The Complete Wedding Photography Guide
Confidently photograph and edit the Top 100 moments of a wedding day from start to finish.
What Is The Complete Wedding Photography Guide?
The Complete Wedding Photography Guide is a step-by-step course designed to fast-track your ability to confidently photograph and edit an entire wedding day from start to finish.
The guide is broken into 10 modules that follow the natural flow of a wedding—from the very first context shots of the venue to the final sparkler exit.
Each module includes 10–15 concise lessons, with each focusing on a specific moment of the Top 100 moments of a wedding day.
No fluff. No filler. Just straight-to-the-point education.
It's Clear, Comprehensive, and Practical.
01
This guide isn’t based on styled shoots or perfect scenarios. After 15 years of photographing hundreds of weddings, we share how we photograph and edit real weddings, with:
Real timelines
Real weather
Real lighting challenges
02
Within the guide, we review hundreds of images, sharing exactly what has worked, what didn't, and why.
03
Whether you’re shooting in natural light, mixed lighting, or using off-camera flash, we explain how to create consistent, professional results—no matter what the wedding day brings.
Portraits? Easy.
Receptions? Not So Much.
From macro shots of the rings, to food photos at the reception…
From formal family portraits, to the emotions of the speeches…
From hair and makeup, to the excitement of the sparkler exit…
A wedding day is filled with constantly changing lighting scenarios and pressure-filled moments.
In The Complete Wedding Photography Guide, we walk you through every part of a wedding day, not just the portraits—so you can confidently tell the full story.
from the rings to the reception...
and the details to the dance floor.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re winging it on a wedding day…
You’re not alone.
Maybe you’ve:
Second-shot a few weddings, but not ready to go it alone
Photographed a few weddings solo, but felt uneasy
Questioned which lens to use as moments quickly unfold
Felt anxious walking into dark reception halls
Struggled to balance flash and ambient light
Spent way too long editing, and delivered galleries later than you'd hoped
Delivered a wedding gallery without feeling confident in your final edits
We’ve been there.
And we know how overwhelming it feels to carry the pressure of capturing someone’s once-in-a-lifetime day without a clear plan.
We can help!
We’re Shane and Anna Long,
a wedding and portrait photography team based seasonally out of Minnesota and SW Florida. With over 15 years of experience, we’ve had the honor of photographing over 400 weddings, and we want to share all we’ve learned with you!
We created The Complete Wedding Photography Guide to help you approach every part of a wedding day with clarity and confidence—from camera settings and lens selection in fast-moving moments, to mastering challenging lighting situations, to delivering beautiful, consistent, professional galleries of hundreds of images your couples will love!
Why We Created This Guide
After years of photographing weddings, and mentoring wedding photographers,
we created the exact resource we wish we had when we were first starting out.
I still remember one of my very first weddings - walking across a parking lot with the bridal party, feeling completely unqualified and lost.
I didn’t know where to place them for good light.
I didn’t know how to pose them confidently.
I didn’t know which lens or lighting to use - or how to catch up when we were running behind.
The pressure was intense, and I didn’t know who to turn to for help. I spent years piecing together information from scattered resources, trying to figure things out the hard way.
That’s exactly why we created The Complete Wedding Photography Guide - a practical, straight-to-the-point resource you can rely on before, during, or after every wedding you photograph.
- SHANE
"This course is an absolute gold mine for new photographers and seasoned pros alike! Not only does it cover the technical aspects of how to photograph a wedding day, but it reveals Shane's strategy and thought process behind how to capture beautiful and emotion filled images! Worth every penny to purchase and worth every minute to watch!"
- ERIC
Minnesota Photographer
"Shane & Anna’s photography course is a must - clear, engaging, and packed with practical tips to elevate not only your wedding photography but also your client experience.
An incredible investment to learn from the best in the industry!"
- ASHLEY
Minnesota Photographer
"Your editing style is absolutely my favorite and a little of my inspiration (true to life without being dull, and perfectly bright and clean!), and that's why you were the first ones I thought of to reach out to when I didn't know what else to do. Any advice, educational resources, or tips that have been helpful to you- both shooting and editing- over the years would be such a huge help to me! I know there is probably a lot you could share about this, so if you prefer to answer that in another mentor session I totally understand, and just let me know. I appreciate your time and am so thankful for the example you have set in the photography business."
- BRI
Wisconsin Photographer
Within 100 concise lessons, we break down exactly how we approach photographing and editing the top 100 moments on a wedding day, including insights on:
Gear Decisions Behind Each Shot
The exact cameras and lenses we use for each moment, & why
When a specific focal length works… and when it doesn’t
Practical gear recommendations for 10+ hour wedding days to fit every budget
How We Capture the Moment
Camera settings and lighting approach
How to anticipate candid moments
Composition, backdrop, and posing strategies that feel natural, not forced
Working in dark receptions or mixed lighting without panic
Editing with Consistency
Strategies and tips for creating consistent, gallery-wide tones
What to watch for when editing challenging images
How to correct color and tones in mixed lighting situations
Fine-tune editing each image for delivery and display
Hundreds of before-and-after edits showing exactly what changes were made and why.
This Guide was Built for Photographers
Wanting to Photograph Weddings with Confidence
Looking to Refine and Elevate a Wedding Portfolio
Searching for Simple and Flexible Learning Options
This guide is best suited for photographers who:
1. Have experience working with a digital camera
2. Are comfortable shooting in Manual mode
3. Have experience editing images in Lightroom
4. Understand foundational editing adjustments
This guide was designed to build on these foundations, so you can move forward with clarity, consistency, and confidence.
What's included in each module?
The Complete Wedding Photography Guide
10 Modules • 100 Lessons • 16+ Hours
The Complete Wedding Photography Guide includes 10 modules, organized into the flow of a real wedding day. Each module is broken into 10 to 15 concise lessons that cover both photographing & editing every moment of a wedding day.
You can enroll in the full course at a discounted rate, or purchase individual modules to refine specific areas of your work — allowing you to invest where it will have the greatest impact, and grow at your own pace.
Module 1
1: Outside Venue
2: Inside Venue, Common Spaces
3: Inside Venue, B&G Prep Rooms
4: Flat Lay Invitation Suite & Details
5: Rings
6: Jewelry
7: Shoes & Slippers
8: Bouquets & Boutonnieres
9: Wedding Dress
10: Bridesmaid Dresses
Module 2
11: Hair
12: Makeup
13: Matching PJ Photos
14: Champagne Pop
15: Opening Gifts
16: Putting on Dress
17: Putting on Earrings & Jewelry
18: Putting on Shoes
19: Bridal Portraits in Bridal Suite
20: Dress Reveal with Bridesmaids
Module 3
21: Groom & Groomsmen Prep
22: Groom's Tux
23: Groom's Tie
24: Groom's Shoes
25: Bride & Groom Reading Letters
26: Bride's First Look with Father
27: Bride's First Look with Groom
28: Bride & Groom Portraits
29: Bridal Portraits
30: Groom Portraits
Module 4
31: Groom & Groomsmen Portraits
32: Bride & Bridesmaids Portraits
33: Wedding Party Portraits
34: Flower Girls & Ring Bearers
35: Family Photos
36: Parents, Grandparents, & Sibling Photos
37: Photos with Pets & Animals
38: Private Vows & Special Ceremonies
39: Prayer Before the Ceremony
40: Putting on the Veil
Module 5
41: Ceremony Setting
42: Ceremony Details, Signs, Programs
43: Guests Arriving for Ceremony
44: Musicians for Ceremony
45: Parents & Wedding Party Processional
46: Flower Girl & Ring Bearer Processional
47: Bride & Father's Processional
48: Groom's Reaction to Bride
49: Father Giving Bride Away
50: Wide Shot of Ceremony
51: Closer Shots of Ceremony
52: Unity Ceremony
53: Vows & Rings
54: The Kiss
55: Recessional & Exit
Module 6
56: Post Wedding Hugs
57: Extended Family Photo
58: Marriage License Signing
59: Bustling the Dress
60: Getaway Car, Bus, or Boat
61: Social Hour
62: Hors d'oeuvres
63: Golden Hour Portraits
64: Portraits with the Veil
65: Other Vendors (Artists)
Module 7
66: Wide Shot of Reception Space
67: Closer Shots of Reception Space
68: Centerpiece Flowers & Candles
69: Table Settings & Dinnerware
70: Name Cards, Menus, Table Numbers
71: Favors & Champagne
72: Seating Charts, Name Cards, & Decor
73: Cake & Desserts
74: Food
75: Couple's Reception Hall Reaction
Module 8
76: Wedding Party Entrance
77: Bride & Groom Entrance
78: Bride & Groom Kiss
79: Father's Welcome Speech
80: Best Man's Speech
81: Maid of Honor's Speech
82: Bride & Groom's Speech
83: Cake Cutting
84: Reception Candids & Group Photos
85: Large Group Photo
Module 9
86: The First Dance
87: Father Daughter Dance
88: Mother Son Dance
89: Grandparent Dances
90: Guests Dancing
91: Couple Dancing with Guests
92: DJs & Live Bands
93: The Hora Dance
94: Special Entertainment
95: Bouquet Toss & Shoe Game
Module 10
96: Photo Booths
97: Night Portraits
98: Night Portraits with Flash
99: Grand Exits
100: Night Venue Shots
What's next?
You don’t have to guess your way through a Wedding Day
If you’re ready to approach a full wedding day with clarity, confidence, and a clear plan — this guide was created for you.
We'd love for you to join us!
Find us Online!
CONTACT US
courses@shanelongphotography.com