You’re not the sort of couple that wants to stand around for ages waiting for people to assemble for group shots. You know group shots are important because after all, how often is it that most of your family gather in one place? But, at the same time, you want to spend as much time as possible enjoying cocktail hour which is when group photos typically take place.
The last thing you want is to have moments of boredom on your wedding day. But sadly that has been the experience for LOTS of couples…
Follow the 5 tips below and you’ll get your group shots taken in no time, so you can get back to partying!
1) Plan 6-8 group shots
If you’re having a large wedding, it’s easy for your list of group shots to spiral. Keeping group shots to a minimum is the best way to capture lovely photos of your closest family that are taken with the attention they deserve but without taking ages. This was one of the things I wish I’d done on my wedding day!
Here’s a suggested family group shot list that most couples go for.
Newlyweds with Bride’s close family:
• Parents
• Siblings
• Grandparents
Newlyweds with Groom’s close family
• Parents
• Siblings
• Grandparents
I’m ALWAYS happy to take impromptu shots of your other guests throughout your day, like your friends from Uni or your cousins etc
I enjoy helping my couples refine their list during our pre-wedding meeting. It’s great to see the relief on their faces when they can have a good variety of group shots without killing the vibe! Once your shots list is finalised, read on for how to make them go smoothly.
Group photos from a classy Langar Hall wedding and Asian-fusion wedding at the Carriage Hall
2) Get them done right after your ceremony – no more runaways
Everyone will be in one place after your ceremony at a church or venue, so it’s the perfect time to organise your group photos within 20 min quickly. If you leave it until later, your family members could be anywhere… I had one father of the bride leave the venue to run an errand and once a Groom’s parents turned up at the reception an hour after all the other guests!
3) Keep the family in the know!
Let your family members know where and when they are needed for your group shots before your big day. This will help to remind them not to run straight to the bar!
Also, it’s a good idea to manage the expectations of family members when it comes to group shots beforehand. Gently advise your family that you have a limited window for wedding group photos so that you can enjoy your day. Family members are always welcome to ask me to capture less formal, more spontaneous gatherings of guests later in the day. The last thing you want is for your parents to start requesting extra formal photos during the group photo slot because one extra photo can easily turn into five, so that’s an extra 10 minutes while you stand around like a lemon.
Group photos from an elegant wedding at Prestwold Hall, an orangery wedding ceremony at Foxtail Barns, an outdoor wedding ceremony at the Walled Garden and an award-winning wedding at the Pumping House in Olerton.
4) Have someone round up your guests for you
You don’t want to be rounding up your family on your wedding day, you want to be able to relax. Put someone who knows your family reasonably well in charge of that so they can take care of that for you. This could be a job for your best man and ushers or your bridesmaids. Give them a copy of your group shot list before your wedding day and things will go smoothly. Oh, and it’s really helpful for me as a photographer because I can focus (no pun intended) on taking photos and not on crowd management.
5) Choose a photographer that keeps things moving
As a wedding photographer who doesn’t boss your guests around, this is the only time I’ll give some clear and confident direction so that everyone looks good in your photos.
Once your family shots are taken care of, you can get back to the party and I can get back to shooting all the moments that you are going to love looking back over.
As a side note: Group shots don’t make the best use of my talents. Pretty much anyone can take a shot of people standing next to each other (9 times out of 10, there will be loads of guests crowding around me trying to take the same photo as me). My time is best used where I have the freedom to improvise and be creative 🙂
Group photos from a barn wedding at Prestwold Hall Barns in Leicestershire, an outdoor wedding at Norwood Park Nottingham and a tipi wedding at Whatton House.
Bonus tip 1) – Ask your guests to refrain from taking photos during your family photo time
When guests pile around me, angling to get a photo of the group, it makes everything take longer AND it could potentially ruin your family photos because chances are there will be eyes looking in other directions to my camera (despite me asking every to only look at me).
Bonus Tip 2) – Ditch the BIG photo of everyone shot
This might be controversial, but is a group shot of everyone worth it?
- You’ll only be able to see the faces in the first 3 rows of people- the rest will look like face-less blobs.
- You’ll never print a photo large enough to be able to see everyone’s faces.
Plus
- It takes away from you spending time with your party (rounding up over one hundred people is not a trivial task).
- Most people hate them.
So, ask yourself what’s the value in having it taken other than for the sake of having it taken?
Of course, I’m not against them, if you would like one bring it on! I’m more than happy to take any shots that you request. I just want to help you think through how certain shots will impact your day.
Group photo of an in-between moment from a superb wedding at the West Mill, Derbyshire
YOU MIGHT LIKE