Boston · Planning Guide
Boston Wedding Family Photo Guide
Documentary Wedding Photography · Boston & New England
TL;DR, Wedding Family Photo Guide
- Twenty minutes, done right: with a plan I can capture every family formal in about twenty minutes.
- Make a shot list: list only the groupings you truly value so you don't lose cocktail-hour time.
- Assign a wrangler: a point person from each side keeps everyone nearby and moving quickly.
- Start with the biggest group: shoot the largest photo first so extended family can leave for cocktail hour.
- Second shooter fills in: while formals run, candids and reception decor get photographed at the same time.
Taking wedding family photos happens at every wedding I photograph. My clients want these photos to get done quickly and effectively, without sacrificing the quality of their wedding photos.
Having more than 10 year of experience as a Boson wedding photographer, I don’t need more than 20 minutes to take all the family photos.
I request my wedding clients to create a list of family photos that they desire.This stems from photos of the siblings together to the bride and groom with their grandparents.
I help them by providing an example of a standing wedding family photo list. I advise them to only put photos on their list that they find value in having. This ensures that you are not wasting the little time you have to spend with each of your guests during cocktail hour.
When clients submit their list of wedding photos they assign a family member from both the bride’s side and the groom’s side to help rally all the family members. These family members are responsible for making sure that those who are in the photo do not leave the wedding ceremony.
The more information you give to the family members in the photos, and the more you remind them about the photo the faster everyone gets to go enjoy cocktail hour, which makes everyone happy.
Here is one example of a family photo list. You’ll notice that the large photo is done first and then those extended family members can leave for cocktail hour.
Groom’s Family – Largest family photo including parents, siblings, grandparents, uncles, cousins, and aunt.
Groom’s Family – parents, siblings, and grandparent.
Groom’s Family – parents and siblings.
Groom’s Family – parents.
Groom’s Family – Mom with groom.
Groom’s Family – Dad with groom.
Groom’s Family – Groom with Siblings.
These photos will take no more than 10 or so minutes if we take the steps listed above. After these photos are completed we take the same list of photos for the bride’s side. After the family photos, we take a few wedding party photos and a couple of relaxed portraits of the couple.
During this time, my second photographer is photographing candids of your guests during cocktail hour and taking detailed photos of all your wedding decor in the wedding reception venue.
Overall, family formals can seem very daunting at first and it can be hard to decide what combinations of people you want for photos, but after you put it on paper, and think about what photos you would value the most, it will make it simple for when the big day comes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do family formal photos take at a wedding?
If we plan ahead, I can get through a full family photo list in about 20 minutes, usually 10 or so minutes per side. The trick is having a written list and people who know to stick around after the ceremony, so we're not hunting anyone down. Do that and everyone's off to cocktail hour fast.
Do I really need to make a family photo list before the wedding?
Yes, and it genuinely makes the day smoother. I ask every couple to write out exactly which groupings they want, from the big extended-family shot down to a parent with the bride or groom, and I send a sample list to get them started. Putting it on paper ahead of time means we move quickly and you only spend time on the photos you'll actually treasure.
How do I keep family photos from taking forever during cocktail hour?
My biggest tip is to assign one helper from each side of the family who knows everyone's faces and can rally people fast. I also shoot the largest group first so extended relatives can head off to cocktail hour right away, then work down to the smaller, closer groupings. The more your family knows what's expected, the faster it goes.
What order should we shoot the family formals in?
I start with the biggest grouping, parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, then peel people away as we go: down to parents and siblings, then just parents, then a parent alone with the bride or groom. Working largest-to-smallest means the extended family gets released early and you're left with the people who'll stay for the close, relaxed shots.
What is the second photographer doing during family photos?
While I'm running the family formals, my second photographer is off capturing candids of your guests during cocktail hour and documenting all your reception decor before anyone touches it. That way you're not losing coverage of the party while the formals happen, we're getting both at once.
Can we still get relaxed couple portraits after the family photos?
Absolutely. Once the family list and a few wedding-party shots are done, I always carve out a little time for some unposed, relaxed portraits of just the two of you. It's a quiet breather in the middle of a busy day, and it's where some of my favorite documentary frames come from.
Who should we put in charge of rounding up family members for photos?
When you send me your list, assign one person from each side of the family to help. Their job is to rally everyone and make sure the people in the photos don't wander off after the ceremony. The more you tell those two ahead of time, and the more they remind people, the faster it goes. Then everyone gets to cocktail hour, which makes everyone happy.
We don't know which family photos to put on our list. Where do we start?
Only put photos on the list that you genuinely value having. That's the whole filter. Think about which combinations you'd actually want on a wall or in an album years from now, and leave the rest off. Every photo you add costs you time with your guests during cocktail hour. Once you put it on paper and think it through, it gets simple fast.
Do you give couples an example family photo list to work from?
I do. I send an example of a standard family photo list so you're not staring at a blank page. It runs from siblings together to the two of you with your grandparents. You use it as a starting point and cut or add based on what matters to you. Most people find it much easier to react to a list than to invent one.
Should we do the biggest group photo first or save it for last?
Biggest first, always. We start with the largest family photo, parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins all together. Once that's done, the extended family is free to head to cocktail hour. Then we work down to the smaller combinations. Nobody stands around waiting for a photo they're not in, and the group shrinks as we go.
How long does one side of the family take?
About ten minutes or so, if we've done the prep. That's the largest group photo, then parents with siblings and grandparents, then parents and siblings, then parents, then each parent alone with their kid, then the siblings. Once that side is finished, we run the same list for the other side. Twenty minutes total for all the family photos.
Do you shoot both sides of the family the same way?
Yes. We finish one side completely, then take the same list of photos for the other side. Same order, biggest group first, working down to the smaller combinations. Keeping the structure identical is part of why it moves quickly. Nobody has to think about what's next, and both families end up with a matching set of photos.
When do the wedding party photos happen?
Right after the family formals. Once we've worked through both family lists, we take a few wedding party photos and then a couple of relaxed portraits of the two of you. It all happens in the same window, which is why the family list needs to be tight. The time you save on formals is time you get back for the rest.
Family formals feel overwhelming. Are they always this stressful?
They seem daunting at first. Deciding what combinations of people you want is genuinely hard when it's all in your head. But once you put it on paper and think about which photos you'd value most, it stops being complicated. Every wedding I photograph has family photos, and they get done quickly and well when the list exists ahead of time.
Will family photos eat up our whole cocktail hour?
They shouldn't. I don't need more than twenty minutes for all the family photos when we have a list and someone from each side helping gather people. That's after more than ten years photographing weddings in Boston. The reason it stays at twenty minutes is the prep, not speed. A list nobody's seen before is what turns this into an hour.
