Building Your Wedding Day Family Photos List || Montana Wedding Photography

Wedding Day Family Photos Shot List

Ohhhh those wedding day family photos! Yelling at Aunt Marg from across the cocktail party while wrangling little Jonny B away from the dessert table that’s not supposed to be touched yet, while Grandma Betty mayyybe had a little bit too much champagne while getting ready and she’s wanting to “just dance already!“

Yup, I’ve seen it all. (Names changed for privacy) Family photos can be a hectic time of the day… but they are SO important! You’re most likely going to really want those images in the future so that you can sit down with your children or at a family reunion that’s 10 years down the road and pull out images of family members so that people are able to put faces to names after someone has passed. And I bet your grandma would LOVE to have a print of the two of you with her hanging up in her living room. (Or maybe not, but you get the point!)

When I photograph weddings, one of the biggest things that I push my couples to get to me is a wedding day family photos shot list! I don’t care how big or small it is… I still want one! And my favorite is when it comes with the actual names of the family members. That way when the time that we set aside for these portraits comes, I can pull it out and yell out the exact names of who is needed where. It really does help things go smoothly! AND we make get the photos that you want! Because you know your family much better than I do!

Here are a few tips to follow when it comes to making your Wedding Day Family Photos List!

1. Like I mentioned above, be sure to use actual names (or what you refer to family members as) It’s much more helpful then yelling out, “mom, dad, aunt, uncle, cousins!” Then everyones wondering which cousins and which uncle, etc!
2. Start large! When creating your list, think about starting with the largest group photo that you’d like and then slowly start breaking people away. Then we can get the large groups done and send the aunts, uncles, cousins off to cocktail hour while we work on more immediate family! Also, put the large groups of both sides (bride + groom) at the beginning of the list.
3. Next up, put family members that have a little less patience (think young kiddos, or even dogs!) or that may have a harder time getting around at the top of the list. A lot of times grandma and grandpa have a hard time standing for long periods, so it’s best to get those photos with them done so that they can go relax!
4. After listing the members in 1 and 2, focus on one side of the family! Maybe start off with the brides side and list all of the photos that include her family! Then move onto the grooms, or vice versa. Sometimes one side of the family is more involved with dinner or has a job to do after the ceremony. Make sure to get their portraits listed out first so that they can get on their way to help keep everything moving smoothly!

Other things to think about:
– If you want a HUGE photo of all of your guests, right after the ceremony is usually the best time to do it since everyone is in one spot! Make sure that there is a place that is high enough for the photographer to get so that everyone can be in the image. Depending on the size of your guest list, you’ll probably want at least 6 feet of height!
– It doesn’t matter if your family photos list is large or small! Just make sure that you get the portraits that you really want. A lot of times it isn’t often that the entire family is together! The larger the list, we’ll obviously need more time but we can make it happen!
– Check in with family members when making your list. Parents often want a special shot that you might not think of!
– I always scope out good spots for portraits the day of the wedding and am here to help! But if you have a particular place in mind remember that nice even light is the best spot for these portraits. Not spotted with shadows and where the light falls evenly on everyones faces! We also don’t want everyone staring directly into the sun.
– If you want to shoot some immediate family photos before the ceremony, we can make that happen! Just be sure to let everyone know that they need to be ready in time.
– Before your wedding day, or at the rehearsal dinner I HIGHLY suggest letting family members that will be in the portraits know when they’ll be taking place. More often than not someone takes off right after the ceremony and the whole group is waiting for them to come back. You can let them know by announcing it at the rehearsal dinner or I think the best way is by sending out an email beforehand! Write up one message saying something along the lines of, “Hey, you’re going to be in our family portraits which will be taking place at this time! Please stick around because we don’t want you to miss out and it’s important for us that you’re a part of them! We wanted to let you know beforehand so that you’re prepared.” Stick it in a group email, press send and wa-la! Hopefully everyone listens, haha!

I know that is a lot of information and that it takes some time to put the Wedding Day Family Photos List together, but if you sit down and do it beforehand it will be so worth it! And remember, I’m always here to help you!

Want more wedding planning tips or inspiration? Head here!