Keep Time in Mind

The best time to take your family formals is either right before your ceremony, or immediately after. We personally love going somewhere that really showcases the beauty of your venue. However, if you have a list with dozens of combinations, having your family there will become very uncomfortable for them, especially in the hot summer heat. As wedding photographers, it is our job to come up with a workflow to get you from the ceremony to the reception as quickly as possible. It is very easy for family members to get to talking, slowly walk up when they are called, be distracted, etc. That can start adding a lot of time to how long family formals goes.

Grouping multiple families together into one photo is a great way to minimize time and still get you a beautiful portrait with the family members that are important to you

Here is an example:

1.~Bride + Groom + Uncle John's family
2.~Bride + Groom + Uncle Bob's Family
3.~Bride + Groom + Aunt Olivia's Family
4.~Bride + Groom + Uncle Scotts family

1.~Bride + Groom + Uncle John's family
+ Uncle Bob's Family + Aunt Olivia's Family + Uncle Scott's Family

Also, designate someone from each side of the family to help get family members for the photographers. As photographers, we know who your parents are, siblings, and grandparents.....but we have absolutely no idea who Aunt Barbara is or your Uncle Johnny's son Bobby is. Having a sibling or someone close to each side of the family be able to grab and gather family members for us will greatly minimize time you and your family have to stand around for family formals.