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02/14/2017 11:00 PMWhat are the most important photographs taken during a wedding? Obviously, much depends on personal taste, but there are many classic moments and poses that belong in any album of wedding photos.
"My favorite shot is when the bride and groom see each other for the first time," says Catherine Kiernan of Kiernan Photography, in Guilford. "Whether it's during a 'first look' or walking down the aisle, the one instant is the best picture of the day."
"The groom's reaction is always a tearjerker," says Jennifer Higham of New Haven-based Jennifer Higham Photography LLC.
The bride walking down the aisle is one of the most heavily photographed moments—and it's also a good opportunity to photograph the guests' reactions.
"A favorite is the back of the bride as she is approaching the ceremony," says Kiernan. "We have to get the bride walking down the aisle with her father, but the better shot is everyone watching them approach."
Moments that take place ahead of the wedding itself are also worth capturing.
"Some of the most memorable moments from the getting-ready portion of the day are when the parents see their little girl in her wedding gown," says Higham. "It's the first realization that this day is really happening."
Photos of the bride by herself, the groom by himself, the couple together, the bride with her bridesmaids, and the groom with his groomsmen are standard, as well as the bride and groom with the wedding party. The family photos, too, are obvious must-haves: the new couple should pose with the bride's family, the groom's family, their grandparents, and both families together.
"One that is very important to me includes me, my husband, and both of our sets of parents," says Robyn Collins-Wolcott, publisher of Shore Publishing, who was married in the fall. "I want to blow it up on canvas and hang it in my house because our parents are such an inspiration to us both!"
A wedding is also an opportunity to catch friends and their significant others dressed to the nines: the maid of honor, best man, bridesmaids, and groomsmen with the couple, and then also with their own significant others—whether or not they're in the wedding party.
Photos of the décor, from table decorations to the grounds, will also elicit memories of the occasion and the planning that was involved.
"The details are super important," says Kiernan, "as typically the bride and groom have been picking them out for the past year and they reflect their true taste and personalities."
Candid photos can catch spontaneous events that make for the very best photos. Candids can also give the bride and groom a look at what they may have missed during the wedding, such as shared moments among their friends.
"The best ones are the ones that you least expect, ones you can't plan," says Higham. "They just happen and they don't even realize they are being photographed."
"Some of the best photos are somewhat candid group shots that our friends piled together for, and then we jumped in," says Collins-Wolcott.
"The reception is always a great time for shots: emotions over the toasts, the first dance, the parent dances," says Higham.
Finally—if possible—try to get a group shot of all the guests at the wedding. In some locations, the photographer can take a shot from a second-floor balcony of all the guests down below.
"I wish we had figured out a way to get one massive group shot of all the guests—but that's probably tricky to pull off with some at the bar, in the bathroom, etc.," says Collins-Wolcott. "My plan was to have a drone do that, but then the wedding had to move inside with rain!"
Finally, don't forget the one moment the bride and groom will definitely want to look back on.
"The first kiss is a traditional moment that is always on the list," says Higham.