Advertisement

Must-have wedding shots every guest should capture

Must-have wedding shots every guest should capture: A private moment
Must-have wedding shots every guest should capture: A private moment

During the wedding ceremony

As a wedding guest, you really should aim to capture the moment when the couple exchange vows. The stance of facing one another and looking into each other’s eyes is a tender pose and is one the happy couple will wish to remember. If you feel too invasive photographing this moment then you must without fail capture ‘the kiss’. The ‘you may now kiss the bride’ moment is perhaps the most iconic of the whole wedding day, so this is definitely one for the album. Following this, a shot of the couple walking back up the aisle is one not to miss.

Post-ceremony

The happy and relaxed atmosphere that follows the nuptials can offer some priceless wedding shots. You have the joyous moment of confetti being thrown over the couple for a start, but also endless photo opportunities of the relaxed mingling and happy embraces between the couple and their friends and family. The classic must-have moment is when the married couple gets into the car to be taken to the reception. The groom helping the bride into the back of the car or carriage, the ‘clink’ of champagne flutes and the couple waving goodbye to their wedding guests are all perfect album images.

The reception before guests arrive

This one might be tricky to capture unless you’re part of the wedding party itself, as busting your way into the reception venue before the other guests might not win you first place in the popularity contest. But if you’re a relative or close friend, you will have the chance to snap the venue before the guests enter. This will do the bride and groom’s hard work justice – they do all that wedding planning and then don’t get to see the venue in its pristine, finished state. Let’s face it, once the champagne starts flowing the room’s perfection won’t last long!

The toasts

The wedding toasts are a must for any wedding album. The groom, best man and the father of the bride all get the chance to either embarrass or praise the groom and his bride, so be sure to capture the reactions on camera. Tears, laughter and red faces are all part and parcel of wedding speeches so taking photographs of other guests and the top table will make for some funny and emotional pictures alike.

The dance floor

Once the drinks are flowing and all of the wedding guests have freed their inhibitions, the dance floor at a wedding reception makes for some hilarious snap shots. Keep pressing that camera button and get as many as you can as this part of the wedding day is like no other. Often, the married couple will be greeting and thanking guests for a proportion of the evening ‘do’, so might miss out on some of the dance floor antics. Taking as many improvised and random photographs as you can will offer the bride and groom some hilarious memories of their guests having the time of their lives.

Must-have wedding shots every guest should capture: The bouquet toss
Must-have wedding shots every guest should capture: The bouquet toss

Cutting the cake

Thankfully the happy couple tends to take their time when it comes to slicing their wedding cake, so you’ve got plenty of opportunity to capture a corker on your camera. A picture of the cake before the traditional dual-slicing is a good idea, but as long as you capture the moment the couple cut into the cake together then you’re onto a winner. A cheeky shot of younger guests nibbling slices of wedding cake beneath the tables is always a timeless (and cute!) shot to have as well.

The bouquet toss

Not all brides choose to toss the bouquet towards their single girl friends, but make sure you’re ready with camera in hand to capture this moment should it arise. An action shot of the freefalling bouquet would be a highlight to any wedding album, especially if you captured some determined future brides mid-air reaching for the flowers.

The first dance

This one goes without saying; the first dance is an iconic moment of any wedding day and is one that can’t slip by without being photographed. Get snap-happy when the happy couple take centre stage to ‘their song’ and capture this utterly romantic moment. Full-length shots of the couple swaying to a romantic ballad and close-ups of their foreheads touching both make lovely album additions. Don’t put your camera away too hastily though, as the father and daughter dance often follows.

A private moment

The bride and groom have to be all-singing and all-dancing all day, so it’s no surprise they will want a quiet moment to themselves at some stage. Greeting guests and chatting to old friends takes up a great deal of the wedding day and it’s easy for the time to fly by without the happy couple actually spending a moment together. If you glimpse the groom and his new wife sharing such a moment, then subtly try to capture it on camera. Perhaps they’re chatting in a quiet corner of the venue or enjoying a drink at the bar. Whatever their private one to one is, just be sure not to distract them with your camera! Read more on getwed.com...
Follow getwed.com on Facebook
How to look perfect in every wedding photo
The wedding shots you really should have