You don’t need all of cocktail hour for photos
“At my sister’s wedding, the family photos were so unorganized.”
“My cousin’s family photos took all of cocktail hour.”
“I’m really dreading the family photo portion of the wedding.”
I hear these comments ALL the time. It’s what happens when you don’t have a plan or communication around this portion of your wedding day.
But family photos don’t have to take forever, or be a headache! With a little preparation ahead of time and some clear communication on the wedding day, we can get through your family photo list in 15-20 minutes…tops. That way, you can spend the rest of your cocktail hour actually being a part of your wedding! (and eating those passed apps you LOVED picking out during your tasting day.)
Here are my three biggest tips for making family photos run as smoothly and quickly as possible:
Tip #1: Make an organized list ahead of time
The easiest way to make family photos move quickly? Know exactly what photos you want before the wedding day.
Rather than trying to come up with combinations on the spot, make a list of the family groupings you’d like photographed ahead of time, WITH EVERYONE’S NAMES.
I always provide an example list for my clients to reference, but this can look like:
- Bride + Groom w/ Bride Parents: Amelia + Brandon
- Bride + Groom w/ Bride siblings: Gavin, Ryan, Nina
- Bride + Groom w/ Bride parents, siblings, + grandparents: Amelia + Brandon, Gavin, Ryan, Nina
That way, I can pull out my teacher voice for roll-call for each group photo!
Pro tip: Put the largest groupings first and work our way down to smaller groups. That way, once someone is no longer needed, they can head off to enjoy the rest of cocktail hour! I usually like to dismiss small children and grandparents first, so keep that in mind as you make your lists!
Tip #2: Prioritize immediate family groupings
If you want to keep family photos quick, prioritize your immediate family first.
Your parents, siblings, grandparents, and other close family members are typically the people you most want photos with. Lots of couples will opt to do a first look then knock out their immediate family photos BEFORE their ceremony. That way photos are done sooner, and you’ll have even more time to enjoy cocktail hour.
If you’re planning to include more extended family, that’s totally fine! Just keep in mind that the more people and combinations you add, the longer family photos will take.
I know mom or Aunt Linda will say “but we haven’t had the family together in years!” which is usually true for weddings. Everyone’s together and dressed nicely, so if extended family must have a photo, do one or two big groups, then call it done.
Think of your family photo list in tiers: the must-haves first, followed by the would-be-nice-to-haves. That way, even if we’re running a little behind on the wedding day, we know exactly which photos matter most to you.
Tip #3: Don’t rely on an officiant announcement. Tell people ahead of time.
This is HUGE!!!
If you want specific family members in your formal photos, don’t assume they’ll know when and where they’re supposed to be.
It’s very common for couples ask their officiant to make an announcement after the ceremony telling everyone to stick around for family photos. And while they absolutely can help with this, I wouldn’t rely on that as your only ounce of communication. Some people may not know if they’re included, or they won’t even hear the announcement.
Instead, tell the people you want in family photos ahead of time that they’ll need to stick around after the ceremony and let them know where they should go. Either in person or as a text. Especially if any significant others or kiddos are involved in photos!
The more specific you can be, the better:
“After the ceremony, please don’t head to cocktail hour yet! We’re doing family photos immediately afterward. Meet us at the ceremony site at 4:30 so we can get started.”
That simple bit of communication can save us so much time on the wedding day, and leaves very little confusion for everyone!
The Goal: Quick Photos So You Can Party!
Family photos are important, but they don’t need to take forever or be a source of stress. A little planning beforehand means I can step in with a clear list, call people up as we need them, and keep everything moving.
The goal isn’t to rush through your photos—it’s to be intentional with our time so you get the photos you want without spending your entire cocktail hour standing in front of a camera. (or having people whisper in your ear which photos you SHOULD have. We have a list. We stick to it!)
Make the list, prioritize the people who matter most, communicate the plan ahead of time, and let your photographer (me!) handle the rest. We’ll get those family photos done and get you back to soaking in your first hours as newly weds!
