The Wedding Photo List You Do Need For Your Wedding Day

I love lists. Seriously, I am a list fiend. I use Trello, where I can make lists of my lists which will likely end up on another list. If it is important and I want to remember it, it is on a list. In my phone, on a post-it, scribbled in notebooks, written in Sharpie on the back of my hand…..you catch my drift. They are the perfect reassurance I need that everything is accounted for and nothing will be forgotten.

As a wedding photographer, my joy of lists knows no bounds! One of my favorite things to collaborate with my couples on is a shot list for family photos. A big goal of mine is making sure that I have documented all the group shots the bride and groom want for their day. I want them to LOVE their photos and look back on them fondly.  No regrets. Weddings can be chaotic and the last thing any bride and groom should have on their mind is making sure they get photos with all of their loved ones. While I will take a ton of photos throughout the day, it is impossible for me to know everyone a couple must have a photo with. That’s where the shot list comes in!

30 days before a wedding, I send my couples a questionnaire going over the combination of family images they’d like captured on the wedding day. I like to think of it as one gigantic family session broken up throughout the day! Here are some of the best tips I tell my brides and grooms as they prepare their list:

1.  Save extended family formals for the reception

There are numerous moving pieces to a wedding day, it can be so hard to coordinate extended family photos during the time set aside for family formals. There is always at least one person missing and, let’s be real, everyone is ready to move onto the cocktail hour. It can really slow the process down and take away from capturing those must-have images! Leave your family formal time for just immediate family. Large group shots are most successful when done at the reception location. Everyone is in the same room and it is a much more relaxed environment.

2. Communicate with your family about the location and dedicated time for family portraits

Letting your immediate and any extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins) know ahead of time where to be for family portraits makes the process quick and painless. Better yet, utilize your MC/DJ to announce when your group shots are taking place to help corral everyone. No one listens quicker than when the DJ calls them out. 😉

3. Choose a dedicated family member to help out

I have always found it extremely helpful when a bride assigns one relative from each family that knows everyone and can gather family members for photos. That way while I’m shooting one cluster of family members, they can be preparing the next group with my second shooter. Again, it helps to keep things flowing quick and painless. These dedicated individuals really help keep family formals on time, often no longer than 30 minutes!

4. When creating a list, make sure to include names

I was taught from a young age that not addressing a person by their name was unbelievably rude. Countless years of customer service have also drilled home the need to be personable will each person I meet by simply using their name. I like to have the names of family members to go along with the list so I’m not referring to everyone as the “Bride’s sister” or “Groom’s grandmother” all day long. I don’t feel very friendly in those instances! 🙂

A little extra planning and communication can go a long way to making family formals run smooth and stress-free. That way you can have more time to enjoy the other aspects of your wedding day! Because like I said, once that ceremony is over, everyone is ready to move on to the party!!