Organizing Family Formal Photos

Keeping your family portraits running smooth is a huge time and stress saver.

Family photos are typically done right after the ceremony.  It's the time where everyone is readily available, before they wander off to the bar, back to their rooms etc.

While I don't recommend a 'shot-list' for the wedding overall, I highly recommend one for this small part of the day.  Leading up to the wedding day I ask couples for a specific list of family members they'd like included their family photos.  Typically it's reserved for parents, grandparents and siblings however it can really include anyone you'd like - just remember that the longer the list, the more time that is required for that part of the day.

A few tips when creating your list, sort the list into bride's side and groom's side to help keep the photo groupings organized.  It's best to have grandparents and kids first on the list so they're not standing around for too long waiting.

Here's a simple, sample format to arrange your list... 

Sample Family Photo shot-list

With this specific list you can assign me someone from your group (someone who knows everyone on the list) to help identify/collect the different groupings on the side while we're shooting.  This saves an enormous amount of time and makes sure we don't miss any of the VIPs.  The more organized we are, the faster everyone can get to the bar!

Family photos are a huge part of your wedding day, this quick wedding planning tip will go a long way to helping things run smooth.