Family Photos Without the Stress


Family photos can be one of the most stressful parts of a wedding day. Coordinating parents, siblings, in-laws, significant others, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends from BOTH SIDES of your family then double that because you have both sides of your spouses family too!! Then throw in people missing and heading to cocktail hour so they are nowhere you be found because they didn't know what time family photos were happening, etc etc etc. STRESSFUL!!!!


Here's my tips to have them run smoothly and with the least amount of stress so you have have photos of the people that mean the most on your wedding day.


  1. MAKE A LIST!! Write out all of the combinations you want and send it to your photographer before your wedding date! I recommend around 10-15 combinations. Then we can cross of the photos as we go so no one gets left out or no duplicates happen.
  2. Let the family members listed on the photo list know exactly when family photos are happening so no one wonders off and gets left out! Your officiant can also make a quick announcement after the ceremony to let the family know to stay close for family photos.
  3. Schedule doing your family photos to be right after the ceremony! Everyone is already in one place and easy to locate.
  4. Keep the combinations with both the bride and the groom in all of the photos. Doing just bride with extended family, now just groom with extended family and then both bride and groom with extended family will make family photos run late and dip far into your time for couple's portraits. Keep the combinations with both the bride and groom in the photos! It saves on time and its the photo everyone is going to save and print. Its your wedding day, show off your new spouse;)
  5. If you want photos with your extended family I recommend doing one large group shot instead of a photo with each aunt, uncle and cousin individually.
  6. Give copy of your list to a family member or friend that knows everyone that needs to be in the photos! I can call out names but it's usually my first time meeting your families. It is super helpful to have a second set of eyes that knows the names, faces and who everyone is.
  7. If there are any family members that DO NOT get along please let your photographer know so they don't accidentally get posed next to each other (e.g. divorced parents that are not comfortable standing next to each other in a photo).
  8. Make sure you planned enough time in your timeline for family photos. Family photos usually take around 20-30 mins:)