For a lot of couples, your wedding is the first time your entire family and all of your loved ones are all in one place – celebrating you! Because everyone is together, it’s obviously important that this is documented through photographs (maybe I’m a bit biased ;)). There are many ways to get this accomplished efficiently so you can get back to the party! Below are five tips for scheduling family portraits at your wedding!

 

1 – Make a list and include names

I can’t even begin to tell you how quickly this moves things along! After the ceremony, time is of the essence, so using time efficiently means more time to celebrate! Many families want photos at the altar or under the chuppah. With that being said, churches typically have time constraints limiting the amount of time we can spend taking photos in the church and many times if the ceremony and reception are in the same room, the room needs to be flipped for the reception, so getting this done quickly is important. If I have a list of actual names (i.e – Ruth, not Grandma) I can get through these pictures much more efficiently.

 

2 – Choose 20 combinations

Of course you want photos of specific family members, but rather than doing a whole ton of combinations with your extended family, try your best to limit it to a maximum of 20. As guests are mingling throughout the evening, we will be sure to get photos of them candidly laughing and enjoying themselves. After about 20 combinations, guests tend to get antsy waiting around so we would much rather catch them having a blast!

3 – Make sure everyone involved in the portraits knows where to be before the wedding day!

This is crucial! Make sure to let specific family members know where to be and when. Hiring a wedding planner absolutely helps in this aspect, as many create timelines specifically for family members and can help to ensure nobody misses where they need to be and when!

4 – Take family portraits after the first look!

If you haven’t read my post on the Benefits of a First Look, check it out! I love to take family photos before the ceremony because then the family is basically free of their duties before the ceremony even starts! Plus, this is when everyone’s hair and makeup is the freshest. Although most churches don’t allow you to get in earlier, we can always do family photos outside (my absolute favorite!) or can find a spot between your getting ready location and the ceremony. Having family join you at your first look spot also helps to keep things moving. However, if you are skipping a first look doing family photos immediately following the ceremony is fantastic too!

 

5 – Don’t forget to have fun

In the past, family portraits tend to lean towards a stuffy vibe. This is not the case anymore! Enjoy and have fun and take the family portraits where you’d like them. If you’d prefer to do them outside versus inside, then do it! If you’ve always pictured you’re family photos at the altar at church, then that’s what you should do. But the number one thing to remember is to have fun with it.

 

 

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