A common response I get from couples is, “I’d love to get family formal photos done as quickly as possible. You know, all the shots that mom and grandma want.” In this blog, I hope to give you helpful advice on family portraits after your ceremony.

To be honest, it varies from wedding to wedding but I try to keep them simple and done as soon as possible. As time passed with my experience in wedding photography, it’s important to discuss family formals with my clients in advanced so I know their expectations and how to approach family formals.

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Here is a scenario that has worked in many weddings I’ve photographed, I start with a large group and then dismiss members as we go down the list. Meaning, we start with one partner’s immediate family and then start dismissing aunts, uncles, cousins. Then I shoot the grandparents, siblings and parents with the couple. I then shoot both set of parents with the bride and groom and repeat this whole process for the other partner’s side of the family.

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Let’s dive right in on my top 5 tips for family portraits after your ceremony:

1. I recommend assigning a family member, maid of honor or best man to round up family members and make sure they meet at the designated area for formal family photos.
2. I encourage you to chat about family formals during your rehearsal, this way everyone is on the same page.
3. Type up a family formal list for your photographer and day of coordinator. They will have it handy to round up family members.
4. Hiring a day of coordinator or wedding planner is highly encouraged to keep track of time.
5. Letting family members know ahead of time what your timeline consists will let them know of your expectations.

I hope this gives you some insight about your timeframe when organizing your timeline. Here are some more helpful tips for organizing your wedding day timeline:

Don’t forget to leave me a comment below if this is helpful to you or you have any suggestions for me! Let’s connect on instagram here: http://www.instagram.com/wildlovepursuit