The ceremony has concluded, and you’ve got an hour and a half for pictures before you are expected to make your grand entrance into the reception hall. You want to rush off to take photos with your brand new spouse or your bridal party, but before you can leave the ceremony venue, you want to grab some family photos.
…if only anyone could figure out where Grandpa Gregory got off to…
Weddings are one of the very few times when a family is all together in one place, so these images are extremely important. But I’ve watched so many brides frantically try to gather family members for formal photos on her wedding day. No one knows who’s in and who’s out. Half the family thought pictures were being taken at the reception venue. There has to be a better way to do this!
Whether you want family formals taken with just the parents or every family member down to third cousins, you can make the process simple and stress free by doing a little bit of prep ahead of time.
How To Prep For Your Wedding Day Family Formals
Make a list; check it more than twice!
Pick a day at least a month before your wedding to sit down with your future spouse and create a list of family photos you want to make sure are taken. The groom with his family and the bride with hers. Now switch. Then together. Now, invite in the siblings. Now, the entire Thompson family. Now the whole Hernandez family. Everyone together, now!
And make sure you write down each family member who is included in each photo! By listing them all, you ensure nothing gets forgotten and no one is overlooked in the shuffle. Compare it to your guest list, then, leave it out where you can see it for a couple of days so you can read it over and over and over, making sure nobody needs to be added.
Send it to your parents and in-laws-to-be to check over
Once you and your honey are fairly confident you’ve got every photo covered, it’s time to send it off to mom and dad. Without fail, your future mother-in-law will want to add Uncle Jimmy who you’d totally forgotten about or that one best friend of hers that is basically an aunt.
Inviting your parents into family formal prep is a great way to make them feel included in the planning process and reduce their stress on the day of the wedding. Pro tip: the photos also make AMAZING Christmas and birthday gifts.
Give a copy of the list to your photographer
When the list is settled, send it off to your photographer at least two weeks ahead of time. This gives her the time to strategize, create an order than makes the most sense, and let you know if you need to allot a bit more time to realistically take all of the photos you’re hoping for. She may even have an idea for a photo that you’ve missed!
Remember, if your photographer doesn’t have a copy of your list, she won’t be equipped to direct the photos, and some will likely go untaken.
Inform everyone on the list
A few days before the wedding, let each person on your list know that they are going to be included in the family formals. Tell them exactly where to go and when so no one goes missing, and if there are any family members who need assistance, are forgetful, or are hard to keep track of, assign someone to remind them on the wedding day.
It can also be helpful to remind them at the rehearsal dinner so no one forgets.
Send the list to your day-of coordinator
If you are working with a day-of coordinator, definitely send them the list, too. That way, between your coordinator, photographer, and family members who are ON. IT. not a single family member will be missing from an important photo. And the best part is that you won’t even have to think about it on your wedding day!
By planning ahead, sharing your plan, and ensuring that those in charge know how to help, you can swiftly take all the family formals you could possibly want then smoothly transition into your next set of photos or head off to your cocktail hour with your guests! Collecting those priceless family photos doesn’t have to be a heated struggle. All it takes is a little prep.
