// Why giving your wedding photojournalist an extensive wedding photo checklist is a bad idea?

This article will discuss why giving your wedding photojournalist an extensive wedding pictures list is a bad idea.

Let’s start at the beginning. You hired your wedding photojournalist for an upcoming wedding. You’re excited. Your significant other is excited. You both liked your wedding photographer’s style, images, philosophy and personality. You hired your wedding photographer for their strength: anticipate and capture real, true, candid moments without alternating reality; without telling you what to do, where to stand and how to behave.

You also invited her/him to be big part of your wedding day, allowed them into to enter your intimate world of fears, flaws and weaknesses. You wanted to be who you are- yourself, and you trusted your wedding photojournalist to make you look good.

And then your maid of honor calls. “Great news!” she says and goes on to tell how she went to Wedding Wire or Pinterest and found this amazing list called “85 must have” wedding pictures! And suddenly you were like “Wow! What an amazing idea!”. Right? 
Well, not really.

Honestly, giving your wedding photojournalist an extensive list of wedding pictures is a bad idea. Here’s why.

While images in those lists is usually a very basic task for a wedding professional, they often could quickly become major pain in the ass.

During my early wedding photographer’s career, I numerous times experienced an extensive “must have” list becoming more important task than documenting happenings unfolding around me. And that’s not good.

Too many times I witnessed amazing moments go by unphotographed while I was struggling with extra-long wedding dress in the rain for “13. Photograph Monirose hanging on the willow tree branch” picture; or expensive work diamond ring for “22. Photograph diamond wedding ring placed on the top of the flower bouquet” shot, or waited for uncle Bill to get back from the bathroom (while trying not to lose tipsy aunt Mary) at the table No.16 for “57. Photograph all wedding guests at tables No.3, 5, 6, 7, 12, 15 and 16” task in the list.

There are many more examples like those, that explain why extensive wedding pictures list is a bad idea.

You don’t hire skilled auto mechanic to fix your gas stove, do you? 

And hey- I get it. There are things out there that wedding photographer must have in their “to do” list. Maybe the bracelet bride will be wearing is very much important to her because it was worn by her grandmother on her wedding day. Or maybe it’s a reception sign that niece and nephew spent 3 weeks in making. I always encourage couples to tell me details like these.

But you need to be careful. Because as soon as “must have” wedding pictures list starts expanding, so does the chances that you might not be getting skills and services you’ve paid for. And nobody wants that.

So talk to your wedding photojournalist in advance. Express your needs, fears and thoughts and see what they have to say about it all. Because wedding professional’s biggest priority is to let you experience your wedding at its best while delivering a product that they are most skilled at.

PLEASE NOTE that this article is talking about how  and extensive “must have” wedding pictures list applies to wedding photojournalism, not traditional wedding photography. Issues addressed in this article could be solved by hiring photographer that specializes in traditional wedding photography approach or by hiring 2nd photographer and delegating the task to her/him.