My first wedding

I have been asked to do friends' wedding in May. I don't have any experience in wedding photography and very limited experience in portrait photos. I'm afraid I'm going to be pesky and ask a lot of questions! I thought I'd rather divide them into separate topics for clarity. I apologise in advance for creating a lot of mess here.

Equipment
The equipment I have is as follows:

• D7100
• D610 (I can borrow it for the wedding)

• Tokina 11-16 mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro DX II
• Sigma 17-50 mm f/2.8 EX DC HSM OS
• Sigma 50-150 mm f/2.8 APO EX DC OS
• Sigma 150-600 mm f/5-6.3 DG HSM OS
• Nikkor 55-200 mm f/4-5.6 VR
• Nikkor 85 mm f/1.8 G
  

(I need to ask what FX lenses I can borrow with the D610, I'm sure there is a 50 mm)

• SB700

• 2 x YN-565EX
• 2 x YN-622N

• YN-622N-TX
  
• 2 x white shoot-through umbrellas
  
• 2 x silver reflective umbrellas
  
• 2 x 9"x9" foldable soft boxes

(again, the person I'm borrowing the D610 from has a few older Nikon flashes)

If I'm very lucky I might buy a D500 just before the wedding, but I wouldn't count on that.



Requested photos
The list of required photos is as follows. I will describe each venue in a separate thread with pictures. This is a long and complicated list and I haven't discussed it with the B&G yet. Any advice on logistics? Should I request shortening the list?

(items in orange are weather permitting)

Getting Ready

• Shoes on dresser/table
• Tiara on dresser/table
• Dresses on hangers
• Bridal party sitting with a cup of tea/coffee
• Bride in mirror getting hair done
• Bride in mirror getting make up done
• Mother of Bride with rollers in her hair or using heated brush
• Bridesmaids getting hair and/or make up done
• Bridal party next to car
• Bridal party waving from the car

Prior to Service (at Registrar's Office, will see it in a few weeks time)

• Guests waiting
• Groom and best man waiting with registrar
• Bridal party exiting vehicle
• Bridesmaids and flower girl about to enter
• Bride and MoB about to enter

Service

• Rings on cushions
• Various of bride and groom during vows – including kiss
• Bride and Groom signing
• Bride and Groom leaving
• Guests leaving
• Bride and Groom getting into car

In a local park

• Various Bride and Groom
• Bride with bridesmaids
• Bride with mother
• Bride with entire bridal party
• Groom with best man
• Groom with parents
• Groom with best man and parents
• Bridesmaids and best man
• Bride and Groom et al

Hotel (a few pictures here)

• Bride and Groom arriving
• Various of guests
• Guests enjoying a drink and/or canapés
• Guest 1 and family
• Guest 2 and family
• Guest 3 and family
• Guest 4 and family
• Group shot of all day guests
• Bride and Groom at grand piano (described in a separate thread)
• Bride and Groom at mill wheel
• Bride and Groom on canal bridge

Day Reception (hotel)

• Cake
• Guest book
• Guests signing the book
• Guests being seated
• Speeches (various)

Evening Reception (hotel)

• Cake Knife (lunar athame)
• Cutting the cake
• First Dance
• Second Dance – Bride and Groom and other guests
• Groom dancing with his mother
• Grooms parents dancing together
• Bride and uncle dancing
• Bride on dance floor with mother
• Best man and partner dancing
• Various of guests on the dance floor
• Various of end of party dance

This is why I would never do weddings and certainly never as the main shooter with zero second shooter experience.
Best of luck - this looks daunting

Lawrence said:

This is why I would never do weddings and certainly never as the main shooter with zero second shooter experience.
Best of luck - this looks daunting

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I've seen his shots and he has an eye. He'll be fine as long as he doesn't overthink it. Having said that, I wouldn't want to do another one after the stress I went through the first time.
Good luck Marek.

If you want a second shooter I don't mind coming up from Bristol and giving you a hand

It looks like a pretty compiled list as to what they want although all achievable as long as you have 2 shooters, I think logistically you will not be able to do it with 1 photographer ...

Don't forget a time line. Who is going to be were and when and the expected start time for each event.

Who is shooting the groom when he is getting ready?

Blacktop said:

I've seen his shots and he has an eye. He'll be fine as long as he doesn't overthink it. Having said that, I wouldn't want to do another one after the stress I went through the first time.
Good luck Marek.

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I am sure he will be but that list would have me fainting!

Scott Murray said:

Who is shooting the groom when he is getting ready?

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To be fair not many couples I have spoken to are that bothered with the groom getting ready shots, I always add it though if I can, This may mean mote back and forth between houses but it is doable, with a second shooter this is even easier.

I would definitely want to have a family member as an organizer whom you can work with prior to the wedding as well as during the wedding so that things don't go haywire on you. Personally, my success would be hinged on the family member helping round everyone up and work the list with me and the second shooter or assistant.
Sounds exciting @Felisek. Look forward to following your progress and results.

Daz said:

If you want a second shooter I don't mind coming up from Bristol and giving you a hand

It looks like a pretty compiled list as to what they want although all achievable as long as you have 2 shooters, I think logistically you will not be able to do it with 1 photographer ...

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Are you serious? Of course, having a second shooter would be a great help. The wedding is in Perth, it is a long trip from Bristol.

Scott Murray said:

Who is shooting the groom when he is getting ready?

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If it is not on the list, I suppose I don't have to worry about it. This is only the preliminary list they sent me. I need to discuss it with them. But lots of comments here (like yours, Scott) are very helpful - I know what to talk about!

cbay said:

I would definitely want to have a family member as an organizer whom you can work with prior to the wedding as well as during the wedding so that things don't go haywire on you. Personally, my success would be hinged on the family member helping round everyone up and work the list with me and the second shooter or assistant.
Sounds exciting @Felisek. Look forward to following your progress and results.

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Yes, I already told them I need a helper! I've been warned long time ago that getting people for family shots during a wedding is like herding cats.

Felisek said:

If it is not on the list, I suppose I don't have to worry about it. This is only the preliminary list they sent me. I need to discuss it with them. But lots of comments here (like yours, Scott) are very helpful - I know what to talk about!

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Maybe even suggest a friend to take some shots of the groom, or get them themselves to capture it. As it is a part of the preparation and memory.

I second the getting a family member to organize everyone, with this it will be chaos. And how are you supposed to know who is who?

Felisek said:

Are you serious? Of course, having a second shooter would be a great help. The wedding is in Perth, it is a long trip from Bristol.

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If you are talking Perth Scotland then yeah im serious, there are a few places in Scotland I want to go to and photograph so yeah I could tie in a trip up and i'd be up for helping a fellow Nikonite out !!

Daz is coming over to Scotland to help me with the wedding, so there will be two of us. More importantly, Daz has experience in weddings, so I hope to learn from him. Anyway, thank you again, Daz!

In the meantime, B&G asked me to take a picture of their fancy knife they want to cut the wedding cake with. I don't really have any backgrounds, so I used my kitchen worktop and a white plate. This picture was taken with a mixture of natural light and a flash reflected from the ceiling.

I don't usually take pictures of knifes, so this is the best I could come up with. Any comments, suggestions?

Felisek said:

Daz is coming over to Scotland to help me with the wedding, so there will be two of us. More importantly, Daz has experience in weddings, so I hope to learn from him. Anyway, thank you again, Daz!

I don't usually take pictures of knifes, so this is the best I could come up with. Any comments, suggestions?

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Cant wait to come and help !! I think we will have a great time !!

As for the knife it looks good and exposure looks good, I just wonder how it will look without the plate?

Well we had a great time ! I have lots of photos to send to @Felisek for him to send to the B&G, Hopefully I get the nod to share some with you guys soon

I retired from weddings last August which was my final wedding after 40 years. In all that time I have never taken a full list of photographs from a bride. I did however take note of any special requests of maybe the couples sports friends, University pals or if great Aunt Maude who is 80 and was flying in from Australia. I didn't need a list that states things like Bride and Groom with Bridesmaids.
In my opinion it looks totally amateurish consulting a list, people will think you have no idea what you're doing and have nil experience. Plus it leaves you wide open for the complaints to pour in afterwards with demands for refunds for not doing what you were asked to do if you miss or overlook something. Its surprising how many people overspend and see the photographer as a way of recovering some of those costs as their guests will of no doubt in this day and age, copied your arrangements with iphones etc and the couple will be more than happy to have those free afterwards.
I have declined any booking with those that entered my studio to view my work, loved it and then try to give me a list to deviate from what I do best and that is to photograph their wedding as a unique and one off event which will be totally different from my last one and totally different from my next one. Every wedding is different and working from a script is merely taking photographs at a wedding instead of photographing the wedding.

Whilst I agree with you @Bossman and I dont work from lists with my clients. But as this was @Felisek first ever wedding it makes sense for him to be able to know the shots he is looking to get

Congrats on your first wedding! They can be daunting. The list is a good idea, but you would have probably found that you would have taken most of those things anyway.

Can't wait to see some pics!