# Wedding Photography & Video Checklist > A wedding photography checklist: book your photographer early, consider video, share a must-have photo list and follow up on galleries after the wedding. Source: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/photography Publisher: ReadyToWeddy (https://readytoweddy.com) · Last updated: 2026-09-17 Photos and video are how you’ll revisit the day. These tasks cover choosing and booking your photographer, planning the shots that matter and making sure you receive everything you paid for. ## Summary A wedding photography checklist should cover [booking your photographer](https://readytoweddy.com/guides/book-photographer), deciding on video and an engagement shoot, sharing a must-have photo list, backing up your files and following up on deliverables. Book your photographer 9–12 months ahead, or up to 18 months for peak dates. About 4–8 weeks before, share your must-have list of family groupings and key people. Afterwards, [back up everything](https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/48-hours-after) and choose photos for prints. ## Checklist (8 tasks, in order) ### Book your wedding photographer - When: 8–18 months before (12+ Months Before) - Category: Photography & Video - Priority: Recommended - Link: https://readytoweddy.com/guides/book-photographer Book your photographer 9–12 months before the wedding, after your venue and date are confirmed, or up to 18 months ahead for popular peak-season dates. **Why it matters:** Photos are one of the few things you’ll keep long after the day, and popular photographers can book early, especially for weekend dates in peak season. Booking once your date and venue are fixed lets you check availability properly, compare full galleries rather than highlights, and make sure their style, coverage and delivery times fit the way you want to remember the day. **Steps:** - [ ] Decide what style you’re drawn to. - [ ] Shortlist photographers whose work you love. - [ ] Check availability for your confirmed date. - [ ] Ask each to share one or two full wedding galleries. - [ ] Meet or call your top choices. - [ ] Compare hours, second shooter, delivery and price. - [ ] Check usage rights, travel fees and backup cover. - [ ] Pay the deposit to book. **Helpful questions:** - “Could you share a full gallery from a wedding similar to ours?” - “How long until we receive our photos?” - “What happens if you’re unable to attend on the day?” - “Are travel, overtime and a second shooter included?” **Tips:** - Often forgotten: Couples often forget to check how and for how long the online gallery will stay available. - Full galleries show how a photographer handles low light, family groups and busy moments, not just the best shots. - Ask whether they’ve worked at your venue before. **Best done after:** Confirm your date and tell key people ### Decide on a videographer - When: 7–18 months before (12+ Months Before) - Category: Photography & Video - Priority: Optional - Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/12-months#book-videographer Decide whether you want a wedding videographer around the time you book your photographer, and if so, book one whose style and deliverables fit your budget. **Why it matters:** Video captures voices, vows, speeches and movement in a way photos can’t, and many couples value hearing those moments again. Like photographers, videographers can only cover one wedding a day, so popular ones book early. Deciding now also lets your photographer and videographer coordinate, and keeps the budget clear before other costs grow. **Steps:** - [ ] Decide whether video matters to you both. - [ ] Choose a highlight film, a full-length edit or both. - [ ] Shortlist videographers and watch full films. - [ ] Check availability for your date. - [ ] Compare hours, delivery and how they capture vows. - [ ] Ask about music licensing and access to raw footage. - [ ] Read the contract and book. **Helpful questions:** - “How do you record clear audio for vows and speeches?” - “Have you worked alongside our photographer before?” - “Can we get the full ceremony and speeches unedited?” **Optional:** If video isn’t important to you, skipping it is a perfectly good choice. **Best done after:** Confirm your date and tell key people ### Book your getting-ready space and wedding-night stay - When: 5–11 months before (9–12 Months Before) - Category: Accommodation & Travel - Priority: Recommended - Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/9-to-12-months#book-wedding-night-stay Book your getting-ready space and wedding-night room about 9 months ahead, choosing somewhere near the venue with good light and room for hair, makeup and photos. **Why it matters:** The getting-ready hours are often some of the most photographed and personal of the day. A cramped, dark room makes hair, makeup and photos harder and adds stress. Rooms near popular venues can also book up early, especially on peak dates. Securing both the getting-ready space and your wedding-night stay now means you know where the day starts and ends, and can plan timings around them. **Steps:** - [ ] Ask your venue whether it has getting-ready rooms. - [ ] Decide whether you’ll get ready together or separately. - [ ] Check there’s room for stylists, helpers and photos. - [ ] Look for natural light, mirrors and power outlets. - [ ] Check travel time, parking and drop-off. - [ ] Ask about early check-in and late checkout. - [ ] Book your wedding-night room and plan for luggage. **Helpful questions:** - “What time can we access the room on the wedding day?” - “Can we check out late the morning after?” - “Is there somewhere safe to leave luggage and gifts?” **Tips:** - Often forgotten: Couples often book a getting-ready space that’s too small once hair and makeup artists, helpers and the photographer are all in the room. - Send your photographer a few photos of the room ahead of time. - Some hotels offer a wedding-night package; ask what’s included. **Optional:** If you’re getting ready at home and heading home afterward, there’s nothing to book. **Best done after:** Book your venue ### Book an engagement photo session - When: 7–12 months before (9–12 Months Before) - Category: Photography & Video - Priority: Optional - Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/9-to-12-months#book-engagement-shoot Book an engagement photo session 9–12 months before the wedding if you’d like one, ideally with your wedding photographer, so the images are ready for save-the-dates. **Why it matters:** An engagement session lets you get comfortable in front of the camera and get to know how your photographer works before the wedding day. Some photographers include one in their packages. If you want to use the photos on save-the-dates or your wedding website, scheduling it now leaves time for editing and design. **Steps:** - [ ] Ask if your photographer includes a session. - [ ] Ask how many edited images you’ll get and when. - [ ] Confirm you can print the images on save-the-dates. - [ ] Pick a meaningful spot; check permits or fees. - [ ] Choose a date with good light and a weather backup. - [ ] Plan simple outfits you feel comfortable in. - [ ] Allow editing time before save-the-dates are designed. **Helpful questions:** - “How soon after the session will we receive the photos?” - “Can we use the images on printed save-the-dates?” **Optional:** If posed photos aren’t your thing, you can skip the engagement session and use a favorite snapshot instead. **Best done after:** Book your wedding photographer ### Share a must-have photo list - When: Up to 3 months before (1–3 Months Before) - Category: Photography & Video - Priority: Recommended - Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/1-to-3-months#share-shot-list Share a short must-have photo list with your photographer about 4–8 weeks before the wedding, focusing on family groupings and key people they might not recognize. **Why it matters:** Photographers are experts at capturing the day, but they don’t know your family. A focused list of groupings and important people makes family photos quicker and ensures no one who matters is missed. Keeping it short leaves your photographer free to capture the moments you didn’t think to ask for. **Steps:** - [ ] List essential family and friend groupings. - [ ] Note key guests the photographer should look out for. - [ ] Mention family sensitivities, like separated parents. - [ ] Add detail shots, such as heirlooms or décor. - [ ] Ask a relative to help gather people for group photos. - [ ] Send the list and discuss timing. **Helpful questions:** - “How long will our family photos take?” - “Where will group photos happen if it rains?” **Tips:** - Order group photos from largest to smallest so people can leave as they finish. **Best done after:** Book your wedding photographer ### Back up your photos and videos - When: Up to 2 weeks after (First 48 Hours After) - Category: Photo Sharing - Priority: Recommended - Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/48-hours-after#back-up-media Back up your wedding photos and videos soon after the wedding by keeping at least two copies in different places, such as cloud storage and an external drive. **Why it matters:** Wedding photos can’t be retaken, and a single lost phone, failed drive or expired link can erase them. A simple rule many people follow is three copies, on two types of storage, with one kept somewhere else. You don’t need to be that thorough, but two copies in separate locations protects the files that matter most, including when professional galleries arrive later. **Steps:** - [ ] Gather guest files, audio and previews in one folder. - [ ] Copy the folder to a cloud storage account. - [ ] Copy it again to an external drive or computer. - [ ] Check both copies open correctly. - [ ] Repeat when the full gallery and video files arrive. - [ ] Store the external drive somewhere safe. **Tips:** - Often forgotten: Professional online galleries sometimes expire, so download the full set rather than relying on the link. - Name the folder clearly with your wedding date so it’s easy to find years from now. - Download professional galleries before any gallery expiry date. ### Follow up on photos, video and other deliverables - When: Up to 6 months after (First Month After) - Category: Photography & Video - Priority: Recommended - Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/after-wedding#follow-up-deliverables After the wedding, track the delivery dates in your contracts for photos, video, albums and other items, and follow up kindly if anything is running late. **Why it matters:** Professional photos and video can take weeks or months to arrive, depending on the vendor and season. Contracts usually state a delivery window, but it’s easy to lose track once the wedding is over. Noting each date and checking in politely if one passes means nothing is forgotten, and you can download and back up files before any gallery links expire. **Steps:** - [ ] List promised dates for galleries, videos and albums. - [ ] Add reminders to your calendar for each date. - [ ] Note how long each online gallery stays available. - [ ] Download galleries and all video files on arrival. - [ ] Read any usage or sharing guidance from the vendor. - [ ] Follow up politely if a date passes without an update. **Helpful questions:** - “When can we expect the full gallery?” - “How long will the online gallery stay available?” - “Are we allowed to share and print these images?” **Tips:** - Often forgotten: Checking how long online galleries remain available before they are taken down. ### Choose photos for prints or an album - When: Up to 12 months after (First Month After) - Category: Photography & Video - Priority: Optional - Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/after-wedding#choose-album-prints Once your full gallery arrives, shortlist favorite photos for prints, frames or an album, and check any album selection deadline in your photographer’s contract. **Why it matters:** Digital galleries are easy to forget about, while printed photos get looked at and shared across generations. If an album is included in your package, there may be a deadline for choosing images. Making selections while the day is still fresh is easier and more enjoyable than sorting through hundreds of files years later. **Steps:** - [ ] Download and back up the full gallery first. - [ ] Each choose a shortlist of favorites. - [ ] Combine and narrow the list together. - [ ] Check album deadlines and page limits. - [ ] Order prints for family members who’d love them. **Tips:** - Include a few guest photos for a fuller story of the day. - Mark favorites as you browse, then return to decide later. **Optional:** If prints and albums aren’t for you, a well-organized digital folder is a perfectly good keepsake. **Best done after:** Follow up on photos, video and other deliverables ## FAQ ### Which photography tasks happen after the wedding? Back up every photo and video in at least two places within the first few days, [follow up if deliverables are later](https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/after-wedding#follow-up-deliverables) than your contract states, and choose photos for albums or prints whenever you’re ready. ### Is an engagement photo shoot worth it? It’s optional. Some couples enjoy the practice in front of the camera and use the photos on save-the-dates; others skip it. If you’d like one, book it with your wedding photographer 9–12 months ahead. ### Do you need a wedding videographer? Only if video matters to you. Some couples love hearing voices and vows again; others are happy with photos. If budget is tight, a short highlight film or a friend recording the ceremony are possible alternatives.