As a wedding photographer, one of the biggest questions/concerns my couples have is about family photos. How do you do them and keep everyone happy? When is the best time of day? How long do they take? And so on. Given all of the potentially complex and likely murky make-up of families, couples, photographers, and planners could spend HOURS strategizing family photo time… or they could follow these three simple guidelines:
Put your bossy auntie in charge
I’m using auntie here because in my family the aunties are the bossy people, but every family has at least one person who is a little domineering. This person is usually asking/begging you for a “job” to do at the wedding, but they’re not always close enough to entrust with something super important. Sometimes this person isn’t even someone you necessarily like, but they’re usually someone you love because family is as family does. You know what job you can give this person? Family Photo Round-Up Coordinator.
Here’s how it works: you say “Bossy Auntie! We have a job for you!” and then give that person a list of every family member you want in your photos. Have Bossy Auntie work with your planner, coordinator, or photographer to make sure the timing flows nicely with the rest of the day’s events, and make sure Bossy Auntie knows who everyone on the list is. If you’re having a rehearsal dinner, introduce Bossy Auntie to the key players. If you’re not, try to connect various family members via email or social media — you could start an email chain, make a private Facebook group, whatever works.
The day of the wedding, let Bossy Auntie do what she does best: boss people around. Everyone will be happy, or at least prepared.
Give different family groups a time slot
Recently I shot a wedding in which the couple gave their extended family a little spiel. They definitely wanted photos with their extended family (as well as immediate), but they didn’t want everyone to crowd them at once and have to wait thirty minutes for their time to take photos. So they issued everyone a time slot and said be at [LOCATION] at [TIME] and we’ll take photos in this order. They had a small breakdown of photos that included a big group shot with each collection of family members and then individual breakdown photos that they wanted, and it went over beautifully.
Limit camera time for families
Here’s the thing: your hired, professional photographer knows how to take family photos. Even though you know your photographer is great and your photographer knows that he or she is great and you guys all realize that the family photos side of things is more than covered, your family might still want to take their OWN version of the family portrait hour. A great way to avoid this is to have your officiant announce at the end of the ceremony that family photos will take place at [LOCATION], and to ask family members to please avoid taking their own photos during the process to expedite the experience for everyone. I know everyone loves a great candid shot, but there are ample opportunities in a wedding to have those — and the family photo time isn’t always the best one.
In my case, I always give my couples a private online gallery for proofing that allows them to access the files. The files are compressed since they’ve been uploaded online, but they’re still easily printable to an 8×10 — and it’s totally easy to make the family photos public so individuals can save the one photo they want or order prints. Ask your photographer if he or she can make a small, public online gallery that can be shared with family after the photos are ready, and make sure your family knows the gallery exists.
Photographers and married peeps, what advice do you have for making soon-to-be wed couples’ family photo time run smoothly?
