Why I Don’t Follow a Shot List on Wedding Days
This might surprise you.
I don’t work from a Pinterest shot list on wedding days.
That doesn’t mean I ignore what matters to you. It doesn’t mean I miss moments.
It means I photograph differently. Intentionally.
Your Wedding Isn’t a Template
A wedding day has its own rhythm.
It moves quickly in some places. It slows unexpectedly in others. It rarely unfolds exactly the way you imagined — and that’s part of its beauty.
If I’m focused on recreating a specific pose I saw online, I’m not fully present with what’s happening in front of me.
The quiet squeeze of a hand before the ceremony.
Your dad taking a breath before walking you down the aisle.
The glance you exchange when no one else is looking.
Those moments can’t be pre-written. They’re personal. And they’re fleeting.
Pinterest Is Inspiration, Not a Blueprint
Pinterest is helpful. It can clarify tone, style, and atmosphere.
But wedding days aren’t styled shoots.
Lighting shifts. Rooms feel different in real life. Emotions run high. The energy of your celebration will never mirror someone else’s — and it shouldn’t.
Trying to replicate another couple’s image often pulls you out of your own experience.
Instead of forcing your day into someone else’s frame, I respond to what is actually unfolding.
What Preparation Actually Looks Like
Before your wedding, we talk intentionally about what matters most.
Family dynamics.
Meaningful heirlooms.
Cultural traditions.
Specific people you don’t want overlooked.
I create a family portrait list because that part deserves structure.
But once the day begins, my role shifts from organizing to observing.
I pay attention to the way light enters the room.
To how the energy changes before the ceremony.
To the moments that aren’t planned but feel significant.
That’s where the strongest images live.
Direction Without Control
My work sits between documentary and editorial.
I will guide you during portraits. I’ll adjust posture. I’ll place you in beautiful light. I’ll refine small details.
But I won’t ask you to perform someone else’s moment.
The goal is not to manufacture perfection. It’s to create space where you feel comfortable enough to be yourselves.
When that happens, the images feel effortless.
Why Film Shaped This Approach
Film demands presence.
There’s no rushing it. No over-directing. No fixing it later.
You slow down. You observe. You wait for the moment to rise naturally instead of pushing it into place.
That way of working has shaped how I photograph every wedding.
It’s why the images feel lived-in rather than constructed.
Trust Is What Creates Better Photographs
The couples who resonate most with my work care more about feeling than formulas.
They aren’t looking to recreate what they’ve seen online. They want their wedding to look and feel like theirs.
When you trust your photographer, you stay present.
And presence photographs beautifully.
If you’re looking for someone who will document your wedding with intention, awareness, and an eye for honest beauty, I would love to connect.