How To Tackle Wedding Family Portraits
How To Tackle Wedding Family Portraits And Make Sure They Go Smoothly: Family portraits are often a pretty overwhelming time of the wedding day for both the family and the photographers. The whole process can be fairly time consuming, especially if people are missing or not wanting to be photographed. I’ve seen how easily this part of the wedding day can get the rest of the timeline off schedule, so it is important to have a plan in place. It is essential for you to step in and do what you can to help out your photographer and get your family on the same page.
In my experience, it has been challenging for my assistant and I to gather family members without knowing anyone’s name or relation to the bride and groom. I’ve noticed that once the party has started and everyone wants to mingle and grab a drink, it makes it even harder to get everyone together for photos in a timely manner. Luckily, after doing this for quite some time, I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t. Here are some things you can do to get your family photos to go smoothly. Let’s get you hitched without a hitch!
Plan For An Adequate Amount Of Time In Your Timeline
The biggest mistake I’ve noticed with family photos and wedding timelines in general is underestimating the amount of time it will take. It can be difficult to predict, but as far as the wedding timeline goes, it seems like there’s never enough time. Err on the side of caution and pad your timeline for family photos. This will just help keep you, your family, and your photographer as stress free as possible.
Prepare A Shot List
Take some time to type up a shot list of all the specific combinations of people for each photo you want taken and give it to your photographer ahead of time. By doing this, you can make sure that every photo you and your family want is taken and that no one important is left out of the photos.
Decide On The Location Ahead Of Time
Talk to your photographer ahead of time about the best spot for lighting and background so that the images turn out absolutely perfect. I’ve done this so many times, I can spot the perfect location for family photos a right off the bat! Then, spread the word to your family so everyone knows exactly where to be and when. On top of that, it can help to have the DJ remind your family members with an announcement that they need to head over for family photos. Once everyone is there, tell everyone to stay close, because they may be in more than one or two photos. Sometimes family members wander off and it can slow the process down. It can help the photographer or the photographer’s assistant to put an organized family member in charge of keeping tabs on everyone and keeping them close.
Don’t Let It Get Out Of Control
Since there are often so many people involved, things can sometimes get out of hand pretty quickly. This is not at all on purpose and it is entirely out of love and excitement, but occasionally family members will want to add to your shot list by trying to arrange different family photo combinations and trying to take control. This can be a challenging thing to handle. As nice as it would be to fulfill the desire for every family photo combination, your wedding is not the time or place! Be prepared to step up and make this known if the issue arises! You got this.
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