Tips for Making Your Family Portraits a Breeze

As you probably already know, there are  a lot of photos to be taken on your wedding day. While I’m good at spotting and capturing fleeting moments in time and knowing when to blend into the background and let the candid magic unfold, there are still a few moments throughout your wedding day when the portraits require a little more structure – I’m talking about the family portraits. Though your wedding day is all about you and your significant other, you’ll want to set aside time to take photos surrounded by the ones you love and with that, things can get a little hectic. Here are my top four tips for making family portraits at your wedding a breeze.

1. Set aside the time. You may have already read my other blog post on how long your romantics take and similarly, we’ll need about 30 min for your family portraits. Don’t sweat it though, when we work together I always make sure to work this into your timeline!
2. Fill me in on family dynamics. Can we be real for a sec? No one’s family is perfect. Don’t feel ashamed if you need to tell me that so and so can’t be anywhere near so and so or it will be the end of the world as we know it. It’s super helpful for me to know who may not want to be near who so we can avoid any awkward situations and make sure everyone is comfortable. 
3. Make a detailed family photo list and try to keep constellations to a maximum of 20. For example, this is my base list that I build constellations off of and then make any adjustments as needed due to family dynamics and who is actually attending:
   1. With Spouse 1 family
      1. Newlyweds with extended family 
      2. Newlyweds with grandparents
      3. Spouse 1 with grandparents
      4. Newlyweds with immediate family
      5. Spouse 1 with immediate family
      6. Newlyweds with parents
      7. Spouse 1 with parents  
      8. Spouse 1 with mom
      9. Spouse 1 with dad
      10. Spouse 1 with siblings 
   2. With Spouse 2 family
      1. Newlyweds with extended family 
      2. Newlyweds with grandparents
      3. Spouse 2 with grandparents
      4. Newlyweds with immediate family
      5. Spouse 2 with immediate family
      6. Newlyweds with parents
      7. Spouse 2 with parents  
      8. Spouse 2 with mom
      9. Spouse 2 with dad
      10. Spouse 2 with siblings 

Though these tips will significantly help your family portraits go smoothly, it’s important to remember to let go of the expectation of perfection. There’s a good chance someone will be late or in the wrong place (bonus tip: over-communicate the time and place and possibly delegate a responsible family member to gather the family). No matter what happens I’ll be sure to do my best to make sure you have photos with your loved ones that you can cherish for years to come! 

Featured Venue: The Springs McKinney – Stone Hall

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