Thinking about writing down groupings for your family formal portraits can be a daunting task. I think there is a little misconception about this part of the wedding day. Often times couples come with 100+ groupings or they have no idea where to start. I will always say, it doesn't matter to me if you want to spend thirty minutes or three hours on this part of the day. It is your day and I am there to fulfill your vision. However, I've yet to meet a couple's family who is enthusiastic about three hours of formal portraits. Which is why, I've created this blog post and guide to helping you narrow down your list and get the most effective family formals your family has ever seen!
Step One: Decide Who will be in These Photos
The first part of the process is to decide who is going to be included in your family formal portraits. For this blog post, I am going to use my own family (and hypothetical fiancé) as an example. I have quite a large family as I'm one of eight siblings total! My parents are divorced and both remarried and the majority of my family lives in the same city, so we're pretty tight knit. I think this will work as a good example to show how we can get everyone in the photos while keeping it simple. For this scenario, I have decided that I want my parents, siblings, sibling's spouses/children, and grandparents in these photos. My hypothetical fiancé (let's call him Lenny) is also wanting to include the same people from his side.
Step Two: Think About Family Groupings and Dynamics
Because my parents are divorced, not everyone belongs to the same family unit. I would recommend writing down a drafted list of your family groupings. There's no specific order to it, just get the names on the paper.
EXAMPLE:
"Bride's Mom's Side" | Mom (Shelly), Stepdad (Steve), Siblings (Ginger, Jordan, Shelby), Grandparents (Norma, Bob)
"Bride's Dad's Side" | Dad (Doug), Stepmom (Brenda), Siblings (Ginger, Kate, Trevor, Jeremy, Corey), Sibling's Spouses & Children (Bob, Parker, Caden, Carmen)
"Groom's Immediate Family" | Mom (Mary), Dad (Robert), Siblings (Justin, Alice, Alexa), Grandparents (Bruce, Janet, Jerry, Melinda)
Step Three: Write Out the Photos You Want Individually
For this step, write out the groupings that you want WITHOUT your significant other. Usually, this is a pretty short list, as most couples decide the include their significant other in the majority of photos.
EXAMPLE:
Bride + Bride's Mom (Shelly)
Bride + Bride's Dad (Doug)
Bride + Bride's Stepdad (Steve)
Bride + Bride's Stepmom (Doug)
Bride + Bride's Grandparents (Norma, Bob)
Groom + Groom's Mom (Mary)
Groom + Groom's Dad (Robert)
Groom + Groom's Maternal Grandparents (Bruce, Janet)
Groom + Groom's Paternal Grandparents (Jerry, Melinda)
The example list above should only take 18-27 minutes
Step Four: Write the Remaining Groupings with Your Significant Other
This is where it might get tricky. To start with, keep in mind how long you want to spend on these photos. A good rule of thumb is 2-3 minutes per grouping. In this example, my fiancé and I have decided that we don't want to spend too long on these photos as we want to join cocktail hour with our guests!
EXAMPLE:
Bride + Groom + Bride's Mom's Side Parents (Shelly, Steve)
Bride + Groom + Bride's Dad's Side Parents (Doug, Brenda)
Bride + Groom + Bridal's Biological Family Unit (Shelly, Doug, Ginger)
Bride + Groom + Bride's Mom's Side Parents + Siblings + Grandparents (Shelly, Steve, Ginger, Jordan, Shelby, Norma, Bob)
Bride + Groom + Bride's Dad's Side Parents + Sibling's + Siblings Spouses/Children (Doug, Brenda, Ginger, Kate, Bob, Parker, Caden, Trevor, Carmen, Jeremy, Corey)
Bride + Groom + Groom's Parents (Mary, Robert)
Bride + Groom + Groom's Parents + Siblings + Grandparents (Mary, Robert, Justin, Alice, Alexa, Bruce, Janet, Jerry, Melinda)
The example list above should only take 16-24 minutes
Step Five: Prioritize Groupings
You know your family the best! Work with your photographer to order these groupings in the most logical order possible. For example, anyone with any difficulty standing for long periods of time or younger children should be photographed first so they don't have to wait on the rest of the pictures.
Pro Tip: Include First Names
If you noticed that I included first names in my list, there's a reason for that! Instead of your photographer calling out "Mother of the Bride!" people are more likely to respond to their first name. This helps the process speed up and stay stress free!
 | Hi, I’m Cassidy Drury, a Kansas City-based luxury wedding photographer with a passion for capturing timeless love stories in an elegant, artful way. I focus on creating heirloom-quality images that you’ll treasure for generations, ensuring no detail is overlooked. Whether it’s your wedding day or a special moment leading up to it, I’m dedicated to providing a seamless, thoughtful experience from start to finish. If you’re ready to invest in beautiful, meaningful photography, let’s connect and start planning how to bring your vision to life! |
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