Tips to Creating Great Group Pictures

Nobody wants to spend their whole wedding day running around and queuing for photos. This is why David Baker Wedding Photography has an organized method for putting groups together as fast as possible. But they are an important part of family history and your history. And when done the right way, they will take up part of your lovely wedding day. There are two parts to non-insanity-inducing group photos—planning them properly with your photographer and helping your photographer execute them professionally.

I. Make a List. Be Reasonable and Realistic.

Include everybody’s names so the photographer’s assistant can call people into each shot. Your photographer probably has a starter list. Here is a simple one: bride + groom with immediate family, parents, and grandparents on either side. Siblings, if applicable. Extended family, if desired and feasible.

Remember that nobody really cares who else is in the photo except you and your loved ones. So billions of permutations of each group aren’t important.

Why the Big Fat Group Photos Take Longer:

Brides and grooms often suggest gigantic group photographs thinking they won’t take time compared to photographs of three or four people. The truth is that while the actual shooting of those group photographs doesn’t take much time, the wrangling of big groups of people takes much, much longer.

Why You Should Notify Your Photographer of Any Sensitive Family Situations (deaths, divorces, etc.):

We want to address your friends and family properly while taking photographs. And we want to arrange them properly. At one of the first weddings I ever photographed, I was trying to arrange a photograph with the parents of the groom close to each other and they wouldn’t move into the photograph. When I cracked a joke, I was told that they were divorced.

Don’t Forget Your Siblings!

I. If You Want Something Funky or Fun, You’ll Need More Time.

Most brides and grooms want to speed through the group photographs. Others want the stylish moments-the the bridal party in an unusual location, the family organized on multiple levels, some seated some standing, near a unique couch, for instance.

II. Make Call Times. Lie if necessary.

I can’t believe I almost forgot this all-important tip! You don’t need people waiting longer than necessary, but you do want them to be there when you need them for photographs. You can almost always get away with separate call times for the bridal party and the family. If your family and friends tend to be late, buffer the call time. If they miss it, you may not get a chance for photographs with them later on.

For more information on professional Bridal and Wedding photography. Contact Us!