Staying on Track with Family Photos on your Wedding Day

Congratulations! You're engaged! You've probably signed up on a wedding website, put together a planning binder, and googled "where to start wedding planning".  That is a WHOLE lot of planning!  Well, we are here with some advice and tips about how to stay on track with family photos on your wedding day, to help with this new, exciting, and at times, the overwhelming chapter of your life.

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Maybe you haven't thought too far in advance about the timeline and your family photos on your wedding day. With years of wedding experience under our belts over here at Katlyn Jane Photography & Weddings, we are here to share some advice on staying on track with those family photos. You need them, they are an important part of your day, but they do not need to take up too much time on your wedding day.

The List

Provide your photographer with a list of specific family photos.  Keep it as basic as you can, as it becomes time-consuming to make sure everyone is ready and together.  I prefer for my couples to give me a list of names and who they are.  A list saying "Bride, Groom, Mom and Dad" doesn't help me much, unfortunately.  Every photographer has their preference of a list or not, and in what format, but if you are prepared it makes it easier.

For my own couples, I send a questionnaire a month before the wedding and it has a space to work on the family photos list.  Take your time to think of who is coming to the wedding, and who you want and need to take a photo with. Sit down with your guest list and put time into it.  If you have grandparents and possibly great grandparents, generations photos are a beautiful keepsake to have.

Example:
Bride and Groom, Bride's Mom and Dad (Rhonda and Jerry), Brother (Josh), Sister in Law (Sam), Nephew (Hayes)
Bride and Groom, Bride's Mom and Dad
B&G (Bride and Groom), Bride's Mom and Dad, Groom's Mom (Diane) and Groom's Dad (Mike)
B&G, Groom's Mom and Dad, Brother (Kevin)
Bride and Bride's Mom (Rhonda)
Bride and Bride's Mom and Groom's Mom (Diane)

The Assistant

We HIGHLY suggest you appoint someone to assist you and your photographer to organize people and have groups ready to go.

*hint* Best to have someone who knows both sides of the family or an assistant per family. 

Don't Be Afraid to Say "No"

Don't let anyone hijack family photos from you or the photographer.

A cousin, sibling or another family member might suggest that you need a photo with your Aunt Mabel and her kids.  If you have already gone through your guest list, organized the list you want and don't feel like its necessary, tell them we don't have time. If you feel more comfortable, have your photographer be the person who tells your family "no".

If someone asks for a quick picture in between family photos, maybe it can work.  Don’t let someone suddenly arrange 10 more groups. And don't be afraid to say "no".

The Reality

If you have divorces and blended families, family photos will take longer. When you have step-parents, step-siblings and/or half-siblings, and extended family, the family photo list will likely double in size.

Although the photographer tries their best to have everyone looking, eyes open and smiling... it may not be possible, unfortunately. Remember that the most important part is that everyone is IN the photo, regardless of trying to get their toddler to look at the camera, or someone is talking and another isn't looking.

When To Do Them

Depending on your wedding day timeline, you may choose to do photos right after the ceremony.  Typically everyone is there anyway, and you can grab them for photos before they head off to cocktail hour, or run off to indulge in a few drinks before the reception.  If you think some of your family may think they won't be in photos, give them a heads up before the wedding day.  I cannot tell you how many times grandparents and aunts and uncles have taken off before photos because they didn't think they needed to be in them.

Generally, they are completed immediately following the ceremony and before your bridal party portraits. But again, take a look at your timeline and see what works best, and when most people will be around.

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Have something specific you want to know? Something you can't find online or that is conflicting? Let us know, and we will do our best to respond to you with some advice, or write the next post about it!