Wedding Group Photos: How to Plan Your List

Group photographs are the part of the day most likely to overrun, and the part your parents will care about most. A little planning turns them from a bottleneck into fifteen easy minutes.

Start with who genuinely matters

Immediate family, grandparents, wedding party. Beyond that, be honest about whether you’ll ever look at the photograph again. A tight list means the ones that matter are done properly rather than rushed through at the end.

A workable running order

Largest first is the golden rule: everyone together, then both families, then each family, then parents, then grandparents, then the wedding party. That way people can leave and re-join the drinks as they’re released, rather than standing around waiting for their turn.

Largest groups first means guests get released back to the party as you go.

Nominate your gatherers

This is the single most useful thing you can do. One person from each side who knows the faces and isn’t shy about calling names across a lawn will save you ten minutes and a lot of standing about. Ushers are ideal; a photographer who doesn’t know anyone is not.

Handle the complicated families in advance

Most families have a combination that needs care — divorced parents, someone recently bereaved, a relative who shouldn’t be photographed next to another. Tell me quietly beforehand and I’ll manage it without anyone noticing on the day. It’s a normal part of the job.

A short list, done well, beats a long list done in a hurry.Nicola Gotts

Where we’ll do them

Somewhere with even light and a background that isn’t a car park. Most venues have an obvious spot, and if I’ve worked there before I’ll usually know it already — that’s part of why I mention venues I know on my wedding photography page. If it’s raining, we’ll find somewhere inside, which is worth thinking about in advance.