FAMILY PORTRAIT SHOT LIST
IDEAL FORMAL PORTRAIT GROUPINGS
Putting together a well-organized list of family member groupings will ensure the formal family portrait session goes smoothly and quickly. Unlike the casual and fun wedding party and couples sessions, the formal family portraits are highly structured to be completed in a timely manner. In some cases, family portrait sessions are a collaborative effort between me, my assistant, and the wedding coordinator as we go down the list calling out names while also ensuring everyone to be photographed is present. This greatly speeds up the process to reduce the ever dreaded stress of time crunch.
The first thing to keep in mind with family portrait sessions is simple: More people will require more time. Ideally you will need to budget 3 minutes per grouping, with larger groups (like extended families from both the bride and groom’s sides) requiring even more time for each person to be properly positioned before being photographed. However, I highly recommend keeping the list limited to your immediate family.
When putting together your shot list, my suggested format is stating their relationship to you, followed by their first names separated by commas. Below is an example:
“Couple w/ Bride’s Parents & Siblings (John, Jane, Caleb, Jessica)”
This way I can organize the list order based on relationships, starting with immediate family to extended family and close friends. During the portrait session the listed names will be called out as we go down the list. For the sake of efficiency, it’s very important that every person named on the list knows they will need to be present at the portrait session ahead of time.
Related Articles
Suggested Formal Portrait Groupings
Below are suggested groupings in an order of efficiency. Use this is a starting point when creating your shot list. Most couples typically include 10 to 15 groupings total.
Couple w/ Officiant
Couple w/ Bride’s Grandparents, Parents & Siblings
Couple w/ Bride’s Parents & Siblings
Couple w/ Bride’s Parents
Couple w/ Groom’s Grandparents, Parents & Siblings
Couple w/ Groom’s Parents & Siblings
Couple w/ Groom’s Parents
Couple w/ Bride & Groom’s Parents
Couple w/ Bride & Groom’s Parents & Siblings
Couple w/ Bride & Groom’s Grandparents, Parents, & Siblings
Scheduling
Family photos are usually scheduled immediately after the ceremony as it guarantees the presence of everyone listed in the shot list. I highly recommend that the entire list is completed within the same block of time as opposed to splitting them up before and after the ceremony. This way we won’t have to set up and organize the groupings on two separate occasions, thus avoiding frustrations with family members who will need to be present twice for formal portraits. Additionally a single block of time ensures consistency with the background and lighting conditions across all formal portraits.
It is also possible to do the formal portraits before the ceremony if you do a first look. By doing a first look before your ceremony, we can get the family members of both sides together for formal portraits. A major benefit of completing the formal portraits before the ceremony (as well as the couple’s session and wedding party photos) is that you can immediately transition into your cocktail hour after the ceremony. However, it will be more difficult to ensure all members in the shot list are present as opposed to after the ceremony.
Location
Most family portraits occur outdoors in a shaded but naturally lit area against a simple, non-busy and uncluttered background. It’s generally within the vicinity of the ceremony site in a secluded spot away from guests and crowds to avoid interruption. If an indoor location is required (i.e. after a church ceremony), add 15 minutes to the family photo session to allow me time to set up and break down my lighting equipment.
Inform Everyone on Your List
After we finalize your photo list, I highly recommend you contact each person you named to let them know that they are included in family photos. An announcement after the ceremony can also be made by your officiant as a final reminder to ensure those family members don’t wander off into cocktail hour to grab a drink or mingle elsewhere. Fetching missing family members is very time consuming, especially as you’re standing on your feet for a long period of time.
Sensitive Family Situations
While a shot list certainly helps mitigate the guess-work, it’s always helpful to be aware of who shouldn’t share a photo together, let alone who stand together in a group. Whether it’s a divorce, death, or just family members who don’t particularly get along very well, it’s helpful for me to know so I can be mindful of avoiding potentially awkward situations and photographs.
Additional Considerations
I cannot stress enough the importance of keeping your family portrait list as lean as possible. It may be tempting to put together many group combinations to include aunts and uncles as well as old friends you haven’t seen in years. But those portraits are generally better reserved during the reception in a non-formal capacity without time constraints. Again, the longer your list, the more time is required to go through it, and therefore the longer you and your partner will have to stand for each grouping. Additionally, more people will be more difficult to organize and keep present at the session. Ultimately the goal is to go through the formal portraits as quickly and efficiently as possible so you and your partner can move on to either couple’s portraits or to the cocktail hour so you can relax and mingle with your guests before the reception.
Ready to get started?
Tips and guides to help you plan your Denver wedding while maximizing your wedding photography investment.
