How to Brief a Wedding Photographer (And Why the Shot List Is Wrong)
Timelines, light, family diplomacy and the two hours that decide how your wedding is remembered.
You are not buying a set of photographs. You are buying the only version of the day that survives, and the most important variable is not the camera — it is the schedule you hand the photographer.
Build the timeline around the light
Find sunset time for your date and place, then set the ceremony 2.5–3 hours before it. That single decision gives you a comfortable ceremony, a golden-hour portrait window and photographs of a reception that has not yet gone dark.
Replace the shot list with a people list
Generic shot lists ('the rings', 'the shoes') waste time on images every photographer already takes. Instead, hand over a list of names: the grandmother who cannot stand for long, the estranged relatives who should not be grouped, the friend who flew from Auckland.
Cap the group photographs
Ten formal groups, three minutes each, thirty minutes total, with one confident family member assigned to gather people. Beyond that you are simply removing your own guests from their own party.
Ask about the destination specifics
Has the photographer worked at this venue, or in this country? Who owns the raw files? What is the delivery timeline? Are travel and accommodation inside the fee? Is a second shooter included for a guest count above 100?
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