Tips to Make Family Photos Fast and Easy for Everyone
As a wedding photographer in Nova Scotia and the Maritimes, I know how important formal photos of your family and friends are on your wedding day. They capture the love and joy shared between your closest loved ones. However, without proper planning, they can also be time-consuming and stressful and no one wants to stand around for hours waiting for Uncle Bob to come back from the bar, or have a photographer that isn't organised and ready to move through the family photographs so you can get back to your party. Here are my top tips to ensure your family photos are quick, efficient, and enjoyable for everyone involved.
Many of the same principles I discuss in my guide on planning your wedding without a planner can also help make family photographs run much more smoothly on the day.
1. Plan Ahead with a Shot List
Roughly 8 weeks before your wedding day,I will send you a list of the most popular wedding photos couples choose of their family. It is easy to forget family members (like your God mother or best auntie) so my list guides you to ensure no important shots are missed and helps streamline the process. Included specific groupings such as:
- Immediate family (parents, siblings)
- Extended family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins)
- Special groups (stepfamilies, close friends who are like family
- University friends, Stag do boys, sports team friends, colleagues, etc.
If you are currently putting together your wedding timeline, be sure to leave enough time in your schedule for family photographs so they can be completed without feeling rushed.
2. Communicate with Your Family
Inform your family members ahead of time about when and where the photos will take place. Encourage them to be present, ready, and on time. This avoids unnecessary delays and last-minute scrambling.
3. Choose the Right Location
Select a nearby, easily accessible spot at the venue with good lighting. Ideally, choose an area with minimal distractions to keep everyone focused and engaged.
If you are still choosing a venue, you may find inspiration in my guides to the best wedding venues in Nova Scotia and the best wedding venues in Halifax.
4. Assign a Family member or friend
A trusted friend, bridesmaid, or family member who knows the key people for each side of the family can assist me in gathering and organizing groups. This helps speed up the process and keeps things running smoothly. It means you two can stand there and we just add people in and take people out. This gets the process moving much quicker so the key people (YOU) are not trying to find family members.
5. Keep It Short and Sweet
While it’s tempting to capture every combination, keeping the list concise ensures guests stay happy and the process remains efficient. By sticking to the list we compiled before the wedding will limit the number of posed shots to what truly matters. I promise you if the list gets too long you will get tired and have had enough after 20 minutes.
6. Encourage Natural Interactions
Rather than stiff, overly posed photos, I will encourage families to smile, laugh, and interact naturally. This results in more genuine, heartfelt images. Most families like one another (honestly its' true!) and when you pull everyone into an embrace they will naturally react and those are the best pictures.
This approach is very similar to the techniques I discuss in my guide on how to feel comfortable in front of the camera on your wedding day.
7. Be Mindful of Elderly Guests and Kids
Grandparents and young children may have limited patience, so I will prioritize their photos first. If needed, we can have chairs available for those who may need a break.
8. Have Fun with It!
Family photos don’t have to be stressful! We can have music playing, corny jokes cracked, a beer close at hand, and we will keep the mood light. When everyone is relaxed and enjoying themselves, the photos will reflect that joy.
By following these tips, you’ll ensure that your family photos are a smooth, fun, and cherished part of your wedding day. As a Nova Scotia wedding photographer, my goal is always to make the process as seamless and enjoyable as possible—so you can get back to celebrating with the people you love most!
For more wedding planning advice, you may also enjoy my guides on planning your wedding without a wedding planner, questions to ask your wedding photographer before booking, and rain on your wedding day in Nova Scotia.
