Family photos are chaotic. I love chaos 🙂  I often encourage chaos. But on a wedding day, on a timeline, with hungry people we need to keep things rolling, especially during family photos. <- Is that a run-on sentence? I was never good at english. Let me help you organize this chaos and keep everyone happy, including yourself!

A couple years ago I had a conversation with some other photographers on how we dreaded family photos on a wedding day. At first I thought ‘SWEET! I’m not alone, we all dread them!  But then it occurred to me, what is wrong with us!  We must be doing this wrong. They’re such a small portion of a wedding, yet so important to the family. And if I’m dreading it and not enjoying it, well then the family is not going to be enjoying it either. How can I make this better.

After a few hours of reconfiguring my approach to family photos I had set up the perfect plan. And it’s worked like a charm since. Family photos rarely take longer than 15 minutes, doesn’t matter how big the family is. We all have fun. Get every image they want. Even the ones they think won’t happen, think split families.

As I’m starting to prep things for my first wedding of the year next month  I’ll be putting together their family photo list and thought that many of you may love this process if you had a “plan of attack.”

– Make a plan!

When I first started, prior to the wedding day we’d discuss when during the day we were going to do family photos. But, we didn’t discuss which photos they wanted, who they wanted to include, an idea of where. Make a plan!  When you gather a group of 20 people and don’t have a plan of the photos, they all have an idea of what you should do. And crazy chaos ensues. By the end you’re exhausted and hangry. Yes, hangry. You’ve been go-go-go and you’re so ready for dinner. And after the demands of 20 people and what photos they want and how to do it you’re so hungry you’re angry. Also known as “hangry.”

– Guide your Bride & Groom

Chances are this is their first time getting married, they haven’t done this before. They don’t know what family photos to get, not get, who should be in them. And if you don’t help them through this Mom is going to take control and tell you that you need to take a million and ten photos in the most unorganized way and then chances are they don’t even print all of those. Love you, Mom’s!! Just keepin’ it real 😉

I send out a questionnaire to my couples a month before their wedding with questions specific to the wedding day. I wait until a month before as things change in the planning process but a month before things are pretty set in stone. I send my questionnaires through my studio management software (I use Pixifi). They’re all online so couples can jump on at any time and make changes if needed. In the questionnaire I have a checklist of the basic family images. It gives us a starting point. And after the checklist I ask if there are additional images they want. Usually they answer with one of both of their families together, or both mom & dad’s sides of the family, or one of them with all of their cousins and aunts and uncles. We now have a starting point to our plan!

– Get names!

On that same wedding day questionnaire I ask for some names. Bridal Party to start. That helps me know and remember how many are in the party as well as I remember all of their names better when I’ve already seen them before. But I also ask for immediate family members names. Parents (which includes step parents if they have a split family), siblings, and grandparents. Since those are the main people included in the photo checklist. Which leads me to my next point….

– Make a list that flows, WITH NAMES!

When you send your assistant off to find family members they start yelling out titles. Father of the Bride is talking with friends and the guests and they shout “FATHER OF THE BRIDE” First of all he’s a man, they have a hard time listening (sorry guys, but you do). By the time he realizes someone is shouting to get someone’s attention he only hears “BRIDE!” well that’s not him and he carries on with his conversation. But if someone were to say “MIKE!” he’d turn his head and raise his glass saying “YA! That’s me!”

Next thing, don’t send your assistant to find family members. Your assistant has no idea who Aunt Jan is and their search through 200 people turns into yelling their name over and over and over, or asking a bunch of people they don’t know if they know or have seen Aunt Jan. It’s inefficient. And as much as we like to say telling the family a set time beforehand…. it never works. You’re always missing someone. Instead I pull the Bride & Groom’s best friends. Best friends generally have been around for quite a while and know the family. And if they don’t know the crazy uncle that rarely comes around they know enough of the guest list to find someone who does know the crazy uncle. When I make the family photo list I make a list at the top of just names. I print it and have it on my phone. I give the paper to the one best friend and my phone to the other and send them out into the masses to bring back the people. While Bride & Groom are still hugging and gushing with their friends and parents who are there.

The list. Make it flow. Unless the couple has requested a large group photo of both of their families together I start with the largest family. So if the Groom’s family is bigger I start with his side. The quicker I can get people in an out of photos and onto drinks and appetizers the happier they are. And therefore, the happier I am! I start with the largest group photo and weed it down to the Groom & his mom. And then I move onto to the brides family. If the couple has requested the ENTIRE family photo I will still start with whoever has the biggest family. In this case the Groom, but I do it backwards. Start with him and his mom and end with his entire family. Then, add in the Bride’s entire family and work from there.

And knowing their names is so important. They really respond better to “Mike could you move slightly to your left? Perfect!” Or “Mike will you hop in here?” Or “Mike could you hop out of this one?”  People appreciate hearing their name. And in using it they feel like you care about them. Which makes them love you. People who love you, talk about you 🙂

– Become familiar with your list!

I always know what my next 2 photos are going to be. I know who’s hopping in and who is hopping out. That keeps me from staring at my list figuring out where we are. And the family is more comfortable with having someone who knows what is next, what is going on, and has control. They want these family photos but they don’t wanna miss out on food and drinks to get them 😉 Know your list and keep ’em moving.

– Respect their wishes.

Family realize last minute that one person they didn’t think was coming ended up coming or there is this one other photo they’d love. And they ask for it. If you have a list, a plan, a workflow that runs quick and smooth then you have time for those 1 or 4 other photos that have been requested. It’s usually a parent that sneaks up in my ear while I’m working through my list and says could we get one of so, so, and so. To which I always reply- “Absolutely! Just have them all here and when I get through the main list we’ll snap a few quick ones.” Now they love you even more.

– Let Grandma get her photo.

I alway find a location that has great light and isn’t right next to the ceremony site or cocktail hour. That’s to help keep it organized and moving without 150 guests adding their requests in 😉 But because I always have all of the family there, they want photos of their own. For some it’s the first time they’ve all been together and they are excited. You start taking photos and they start gathering around with their cameras. I set up my photo and then I talk to grandma and the cousins & fam, and say “Ok, I’m going to count to 3 and I want all of you looking at my camera. I take 3 quick photos and then I’ll tell you to look over here towards Grandma for her photo. Cool?!” Everyone is down with it. And Grandma is so excited she is getting her photo. The cousins and aunts all gather around Grandma with their cameras and are ready for their chance. And literally it’s that quick. So and so in, or so and so out. Come together. 1. 2. 3. Click. Click. Click. Now look at Grandma! Clickity click. Ok now so and so in or out. It moves and everyone is excited.

– Make them love on each other.

This is the last thing. For some this is the first formal photo of their family. Or first in a while. They want that nice, everyone-looking-at-the-camera-image. But they love and appreciate an image that shows them really loving each other. Especially dad’s with their little girls, and mom’s with their boys. With these images and siblings I take that formal photo and then say “Oh come on love on one another!” They hug tighter. They kiss each other. They laugh. This truly captures them. And the family loves these special images.

This list might seem long. But really that’s it. There isn’t much to it. Guide your couples on what photos they should consider. Gather names. Create a list (doesn’t take long). Enlist best friends to gather. And have some fun snapping away. These images are printed more than any other. Family members go crazy for them. So let the chaos ensue, just organize it a bit 😉

 

 

 

 

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