How to Create a Wedding Family Photo List

Creating a wedding family photo list in advance is a crucial step in ensuring that all the meaningful people in your lives are included in your wedding photos. I will add that family photos are one of the most important photos capturing on your wedding day! While every photographer has their own unique approach to this process, I would like to share the steps I take when working with my couples helping them to create a wedding family photo list.

Florals: Chloe Robinson Design

Creating your wedding family photo list

The first step would be to decide who you would like to be included in your family photos. Usually, there are two main groups of people to think about when it comes to creating family photo list for a wedding— immediate and extended family. Some couples decide to do photos with each side of their extended families, others are focusing only on their immediate family photos. In most times the immediate family photo list is the focus for most of my couples. Think about your family relationships and it will help you to decide which family photos you want with members from your extended family. For the purposes of this blog post, we will concentrate on the immediate family photo list.

 

But what exactly includes in the immediate family?

The immediate family includes the closest members in your family. Let’s take a closer look at what typically includes in the immediate family:

Parents

Siblings

Spouse or partner

Children

 

Sample wedding family photo list

Below is the sample wedding family photo shot list to help you get started. Grandparents can also be included in the immediate family photos if we know that they will be close by during the immediate family photo time. For most family photos, I usually plan around 30 minutes in the overall photography timeline. Time can vary depending on how many family members you would like to include in your family photos.

 

Bride’s immediate family photo list.

Couple with Bride’s Immediate Family and Grandparents

Couple with Bride’s Parents

Couple with Bride’s Siblings

Bride with their Parents

Bride with Mom

Bride with Dad

Couple with Bride’s Grandparents

 

Couple with each set of parents and/or siblings.

Couple with both sets of Parents

Couple with both sets of Siblings

 

Groom’s immediate family photo list.

Couple with Groom’s Immediate Family and Grandparents

Couple with Groom’s Parents

Couple with Groom’s Siblings

Groom with their Parents

Groom with Mom

Groom with Dad

Couple with Groom’s Grandparents

 

The final details on approving family photo list

Once I know which family members will be included in the wedding family photos and which of the above photos you would like to add, I create the final wedding family photo list. I then share the family photo list with my couples to approve. Furthermore, I advise to add each person name to help me the whole process on a wedding day.

 

The process during family formal photos

Organising ahead is a key on how I can efficiently capture family photos on a wedding day. Managing group photos can be a time-consuming process. My suggestion is starting with a smaller group and gradually adding people. From my personal experience it is practical and time saving approach on a busy wedding day.

Florals: Big Day Blooms

 

I hope I was able to help you on “How to Create a Wedding Family Photo List” to have the best family photos on your wedding day. These are photos that will be printed and framed and passing through generations.

For more tips on how to plan a wedding I would like to invite you to read some of my posts here.

If you believe we would be a great match and could create something beautiful together on your wedding day then I will be happy to hear from you!