Planning Your Family Formal Wedding Photos
Get ready to strike a pose and channel your inner supermodel because, once you exchange your vows and say ‘I do’, it’s time for your wedding day photoshoot! While your wedding day photography will include plenty of romantic shots with your spouse and bridal party, no photo session is complete without some family formal wedding photos.
However, as our wedding photography experts will tell you, deciding who gets to pose with you and your groom after the ceremony is not something that should be left to chance. That’s why we’ve created a comprehensive guide to family formal wedding photos, to help you plan and organize these important shots in advance, and ensure that everything runs smoothly on your big day. With our guide, you’ll have all the information you need to create a beautiful and memorable collection of family formal wedding photos that you’ll cherish for years to come.
The Clock is Ticking
Most of these family formal photos will take place following the ceremony. Getting married at a church? Most churches will allow up to 30 minutes for family formal images — this is where planning is key! With each setup taking 2-4 minutes, that means you can expect roughly 12-15 wedding day family formal images at the church.
Prioritize Your People
Prior to the big day, your wedding photographer will likely ask you for a wedding photo list, which will outline specific family formal wedding photos you and your soon-to-be spouse want to be sure and take during the wedding. A complete wedding family formal photo list will help you and your photographer make the most of your time. Work with your wedding photographer to develop a priority list. There are some people whose presence in family formals is expected – you, your groom, parents and siblings. Beginning with your most immediate family members, you will begin adding in people that will form your blended families; both of you with each set of parents, combined parents, grandparents, etc.
Once you have completed your “must have” family formal combinations, it’s time to add on the photos of more extended family; a group shot of all the cousins, a photo with your aunt and uncle that traveled from the other side of the country to be at your special day. These photos don’t necessarily need to be taken at the church or chapel, but can be captured more candidly during cocktail hour or the reception.
BONUS TIP: Hiring two wedding photographers helps… a lot. While your ‘main’ photographer can focus on core family, your second photographer can make friends or coworkers their priority — that way everyone is covered!
Your Family Formal Wedding Photo Checklist
Keep in mind — each family has unique needs that don’t fit to a “standard” list — so adjust accordingly, that’s where your wedding photographer comes in (once again). They’ll work with you to create a customized list of the formal photos for your wedding day. Feel free to print this list!
- Bride, groom and officiant
- Bride with bridesmaids
- Groom with groomsmen
- Bride and groom with bridesmaids
- Bride and groom with groomsmen
- Bride and groom with flower girl/ring bearer
- Bride and groom with entire wedding party
- Bride and groom with entire wedding party with ring bearer and flower girl
- Bride and groom with bride’s parents
- Bride and groom with groom’s parents
- Bride and groom with both sets of parents
- Bride with her siblings
- Groom with his siblings
- Bride and groom with bride’s extended family (grandparents, siblings)
- Bride and groom with groom’s extended family (grandparents, siblings)
Additional Family Formal Combinations
These images don’t necessarily need to be taken at your ceremony location. Think about the different location options for your family’s formal wedding photos and discuss these locales with your photographer.
- Bride with maid of honor only
- Bride with each bridesmaid
- Groom with best man only
- Groom with each groomsman
- Bride and groom with maid of honor and best man
- Bride with flower girl
- Groom with the ring bearer
- Bride and groom with extended family (cousins, aunts, uncles)
- Bride and groom with any special friends/guests in attendance
- Bride and groom with pets, if part of the wedding
- Bride with groomsmen
- Groom with bridesmaids
- Generational photos (bride with her mother, grandmother, great-grandmother)
- Bride with God-parents
- Groom with God-parents
Finalizing your wedding photo list, portrait locations, and other details in advance of your big day will ensure that your wedding portraits and family wedding photos go smoothly and, best of all, quickly.
Mike Staff is the founder and CEO of Mike Staff Productions, one of the most highly acclaimed wedding services companies in the country, providing award-winning Wedding DJs, Wedding Photographers, and Wedding Videography for over 25 years.
