Boston · Planning Guide
Make Your Boston Wedding Family Photos Easy
Documentary Wedding Photography · Boston & New England
TL;DR, Easy Family Formals
- Work from a list: Five weeks out you check off the family combinations you want, and I prioritize them on the day.
- Right after the ceremony: That's the best window, everyone's still gathered and looking fresh, and it only takes 15-20 minutes.
- Light beats the view: A clean, shaded background works better than a busy bright one, since I expose for your skin tones.
- Start with the big group: Photograph the largest combination first so elderly relatives can be released early, not left waiting.
Family Formals can be messy and complicated. The bigger the family, the more combinations there are, which can lead to stress. Luckily, there are many ways to make sure formals go smoothly and quickly, producing the best photographs possible.
As a wedding photographer I have learned efficient way of making sure I capture all the family is to make a list. Five weeks before the wedding, I will send you a questionnaire with several combinations. All you have to do on your part is check the images you desire me to take, and I will make them a priority during the family portraits.
The best time for family photos are right after the wedding ceremony. However, if you are doing a “first look,” then right after that would also be a good time. The key proponent here is that everyone is around and is still looking fresh. These family photos only take about 15-20 minutes, so as soon as we are done they can go enjoy the rest of the day. This way we won’t have to pull them away or try to hunt them down.
Like with everything, lighting and background is important. Sometimes that means we can’t always use the amazing view due to the fact that when I take a photograph, I’m exposing the image for your skin tones and not the background. A clean dark background in the shade works better than a busy and bright background. When the ceremony is in a church I suggest taking the family photos outside with natural light in a shaded location. This provides soft, even light, which again, will make your pictures come out stunning.
If there are elderly family members in your photographs it is best to work backwards with the largest family photo first and then start to dismiss those family members. This way they are not standing around waiting for their photo to be taken.
Here Is An Example Of A Standard Wedding:
Bride’s Family Wedding Photos List
- Bride with Bride’s Mom
- Bride with Bride’s Dad
- Bride, Groom, with Bride’s Mom, Dad
- Bride, Groom, with Bride’s Mom, Dad, and Siblings
- Bride, Groom, with Bride’s Mom, Dad, Siblings and their significant others and kids
Groom’s Family Wedding Photo List
- Groom with Groom’s Mom
- Groom with Groom’s Dad
- Groom and Bride with Groom’s Mom, Dad
- Groom and Bride with Groom’s Mom, Dad, and siblings
- Groom and Bride with Groom’s Mom, Dad, Siblings and their significant others and kids
- Both sides for one large family photo.
Family formals are best when pre-prepared. It is important to sit down with your significant other and make your own list, finding the best combinations for you and your entire family. You want this day to be stress free and not even have to worry about who is going to be in what photo. That is why giving your photographer a list, or in my case, simply checking off what kind of family photo combinations you want for your big day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do family formal photos take at a wedding?
On a typical wedding day, family formals only take me about 15-20 minutes, as long as we have a list and everyone knows to stick around. The reason it goes fast is that I'm not improvising combinations on the spot; we already know exactly which photos you want. The faster we wrap, the sooner your family can get back to the cocktail hour and the actual party.
When is the best time to do family photos on the wedding day?
I find the best time is right after the ceremony, when everyone is already gathered in one place and still looking fresh. If you're doing a first look, right after that works great too. The key is timing it for when family is naturally around so we're not hunting people down or pulling them away from the celebration.
Do I need to make a family photo shot list before the wedding?
Yes, and I make it painless. About five weeks before the wedding I send you a questionnaire with the common combinations already written out, you just check the ones you want and I make them a priority during formals. Sitting down with your partner to confirm the groupings ahead of time is the single biggest thing that keeps this part of the day stress-free.
Why don't the family photos always use the venue's best view?
When I take a portrait I'm exposing for your skin tones, not the background, so a bright, busy view can actually leave your faces too dark. A clean, darker background in open shade gives me soft, even light that makes everyone look their best. If the ceremony is in a church, I'll usually suggest stepping outside to a shaded spot for the family photos.
How do you handle family photos when there are elderly relatives?
I work backwards, we start with the largest group photo that includes everyone, then release people as we go, so the older relatives can sit down first instead of standing around waiting. It keeps the whole thing comfortable and quick. Little touches like that are part of shooting a wedding documentary-style: I want the day to feel easy, not staged.
What family photo combinations should I include for a standard wedding?
A standard list usually covers each partner with their own parents, then with parents and siblings, then with extended family and kids, plus one big photo of both families together at the end. On the questionnaire I send, those combinations are already laid out for both sides so you just check what you want. You're always free to add or cut groupings to fit your family.
How far in advance do we plan our family photo list?
Five weeks before the wedding I send you a questionnaire with several combinations already laid out. All you do is check the ones you want. That's it, no writing a list from scratch, no wondering if you forgot someone. The ones you check become my priority during family portraits, so nothing gets missed while everyone's standing around.
Where will family photos happen if our ceremony is in a church?
Outside, in a shaded spot with natural light. I'd rather walk everyone out the door than fight the light indoors. Open shade gives soft, even light across everybody's face, which is what makes these pictures actually look good. It takes an extra minute to get people outside and it's worth every second of it.
Should we include our siblings' partners and kids?
Yes, if you want them. A standard list works outward in layers, you with each parent, then both of you with the parents, then parents and siblings, then siblings with their significant others and kids. That last grouping is the one people forget to ask for and then wish they had. It's on the questionnaire either way.
Do we need a photo with both families together?
It's worth doing. One large photo with both sides in it is part of the standard list, and it's often the only time in your life those two groups are in one frame. It goes at the end of the run, once everyone's already gathered. Takes about a minute and people are glad to have it later.
What if we want combinations that aren't on your standard list?
Then we do those too. The standard list is a starting point, not a rule. Sit down with your partner and think through your own family, the combinations that actually matter to you, including the ones that don't fit a template. Add them to the questionnaire and I'll prioritize them the same as anything else.
I'm stressed about wrangling my family. How do you handle it?
By doing the thinking before the day, not during it. You check off the combinations you want weeks ahead, I keep the list, and on the wedding day nobody has to stand there wondering who's supposed to be in what photo. Family formals get messy when they're improvised. Pre-prepared, they're quick and everyone gets back to the party.
