Bridesmaids and man group photo at Hazlewood Castle

Wedding Group Photos: The Guide to a Stress-Free Experience

Wedding group photos. You either love them or hate them! These ‘formal’ photos are arguably the most important photos you’ll have from your wedding day, but the experience you’ll have whilst capturing them isn’t always so much fun.

I’ve photographed over 100 weddings and in this time I’ve taken my fair share of family and wedding party group photos. My experience as a wedding photographer means that I know exactly what to do and what not to do to make this a stress-free and enjoyable process.

Fun Wedding Photography

Hey, I’m Jenna and I’m a wedding photographer in the Yorkshire area. I’m all about capturing fun and colourful photos of couples on their wedding day!

You can see my work throughout this page. If you’d like to see more, check out my Portfolio or find out more about my style of wedding photography on my Info & FAQs page.

PORTFOLIO
Portrait of Jenna Kathleen, Yorkshire wedding photographer

You might be reading this and thinking ‘We don’t want any group shots at all’. Maybe the thought of ‘posing’ for photos just isn’t appealing and you’d rather enjoy your wedding without having to worry about that at all. I totally understand that feeling. But I’m here to tell you that you can do both – without even breaking a sweat.

The most important thing for me is to see my couples having the best time at their wedding, and that means having the time to chat with all their loved ones, not spending the whole drinks reception wearing a fake smile whilst standing in a lineup.

Bride and bridesmaid group shot

So if you’re getting married and your priority is lots of natural, candid photos of guests having a great time then check out these useful tips to make sure your group photo requests don’t end up taking over. But first…

Why Group Photos at Weddings Are Essential

Despite my natural, documentary approach to wedding photography, I always encourage my couples to set some time aside for group shots at their wedding, even if it’s just a couple of combinations, because I know how important they are, or will be in the future.

These photos act as a legacy. They show you exactly who your friends and family are, and what they looked like at a particular moment in time. This may not feel like a big deal now, but years down the line when you look back on your photos you’ll be grateful to have this record, especially if some family members are no longer with you.

How often do you manage to gather all the important people in your life in the same place at the same time? This opportunity doesn’t come around often, so make the most of the chance to get these group shots on your wedding day.

Bridal party photo with bridesmaids in champagne and dark green dresses

When Is the Best Time For Our Group Shots?

The drinks reception after the ceremony and before the wedding breakfast is the perfect time to tackle your wedding party photos for several reasons:

  1. Everyone is still dressed. As the wedding day goes on, the outfits get more and more casual. Ties are undone, shirts untucked and heels are swapped for flip flops or trainers, so it’s best to capture everyone whilst they’re looking smart.
  2. There’s less chance of spillages. White clothing + a three-course meal = a recipe for stains and you don’t want those in your photos!
  3. It gets them out of the way so by the time you sit down for the meal you know you don’t need to worry about them later.

Where Is the Best Location for Our Formal Shots?

This varies from wedding to wedding depending on the available space at the venue and the weather. In the best-case scenario, your family wedding photos will take place outside, away from your other guests where there’s plenty of space and a nice clean backdrop. Luckily that’s not something you’ll need to worry about as my experience as a wedding photographer means I’ll be able to pick out the perfect spot with the best lighting to guide you towards.

If the weather is bad or outside space is limited, then group shots can just as easily be done inside with flash like the example below.

Wedding group photo indoors with flash

Who Do We Choose to Be In Our Wedding Group Photos?

Deciding who to include in your wedding photos is no easy task, and the last thing you want to be doing on your wedding day is figuring that out – trust me!

Planning your group shot list in advance is the number one way to ensure things run smoothly on the big day. That’s why all my couples receive a ‘Day in Detail’ questionnaire ahead of their wedding day to help with this.

When you’re thinking about who to include in these photos, consider who your most important guests are, and who you’d definitely like at least one photo of. There is no guarantee that you’ll get photos of everyone who attends your wedding, so if there are family members that you’d be disappointed not to see a photo of in your gallery, be sure to include them in your group shots.

Full wedding party photo in Yorkshire

If you’re still stuck on who to choose, I’ve popped a list of the most common group shot combinations I see at weddings.

Family Portraits

1. Partners with (Partner A’s) parents

2. Partners with (Partner A’s) immediate family members (parents/siblings/grandparents)

3. Partners with (Partner B’s) parents

4. Partners with (Partner B’s) immediate family members (parents/siblings/grandparents)

5. Partners with all parents together

Wedding Party and Bridal Party Photos

6. (Partner A) with their wedding party (bridesmaids/bridesmen/groomsmen/groomsmaids etc.)

7. (Partner B) with their wedding party (bridesmaids/bridesmen/groomsmen/groomsmaids etc.)

8. Partners with the full wedding party/bridal party

Groom and groomsmen group photo at woodland wedding

Top Tips for Stress-Free Wedding Group Photos

Less Is More When It Comes to Your Group Shots

I recommend that my couples choose 6-8 group photo combinations. Each group photo takes a couple of minutes to arrange and photograph. Although this doesn’t sound like much, the time soon adds up during a 90-minute drinks reception.

It’s important to bear in mind that any extra group shots requested will reduce the amount of time you spend with your wedding guests, therefore reducing the number of natural photos in your gallery.

With a group photo list that is short and sweet, you’ll have them over and done with in under 15 minutes and you’ll be back at the bar getting all the free drinks you could ask for. and I’ll be back to capturing all the natural photos you hired me for. Sound good?

Smaller Groups Are Better Than Larger Groups

Wedding party group photos with laughter

If you have a large number of family members you’d like to include, I’d recommend breaking them down into smaller groups as photos with 12 or more people can start to look overcrowded and faces won’t be as visible. This is especially important to consider if you’re printing your photos to put in frames or having a wedding album.

I wouldn’t recommend a large group photo of everyone at your wedding for this same reason. Large group shots of the entire guest list also take far longer to arrange and there’s not always enough room or a high enough vantage point at the venue.

Organisation Is the Key to Success

Organising your group shots in advance is the best way to make sure they run smoothly on the day.

I’d recommend sending a copy of your group photo list to a trusted member of the wedding party to have with them on the wedding day. Choose someone who knows who people are on both sides of the family! This could be a best man or woman or just a close friend with a loud voice and a bit of authority.

This person can then help to round up family members and friends whilst I start photographing from the list.

It’s also a great idea to make sure your guests are aware if they are on the list so they don’t disappear when they’re needed. This is especially important if you will be travelling between your ceremony location and reception venue.

Wedding group photo with bridemaids in blue

I hope this little guide helps you to plan your wedding day family photos without any extra stress so you’ll be able to spend your wedding day relaxing and enjoying the moment!

If you’re looking for a wedding photographer who takes natural, fun photos, I’d love to hear from you! You can get in touch via my contact form and tell me all about your wedding day plans.

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