Today I wanted to share some tips for family formals on the wedding day for brides and for photographers! Let’s be honest, family photos on the wedding day are not always the most exciting! View photo above 😉 Flowers are missing, family tends to wander away, Aunt Sally needs every photo on her disposable camera, etc. We have all been there, so here are a few tips to help this time be more relaxing and enjoyable!
1) Create a plan with your photographer before the wedding day!
One of our favorite meetings with our Brittney and Caleb couples (besides the engagement session of course!) is the Final Wedding Meeting! We schedule this meeting 1.5-2 months before the big day to finalize details and prepare for the wedding! In this time we are sure to talk about family formals because we want our wedding day experience to be the best it can be, while getting every photo they want! Each family is unique, so there is no one way to make family photos a breeze.
Prior to our meeting with the couple, we send out a questionnaire that answers specific questions about each family. This will help us create an exact list of family photos for the wedding day. Be sure to be very honest and upfront about your desires for your family photos! These photos are a precious keepsake from your wedding day! Just think… years from now your grandkids may be looking at the photos! 😉
2) Send a family itinerary with the time and place they need to be!
This one is pretty simple… communication is KEY! There is nothing more stressful than family not showing up on time for photos or being in the wrong location. Send out a mass text or email letting everyone that needs to be at photos know what time to arrive and where to be. Note: Don’t forget to add in time for flowers to be pinned and passed out! If family photos start at 3PM and a handful of people need flowers pinned, tell them to arrive at 2:30PM.
3) Assign a “flower pinner”!
I cannot count the amount of times family photos start late because we are waiting on flowers to be pinned or passed out. This can create stress for the bride, groom, family, and photographer! Having someone in charge of handing out and pinning the flowers will ensure that family formals will not be delayed.
TIPS FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
1) The one question that has been a life-saver on our pre-wedding questionnaire is, “Are there any divorces or separations that we should be made aware of during family formals? Are there any family situations we should be away of?”. This questions has helped us avoid many awkward moments during family photos at weddings!
2) When it comes to photographing the family formals, work fast and furious! We spend maximum 15 minutes with each family! (Unless there are specific requests for extended family photos) The reason we are able to do this is because we have prepared with our pre-wedding questionnaire so we know exactly what shots we are taking. This makes organizing the photos less complicated!
3) Let the family know that you are willing to take extra individual family photos as soon as your shot list with the bride and groom is complete. We know they most likely need a break to eat, relax & enjoy their day, so as soon as they are finished, we let them go! Sadly, I have found that people often feel guilty asking the photographer to take extra professional family photos on the wedding day. I never want my client’s family to feel like they are being a pest asking for another photo! These wedding photos are priceless and we know how special it is to have everyone dressed up and together! If we are being 100% real, we have had some weddings that we just plain run out of time, but 99% of the time we can usually grab a fast photo! If not, tell them to track you down at the reception to get their photo! Happy family members and clients = the BEST way to get great word-of-mouth marketing! :)
Here is our general shot list that we start out with:
Bride’s Family
Bride + Mom
Bride + Dad
Bride + Mom & Dad
Bride & Groom + Mom & Dad
Bride & Groom + Mom & Dad + Siblings, spouses & kids
Bride + Siblings
Bride & Groom + Grandparents
Bride’s Parents Alone
Grandparents Alone
Bride & Groom + Both sets of parents
Groom’s Family
Groom + Mom
Groom + Dad
Groom + Mom & Dad
Groom & Bride + Mom & Dad
Groom & Bride + Mom & Dad + Siblings, spouses & kids
Groom + Siblings
Groom & Bride + Grandparents
Groom’s Parents Alone
Grandparents Alone
Happy Wedding Season!
xoxo,
Brittney and Caleb
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