Guide: Formal Photo List
Family and wedding party portraits are some of the most enduring photos from your wedding day! These are the images that will be framed and treasured by your parents, grandparents, and future generations.
But photo fatigue is very real.
The goal is not to create every possible photo combination. For most weddings, we recommend keeping formal family photos to about 5–12 groupings, and no more than 15 if possible. You can absolutely add more if needed! But every extra combination adds time, and that time usually comes from cocktail hour, couple portraits, or simply your ability to relax and enjoy the day.
If you want lots of extra friend groups, cousin groups, college friends, work friends, or table-by-table photos, those are usually better captured during the reception in a more relaxed way.
Wedding Party Photos
-
Bride & Groom with entire wedding party
-
Bride with bridesmaids*
-
Groom with groomsmen*
-
Bride & Groom with flower girl(s), ring bearer(s), other kids in the wedding party
-
Individual photos with each wedding party member**
* Can be before the ceremony, even if there is no first look.
** Optional; we recommend choosing the essentials first, then adding optional individual photos only if they are truly important to you to have in addition to the group photo.
Family Photos
For family photos, we usually recommend starting with the largest groups first, then removing people as we move into smaller combinations. This helps everyone stay nearby and keeps the process moving smoothly.
Immediately after the large group(s), it is also helpful to photograph grandparents, elderly relatives, young children, or anyone with limited mobility earlier in the list so they do not have to stand and wait longer than necessary.
For extended family, we recommend doing one large photo per side rather than many smaller aunt, uncle, and cousin combinations.
You do not need to use every grouping below. This is simply a helpful starting point as you create your own list.
-
Bride & Groom with everyone listed below
-
Bride & Groom with bride’s extended family
-
Bride & Groom with groom’s extended family
-
Bride & Groom with both immediate families
Parents, siblings, siblings’ spouses/partners, nieces/nephews, and grandparents. -
Bride & Groom with all parents & grandparents
Both sets of parents together, if family dynamics allow. -
Any desired combos of smaller groups of grandparents & parents**
Important Notes
Please choose 2 family "photo wranglers," one from each side of the family. These 2 people should be familiar with the people involved and comfortable calling them over or chasing them down. We can direct, pose, and organize the photos, but people who already know them can identify them much faster than we can.
Please let us know ahead of time if there are sensitive family relationships, divorced parents who should not be photographed together, step-parents or blended family groupings, grandparents or relatives with mobility limitations, any special person who should be prioritized, or any relatives who should not be included in formal portraits.
Tell your family ahead of time that they will need to be ready for family photos at the time you have chosen on your schedule. Most often, this means that they should be told not to leave right after the ceremony; photos will move much more efficiently if everyone stays close.
We hope this is helpful! Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or would like our help. We are here to serve you!