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Wedding Photo Ideas You Must Include On Your Big Day

Wedding Photo Ideas You Must Include On Your Big Day


John Maddaford
John Maddaford Updated:
8th of March 2023

When it comes to your wedding day, the saying goes that the only things you keep from the day are your rings and your photographs – so it’s important to capture all those amazing, once-in-a-lifetime moments. We’ve seen a lot of weddings here at Guides for Brides, so we’ve selected some of our favourite wedding photo ideas to inspire you ahead of your own wedding day! Don’t forget to visit our Real Wedding section to see even more shots from real-life couples.

Funny wedding photo ideas

Sneak peek

We love this candid photo of bride Jess getting ready for her wedding in the morning alongside her dad, who's none the wiser - it's a cheeky shot of the getting ready process and shows just how excited she is! See more from this real wedding. 

Getting ready wedding photo

A different angle

How fantastic is this group shot of Lucy and Aaron? Shots of the groom and his groomsmen lifting the bride are always a fun wedding group shot, but this particular angle is a great way of highlighting the bride and groom. Plus we're loving that gorgeous bouquet!

Funny old photos

Jessica and Tom chose to decorate their table numbers with old photos of themselves at that age - and we love that photographer Jessica Raphael captured them! It's a fun and quirky touch on a traditional table centre that's personal to the bride and groom. 

Give us a twirl

Bride Alex's bridesmaids wore fabulous tulle skirts for their bridesmaid ensemble - and what better way to show them off than with a twirl?! This fun shot was taken by Lara Jacques Photography

Funny group shot

As well as the classic group shots, a light-hearted group shot like this one from Katie and Matt's wedding is always a fun option. Your wedding photographer may have suggestions for what your group can do, or you can leave the decision up to them!

Abbey Road recreation

One of the most copied photographs around, The Beatles' Abbey Road album cover is an easy but fun photo addition to your wedding album - especially if you're getting married in the city, like Amy and Drew were!

Emotional wedding photo ideas

Giving away the bride

We're big fans of photos of the bride and her father, and this touching black and white shot of bride Lucy's father about to lift her veil, captured by Anesta Broad Photography, is truly special.

The look of love

Photographers often like to capture the moment a groom first sets eyes on his bride, but one of our new favourites is getting a shot of the bride's face as she looks at her groom during the ceremony. There's no denying that bride Lucy has the look of love here!

A hug from the bride

Posed shots with the bride and bridesmaids always look amazing, but we're big fans of this candid shot of bride Charlotte giving her two bridesmaids a hug. It shows off the dresses, the flowers, but most of all the love between the three of them.  

The groom before the ceremony

This is likely to be the most nerve-wracking part of the wedding day for the groom (well, that and the speeches!), so having a photographer on hand to capture those moments before the bride enters the room is always a good idea. We love this beautiful black and white shot by Richard Galloway Photography

Classic wedding photo ideas

The wedding venue

If your wedding venue is as stunning as Warwick Castle, then, of course, you'll want a fantastic photo of it in your wedding album - which is just what Jessica and Tom did! We love how romantic this shot is, and how well it shows off the venue. 

The favours

When you've put effort into finding the perfect wedding favour (or even making your own), then it's always a lovely idea to make sure they're captured on camera. Alex and Lee gave their guests beautiful biscuits stamped with their new surname and wedding date. 

The bride getting ready

Shots of the bride getting ready are always great, in our book, but this amazing photo by Nigel Chapman Photography truly captures both the busy atmosphere of the morning and bride Michelle's beauty (we love how calm and serene she looks!). 

The bouquet

When your flowers are this gorgeous, you definitely want to make sure they're in the album! Of course, your flowers will feature in the bridal shots, but it's always nice to get a good shot of them against a pretty background, as photographer, Helen King, has done here. 

The boys are back in town

If your groom or groomsmen aren't a fan of traditional posed photos, then ask your wedding photographer to do as David Bostock did and set up a shot of the boys walking to the ceremony. It looks more candid than a posed shot but still gets everyone together. 

Artistic wedding photo ideas

Sky at night

We've all seen beautiful shots of wedding venues during the day, but why not ask your wedding photographer to capture your venue once the lights go down at the evening party is underway? This fab shot of Aston Marina is by Jodie Brennan

Twinkling lights

Everyone knows that fairy lights make everything look more romantic, but this fabulous couple shot by Murray Clarke of Lucy and Tom really ups the romance factor. This is the perfect photo inspiration for winter weddings!

The bride's dress

This signature shot by the talented David Bostock is one of our favourite angles of the bride's dress. If you have a bridal gown with a long train and you're pairing it with an amazing veil like bride Olivia did, definitely take the opportunity to grab this wedding photo. 

Romantic wedding photo ideas

Sunset on the beach

Nicky and Andy got married on the beautiful Lusty Glaze beach on the Cornish coast - so what better setting for a romantic sunset shot than by the sea? This gorgeous shot not only shows off the love between the newlywed couple but also gives us a great view of the bride's dress (and the groom's shorts!). 

Kissing gate

What better place for a shot of the bride and groom kissing than a kissing gate?! Clare and James were lucky enough to choose a venue with one on the grounds, but if you know there's one near to your venue, it may be worth bringing your photographer out there. 

Golden hour

If you hear your wedding photography talking about golden hour, they're referring to the few hours before sunset where the sun is low in the sky and casts the most beautiful golden light. If you can get out at this time, do - even if it's cold and frosty, which may just lead to a more beautiful shot, like this one of Gordon and Louise!

Don't forget your group wedding shots!

We may have shared some of our favourite wedding photo ideas with you, but it's equally important to make sure you have all the group shots you want. Any wedding photographer worth their salt will capture the important moments, but we often hear that brides regret not having a shot list of family members that they wanted to get photographs with. With that in mind, we’ve included a handy cheat sheet for you! Just select the ones you want and send over to your photographer before the big day. 

Before the ceremony - The Bride

  • Bride alone
  • Bride with parents
  • Bride with mum
  • Bride with dad
  • Bride with parents and siblings
  • Bride with siblings
  • Bride with children (if she has them)
  • Shot of the women: bride, mum, sisters, grandmother, daughters
  • Bride with mum and mother-in-law
  • Bride with mother-in-law
  • Bride with bridesmaids
  • Bride with maid of honour
  • Bride with any flower girls

Before the ceremony - The Groom

  • Groom alone
  • Groom with parents
  • Groom with mum
  • Groom with dad
  • Groom with parents and siblings
  • Groom with siblings
  • Groom with children (if he has them)
  • Shot of the men: groom, dad, brothers, grandfather, any sons
  • Groom with dad and father-in-law
  • Groom with father-in-law
  • Groom with groomsmen
  • Groom with best man
  • Groom with any page boys

After the ceremony

  • Bride and groom
  • Bride, groom and bride’s immediate family
  • Bride, groom, bride’s parents
  • Bride, groom, groom’s immediate family
  • Bride, groom, groom’s parents
  • Bride, groom, both sets of parents
  • Bride, groom, both immediate families
  • Bride, groom, all siblings
  • Bride, groom, all grandparents
  • Bride, groom, both extended families
  • Bride, groom, maid of honour, best man
  • Bride, groom, bridesmaids
  • Bride, groom, groomsmen
  • Bride, groom, flowers girls, page boys
  • Bride, groom, full bridal party

Ready to find your wedding photographer? Search local wedding photographers here!

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John Maddaford

About the author


John Maddaford

With 15 years experience at Guides for Brides, John has many clients that are photographers and videographers. He is the best person to contact if you are looking for recommendations.

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