Beginners

How to shoot your first wedding

Shooting your first wedding is equal parts adrenaline and admin. Kit fails, timelines slip, someone always cries during speeches. This is the survival plan I wish someone had handed me before mine: gear, timeline, backup workflow, second-shooter etiquette, and the mistakes to skip.

Gear checklist

• Two camera bodies (or one + rental backup) — never shoot a wedding on one body
• 24–70mm f/2.8 (ceremony, formals, reception wide)
• 70–200mm f/2.8 (ceremony from the back, portraits, candid speeches)
• 35mm or 50mm prime (getting ready, reception low-light)
• Two flashes with dome diffusers (reception dance floor)
• 8 charged batteries minimum
• 128GB CF/SD × 4 (or 64GB × 8 — smaller cards limit blast radius if one fails)
• Card reader + laptop for on-the-day backup
• Small first-aid kit, safety pins, spare boutonnière pin, tissues
• Business cards + printed timeline for you and the second shooter

Two weeks before

1. Call the couple. Confirm timeline, addresses, family formals list, must-have shots.
2. Format cards, clean sensors, charge batteries, test flashes.
3. Visit the venue in the same light window as the wedding if you've never shot there.
4. Build the shot list and timeline in shot list template + timeline.
5. Print two paper copies of both — one for you, one for your second shooter.

On the day

1. Arrive 30 min early. Suit up in the car, walk the venue, meet the coordinator.
2. Shoot details before people. Rings, invitations, shoes, perfume — 15 minutes at the start of prep.
3. Two bodies always. 24–70 on one, 70–200 on the other. Swap by body, not lens.
4. Ceremony rule of three. Wide (aisle), medium (couple at altar), tight (rings and kiss). Get all three or you missed it.
5. Formals loud and fast. Call each grouping by name, dismiss immediately.
6. Golden hour is booked. 45 min before sunset, no negotiations.
7. Dump to backup at dinner. Photographer eats, drives are dumping to laptop.

Mistakes to skip

• Only bringing one camera body
• Forgetting to shoot detail shots of rings/invites early
• Skipping the formals list — chaos at 25 combinations without one
• Not eating; you'll crash by speeches
• Missing the ring exchange because you're changing lenses
• Standing in front of the officiant during vows
• Filling every card without dumping to backup
• Forgetting to smile at the couple — they take cues from you

After the wedding

1. Back up to a second drive before you sleep. Two copies always.
2. Send a 10-image sneak peek within 48 hours.
3. Full gallery in 4–6 weeks. Set the expectation before the day.
4. Ask for a testimonial the day you deliver — that's peak-emotion moment.

FAQ