If you are getting married in a church and do not have your heart set on the church altar for family photos, I strongly recommend heading outside to a location with beautiful, flattering natural light. We have found that outdoor family formal portraits are much more relaxed, natural and fun!

Family photos add up quickly because we need to set aside about 3 minutes per group, and the more time we spend on family photos, the less time you will have for Bride + Groom photos, which is what most couples will want for the next 60 years! I politely ask that you limit your family photos time to your immediate family, grandparents, and any other extremely important people, and save the rest of your group photos for the reception. Reception time is great for those group photos of your coworkers, cousins, sorority sisters, and high school friends.

Before your wedding day make sure to communicate to everyone that is expected for family photos to stay immediately following the ceremony. Having to wait for family members is the number one reason your family photos take more time than is scheduled into the timeline. A great tip is to appoint someone from each of your families to assist us in making sure everyone is present for your family photos. I might not realize that Aunt Sally is missing, but your point person will be able to make sure your family photos have everyone that is supposed to be in them actually in them. The point person can help us get the next group on deck.

When creating your family photo list, it would be helpful if you would break them into the following four categories: must have during family photo time, must have at some point in the day, would be nice to have, and only if time allows. Since I don’t know everyone’s names, it’s also helpful to let me know their relation to you. The questionnaire I will be sending over about 1 month prior to your wedding will prompt you for this info, so once I have the list, I will put it in the order that makes the most sense.

Side Note:  Individuals cannot be edited out from photos in the future, so it’s best to take family group photos with and without them if there are any concerns.