Easy to Understand Definitions

Wedding Photography Glossary

Contracts, timelines, and photographers all come with their own vocabulary. I define each term the way I’d explain over coffee, with the real numbers I use for Kansas City weddings. 7 terms and growing.

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Most Looked-Up Terms

Marriage & Legal Micro Wedding A micro wedding is a small wedding, typically 50 guests or fewer, keeping the ceremony and the reception but scaling both down. Unlike an elopement, your closest people stay for the whole day. Booking & Contracts Second Shooter A second shooter is an additional photographer who works alongside your lead photographer on the wedding day. While I photograph the main moment, the second shooter covers the other angle, the other room, or the guests reacting. Wedding Day Wedding Processional The wedding processional is the order in which the officiant, family, wedding party, and couple walk in at the start of the ceremony. In the traditional order, the last partner enters at the end, when every guest turns to look.

D

Photo Styles Documentary Wedding Photography Documentary wedding photography records your day as the moments unfold, with little posing or direction. The photographer stays in the background, then adds a few directed portraits where you want them. Read the definition →

F

Wedding Day First Look A first look is a private moment before the ceremony when you see each other dressed for the first time, usually with only your photographer nearby. Most take 15 to 20 minutes and move portraits before the ceremony. Read the definition →

M

Marriage & Legal Micro Wedding A micro wedding is a small wedding, typically 50 guests or fewer, keeping the ceremony and the reception but scaling both down. Unlike an elopement, your closest people stay for the whole day. Read the definition →

S

Booking & Contracts Second Shooter A second shooter is an additional photographer who works alongside your lead photographer on the wedding day. While I photograph the main moment, the second shooter covers the other angle, the other room, or the guests reacting. Read the definition →

T

Booking & Contracts Tipping Your Wedding Photographer Tipping your wedding photographer is an optional thank-you on top of the contract price. Etiquette guides don't treat tips as expected, and the common range is $50 to $200 per team member or 5 to 15% of the contract. Read the definition →

W

Wedding Day Wedding Processional The wedding processional is the order in which the officiant, family, wedding party, and couple walk in at the start of the ceremony. In the traditional order, the last partner enters at the end, when every guest turns to look. Read the definition → Wedding Day Wedding Shot List A wedding shot list is a written list of the photos you need, mostly family groupings, shared with your photographer before the wedding. A short, specific list keeps family photos moving and protects your portrait time. Read the definition →