Smooth-Sailing Wedding Day Family Portrait List
Let’s be real... family formals have a reputation for being the most ardous (and maybe even dreadful) part of a wedding day. BUT it doesn't have to be!
Without a plan, it’s easy for a well-meaning relative to hijack the session with "just one more" request, or for your cocktail hour to disappear while you're hunting down Uncle Bob at the bar. Those unplanned moments quickly dip into your private portrait time or your chance to actually enjoy a drink with your guests.
I always tell my couples that the secret to stress-free wedding family portraits is a high value, pre-planned sequenced photo list ready to go.
My assistant will handle all the "photo wrangling" for you, ensuring every key family member is exactly where they need to be. This way, you and your new spouse get to relax and enjoy the moment while we power through the portraits in record time.
To make your life easier, I’ve put together the ideal family portrait sequence below, along with a few tips to help you curate a list that gets you back to the party alongside your favorite person.
Before Your Wedding
As one of my couples, you have unlimited access to my calendar for pre-wedding consultations for styling, design, vendor collaboration, and timeline support.
We will schedule the most important of these sessions to take place around two months before your big day. Together, we will finalize the details and I will gather all the essential details (including a list of names of your loved ones) to create your family formal must-haves. I have found that people are much more likely to listen and respond to their own name rather than “the bride’s siblings”. This way, I can personally invite “Ashley and Chris” to step into the frame and the day moves forward even more smoothly. The best photos happen when you and your spouse are relaxed. We work together beforehand so that on the day of you don’t have to think at all. You just get to be present.
Guest Comfort is a Priority
Your family’s comfort is a top priority, which is why I recommend starting with your most vulnerable guests. We want to ensure that grandparents, young children, or family members with mobility or sensory needs aren't left waiting unncessarily on the sidelines. By placing these groupings at the very beginning of the list, we can get them to the comfort of cocktail hour as quickly as possible. Once their images are complete, my assistant will guide them toward the reception to enjoy some well-earned refreshments and hors d'oeuvres. This intentional workflow allows for the crowd to naturally thin out and slow down until only the two of you remain, creating an intimate atmosphere while I document your very first moments together as a married couple.
The Perfect Wedding Day Sequence for Smooth-Sailing Family Portraits
- Couple with Grandparents
(grandparents directed to reception)
OPTIONAL
- Couple with Flower Girl
- Couple with Ring Boy
(flower girl & ring boy directed to reception)
- Couple with Spouse #1’s Parents and siblings
- Spouse #1 with their parents and siblings
- Couple with Spouse #1’s siblings
- Spouse #1 with their siblings
(Spouse #1’s siblings directed to reception)
- Couple with Spouse #1’s Parents
- Spouse #1 with their parents
- Spouse #1 with their mom
- Spouse #1 with their dad
(Spouse #1’s parents directed to reception)
- Couple with Spouse #2’s Parents and siblings
- Spouse #2 with their parents and siblings
- Couple with Spouse #2’s siblings
- Spouse #2 with their siblings
(Spouse #2’s siblings directed to reception)
- Couple with Spouse #2’s Parents
- Spouse #2 with their parents
- Spouse #2 with their mom
- Spouse #2 with their dad
(Spouse #2’s parents directed to reception)
Please keep in mind that this list is a starting point. Every family is unique, and your groupings should reflect the people you truly want to see on your walls for years to come.
Quick tip: Schedule a text a few days prior to your wedding day to these VIPs to let them know that they’ll be needed for formal photos.
Families | PORTRAITS | Weddings
Hiii! I am Beth Montalvo-Kemp, Your Photographer.
I am ready to document your life's big, beautiful, and happiest moments with pictures as sweet as the moments themselves.
The happiest time of my life started with the cutie in this photo with me! Even though I am a photographer myself, Dallin & I have so much fun that we often forget to take photos together. We were elated when we got our engagement photos & wedding photos back and I believe everyone deserves that same feeling.
Other Common
Family Wedding Portrait Questions
When is the best time for family portraits?
There are a few different approaches I have seen to planning your family portraits:
1. Photographing the families separately, prior to a first look OR your ceremony
This will allow for you to get into your cocktail hour more quickly. It will also mean that you need to get ready sooner in the day and notify everyone that you want in the images to be completely ready at least 30 minutes prior.
I recommend this approach to couples who:
- have early access to a large getting ready space
- plan to get ready with their family members
- want to spend time alone with their spouse after their ceremony
- want to have a first look/ late ceremony start
- want flexibility if the weather in the morning is not preferred
2. Creating time for family portraits immediately after the ceremony
This will allow for you to start getting ready later in the day, and lessen any worry that a VIP may arrive late.
I reccomend this approach to couples who:
- have family members with mobility constraints
- have less time at their venue
- have an early ceremony time
- want only 4-5 groupings during family portraits
What if I want candid family photos too?
On your wedding day, you don't just want the classic images that everyone has. The images you will treasure are the ones where you and your dad catch each other's eyes for the first time when he sees you in your dress. "Candid moments" happen naturally. After all, THAT is what makes them candid...The best way to allow me to capture them is by spacing out your wedding festivities and intentionally creating times to connect with your loved ones.
A few of my favorites to add in to your wedding day: A toast with your groomsmen, A father-daughter first look, Coffee with the girls, Pre-ceremony dance break to get your jitters out, Have your mom help you into your dress, Write personalized notes to your bridesmaids to read while getting ready, etc!!
As a documentary style photographer, I provide guidance during the more posed parts of the day, and simply capture- rather than intrude, on the more intimate ones.
How long should I dedicate to family portraits?
Your planner and I will meet to ensure your timeline is the smoothest it can be. It may be difficult to let go, but that is why you are hiring professionals! In general, I recommend 30 minutes at the least. This allows for buffer time and ensures time for more variety in your images.
My assistants and I have narrowed down a system and even the largest family I worked with (8 siblings on one side and 7 on the other, including children AND in-laws) only took us 28 minutes.
how do i handle difficult family members?
In our pre-wedding consultation, we will strategize for what works best in your particular stiuation. After having been in the wedding industry for many years, I have found that the best way to address any familial conflict on a wedding day is to separate the parties as much as possible. Your wedding day is certainly not the day to rock the boat OR give in to other people's demands. The best thing you can do is let me know in advance and yeild any confusion to me. You have my full permission to say "I am not sure, Beth has a list that she is working with so ask her!" and I will gracefully set expectations. Protecting your peace is an important part of my job.
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