One of the most stressful parts of the wedding day for a wedding photographer (well at least it is for me!) is the dreaded family formals. These are something that we take every wedding, and if you take the time to set yourself up for success prior to the wedding day, you’ll be so thankful that you did! Today, I’m sharing my top 3 tips to ensure that you can quickly & efficiently capture the formal family photos, so that your bride and her family can go enjoy the rest of her wedding.

1. Create a list before the wedding day. I have done this for every wedding I’ve ever photographed, and this helps to ensure that we don’t miss an obvious combination. I send all of my brides a questionnaire about 2 months prior to the wedding day that asks about the combinations that they’re interested in, and then we talk about it & fine tune it during their final wedding consultation.
2. Designate someone to be responsible for gathering the family members who are up next on deck. For me, this is usually my second shooter! If you’re shooting the wedding solo, I recommend partnering with a sibling of the couple – hopefully they should be able to recognize the family members and gather them quickly.
3. Print out the list on a physical piece of paper. There’s just something about being able to physically cross something off the list as it gets done. You can also add combinations and make a note of combinations that you need to come back to later in the day. Believe me, I’ve tried just running down the list on a phone, and it’s easier to miss combinations than you might think.

Because I love you guys, I’m going to be sharing my recommended list of formal family photos with you! This is the most common list that my brides use for their wedding days. Hopefully it takes out some of the guesswork during the planning process.

If you have any questions about creating a photography-friendly wedding day, I’d love to chat with you about how I can serve you on your wedding! Contact me today!