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.