Wedding group photos checklist
Group photos are long and boring…. Not anymore!
The group photos are the formal, posed photographs with your guests after the ceremony has taken place. The process can often feel long and stressful for everyone involved as it requires constant smiling and ushering your family and friends into position. To combat this, we ask for you to think in advance about how many and which photographs you would like to have.
It seems to be a British thing to think we need or should have 20 different group photos on our wedding day. We don't know where this idea has come from but it's just not true.
Having a huge, long list of group photos takes a long time to get through and there are better things you can be doing with this time. Taking the photos doesn't take long, it's gathering your guests together and having them stand nicely in rows; herding people is harder than you think!
Priorities
Consider, what do these photos mean to you? Think about how you might display these images after your wedding – will they make it into your wedding album, or in a picture frame on your wall? Why do you want them - is it because you really want them or feel you should have them?
We suggest a maximum of 12 group photos but if you can bring it down to 8, even better! This means you and your guests won't get too fed up with the process and we can get those natural, candid photos too. Simply write down each persons name who you would like in each picture, and on the day your photographer can call them out. This helps your guests to know if they are needed for the photo and ensures you receive all the pictures you want.
Wedding group photo ideas
Every family is different and come in all shapes and sizes so you have the freedom to free-style! However, if you are having trouble with your list, here are some ideas to get you started:
Parents (both together)
Bride’s immediate family
Groom’s immediate family
Wedding party
Your kids (if applicable)
Other options:
Grandparents
Bride with bridesmaids
Groom with groomsmen
Bride’s extended family
Groom’s extended family
Friends
In the case of your parents being separated, you may need to include a further picture to have your mum’s side of the immediate family separate to your dad’s side.
A lot of couples want a photo of everyone. This actually takes a long time to arrange and the result isn't usually worth the effort. The only times we would recommend doing a photo of everyone is if your guest list is small (30 people or less) or there is an elevated position to take the photo from.
Quick tips
Location - where possible, we prefer to do the group photos outside in the natural light, close by to the venue. This ensures everyone sticks together as a group and are ready for when their name is called.
Time - please allow 20-30 minutes in your schedule for the group photos.
Mobility - let us know if you have any guests that have restricted mobility or have difficulty walking or standing for long periods of time as this can influence where to do them.
Don't get us wrong, the group photos are important and it makes sense to take the opportunity to get a family photo while everyone's together, but trust us, you don't want the group photos taking over the whole day.
Written by Eleth Mageehan, (c) 2020, all rights reserved.
