in the world of weddings, elopements have become a rising trend, offering couples a more intimate and personal way to say “I do.”  As a Devon and Cornwall Wedding and ElopementPhotographer, we have many beautiful locations to choose from for that kind of wedding…

Capturing the essence of these private celebrations requires a unique set of skills and a keen eye for detail. As it is harder to stay in the background to just observe and capture the day as it unfolds like I do at bigger weddings. It’s just the three of us and I’m obviously there capturing it! But I still try my best to keep it all natural and easy flowing with not too much awkward posing involved.

Before the special day I always take the time to connect with the couple and understand their vision for the elopement so that I can tell their story in the most intimate of detail. A meeting in person is highly recommended but if that’s not possible we at least discuss the details via an online meeting.

Anita and Alan bought their adorable rescue dog with them, who was also a very well behaved ring bearer. Sadly we had to leave him behind on our venture to the beach as it was a very hot day, but we managed to take some photos of the three of them at the beautiful grounds of Lower Barns. I love this venue and Mike and Janie always make me feel so welcome! If you’re looking for a beautiful, eclectic romantic getaway for your elopement in Cornwall, don’t look any further, Lower Barns is a truly quirky, unique and romantic hideaway, perfect for an intimate elopement wedding!

Here is a mini preview from Anita and Alan’s special day here recently. I hope you like the images as much as I did enjoy capturing them!

Venue: Lower Barns // Date: 20.06.2025

Wedding Photography Nancarrow Farm Cornwall // Hannah & Gerard

Just Wow! If every wedding was like this one I would want to shoot one very day! What a pleasure to capture Hannah and Gerard’s big day at Nancarrow Farm in Cornwall. Filled with sunshine, laughter, tears of joy, chicken poo on wedding dress, beautiful people, great food, maypole dancing, more crazy ceilidh dancing…and just overall great vibes!

Venue: Nancarrow Farm // Date: 17.05.2025

Tredudwell Manor Wedding Cornwall // Charlotte & David

Charlotte and David’s spring wedding at Tredudwell Manor was truly magical. It was warm, dry and the sun came out late afternoon which made it possible to venture to the nearby headland for a second set of couple portraits featuring this stunning coastline. A second couple portrait session is always a bonus, but when the light is as gorgeous as this, it’s extra special!

I shed some tears though … Charlotte’s dad is very ill and she didn’t know until last minute if he would make it to her wedding day. He did make it and he even managed to get out of his wheel chair to walk her down the aisle! It was very emotional to say the least and I feel truly honoured to witness moments like this and capture memories for them. It reminds me what wonderful job I have.

Charlotte and David, it was a privilege to capture your stunning wedding and I hope you like this little preview…

Venue: Tredudwell Manor // Date: 19.04.2025