Simplify Family Portraits at Your Wedding
Prepare a shot list ahead of time to make it seamless.
Assign a bridesmaid or groomsman to help gather family during this time. It will go faster so we can start the party! Family portraits take 15-30 minutes. If you aren’t doing a first look, set aside more time so we can also take bridal party photos.
It works best if you tell everyone who is in these photos before the wedding so they know to stick around.
For the wedding shot list, I like to start off with the bigger shots first and work our way down to the smallest so we can get people out of the way and they can go mingle while we finish up photos, instead of everyone trying to stick around for the entire thing.
During our pre wedding meeting, let me know if there are any family members that will not want photos together so everyone is comfortable.
NEw Trend alert:
A new trend I am seeing is doing family shots before the ceremony so you can enjoy the reception right away.
Here is an example shot list for you to use while planning:
Couple
Couple alone together (obviously!)
Couple with extended family all together
Couple with Partner One’s extended family
Couple with Partner One’s aunts and uncles
Couple with Partner One’s cousins
Couple with Partner Two’s extended family
Couple with Partner Two’s aunts and uncles
Couple with Partner Two’s cousins
Couple with all parents
Couple with both of their immediate families
Couple with siblings and siblings' spouses
Partner One
Partner One with their parents (or stepparents)
Partner One with each parent separately (if divorced)
Partner One with their immediate family
Partner One with their grandparents
Partner One's parents (stepparents) alone together
Partner One's grandparents alone together
Partner One with their sibling(s)
Partner Two
Partner Two with their parents (or stepparents)
Partner Two with each parent separately (if divorced)
Partner Two with their immediate family
Partner Two with their grandparents
Partner Two's parents (stepparents) alone together
Partner Two's grandparents alone together
Partner Two with their sibling(s)
