Formal Family Wedding Portraits

Capturing family portraits during your wedding will take a little planning. This guide should help you get your shot list organized.

Your list should be compiled of different combinations of family members you want pictures with on your wedding day. Typically we take formal family portraits during the cocktail hour, so that your other guests are entertained while you and your family, the hosts of the event, are busy taking pictures.

Your list should use your family and friends first names, or the names that they would respond to, if they heard their name in a crowded room.

Example of how your list should look:

Family:

  1. Ross, Rachel, Ben, Emma (Bride and Groom with kids)

  2. Ross, Rachel, Ben, Emma, Jack Sr, Judy, Monica, Chandler, Jack Jr., Ericka, and Althea (The Gellher Family)

  3. Ross, Rachel, Althea (Bride + Groom with Grandmother)

  4. Ross, Rachel, Jack Sr., Judy (Groom + Parents)

  5. Ross, Rachel, Monica (Groom + Sibling)

  6. Rachel, Ross, Emma, Sandra, Leonard, Jill, Amy (The Green’s)

  7. Rachel, Ross, Sandra, Leonard (Bride + Parents)

  8. Rachel, Jill, Amy (Bride with Siblings)

Consider the flow of the list to accommodate Family and Friends with special needs. The main groups to look out for are Disabled, Elderly, Small Children and Nursing or Pregnant Mother’s. If you can group the shots that they are in relatively close together so they are able to get their photos over with and they aren’t burdened with having to move in and out of shots.