Family formals are one of the most meaningful parts of your wedding day, a chance to take photos with those you love most who came to celebrate with you. Creating a thoughtful family formals checklist will help streamline the process of family photos. The goal is to capture timeless family portraits efficiently, so you can spend less time posing and more time celebrating with your guests. In this guide, I’ll show you how to create a checklist that keeps things organized and stress-free.
1: Keep Timing in Mind
When creating your family photos list, it’s important to keep in mind that the time for family photos on a wedding day has an upward limit. While it’s tempting to try to include many combinations of family members, focusing on the most important groupings and individual images ensures you capture the images that truly matter without turning this portion of the day into a marathon.
Because wedding days are dynamic, family photos can take longer than expected. I always aim to make this process as quick and efficient as possible for my couples, but my success with this largely depends on your family’s level of cooperation! For some families, this is a breeze, and for others this is a bit more difficult. I suspect as you’re reading this you have a good idea of which category your family falls into and can plan accordingly! Having a solid plan and keeping the list of formal photos concise is key. This allows us to work quickly while still capturing the must-have shots, leaving plenty of time for you to get back to the celebration.
Allowing time for unposed moments is equally important. After we’ve captured the must-have portraits, leaving space for a little spontaneity often results in the most meaningful, authentic images. These moments—like a quiet laugh with your mom or a spontaneous hug from your dad—can’t be staged but are often the ones you’ll cherish the most. Thoughtful planning helps us strike the perfect balance of capturing the family formals that matter while navigating the natural flow of a lively, joy-filled wedding day.
2: Don’t Be Afraid to Be Honest
Being open about your family dynamics is an essential part of making the family formals go smoothly. If there are any family tensions, divorced parents, or other unique circumstances, letting me know ahead of time allows me to navigate these moments with sensitivity and care.
I understand that family relationships can be complex, and my goal is to make everyone feel comfortable while ensuring the process is smooth. Whether it’s arranging separate photos or managing groupings thoughtfully, I’m here to support you and handle these situations with discretion, so you can focus on enjoying your day without added stress.
3: Order of Family Formals
While it doesn’t necessarily matter which partner’s family goes first during family formals, it’s worth considering any special needs or circumstances. If one side of the family includes elderly grandparents who may not be able to stand for long periods or young children with shorter attention spans, prioritizing them can help make the process more comfortable for everyone.
4: Communicate With Family Beforehand
Clear communication with your family ahead of the wedding day is key to making family formals run smoothly. Let them know when and where the formal photos will take place and stress the importance of being present, attentive, and respectful during that time. This simple step can make all the difference in getting everyone back to the party as quickly as possible.
5: Keep Your Focus
If your family photos are scheduled right after the ceremony, it’s natural for loved ones to want to come up, say hello, and congratulate you—it’s such an exciting moment! I want you to enjoy those heartfelt interactions and am always respectful as natural moments unfold, but I recommend getting to the family photos as quickly as possible. Saving the hugs and chats for the cocktail hour or reception ensures we can move through the photos efficiently without keeping your family waiting.
Tip 6: Designate a Point Person
If you have a family member or close friend who is good at commanding attention and knows your relatives well, consider designating them to help coordinate the family photos. While I’m more than happy to read off the list and guide the process, having someone who’s familiar with your family can be a huge help in ensuring that everyone is where they need to be quickly. They can help round up family members and make sure no one gets missed, which keeps things running smoothly and ensures we stay on track, all while making sure your family feels comfortable and engaged during the process.
Bonus Tip if You Have a Large Family/Lots of Close Friends: Create a “Reception Family and Friends” List
A reception photo list is perfect for capturing moments with family and friends you’d love a photo with but don’t need to include in the formal family photo time. During the reception, there’s plenty of time to snap these pictures without cutting into the daylight needed for formal portraits and couple’s photos. I do recommend keeping this list short, as most couples are ready to relax and enjoy the evening by the time they join the reception, rather than spending too much time on additional posed photos.
Family Formals Checklist Example/Template
To help guide you with your family formals list, I’ve created an example that can be used as a template for your own family formals list.
While I’m using generic terms in this list, it is super helpful if you include the names of your family members as well. For example, “grandma Betty” instead of simply “grandma”, and you may replace “Partner 1 and Partner 2” with your names.
PARTNER 1’S FAMILY:
Partner 1 and Partner 2 with EVERYONE that is related, immediate and extended family of both sides (includes aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.)
Partner 1 and Partner 2 with Partner 1 immediate and extended family (includes aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.)
Partner 1 and Partner 2 with Partner 1 parents, grandparents and siblings
Partner 1 and Partner 2 with Partner 1 grandparents
Partner 1 and Partner 2 with Partner 1 parents and siblings
Partner 1 with siblings
Partner 1 with brother
Partner 1 with sister
Partner 1 and Partner 2 with Partner 1 parents
Partner 1 with parents
Partner 1 with mom
Partner 1 with dad
Partner 1 and Partner 2 with both sets of parents
*Partner 1’s side is released to cocktail hour*
PARTNER 2’S FAMILY:
Partner 1 and Partner 2 with Partner 2 immediate and extended family (includes aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.)
Partner 1 and Partner 2 with Partner 2 parents, grandparents and siblings
Partner 1 and Partner 2 with Partner 2 grandparents
Partner 1 and Partner 2 with Partner 2 parents and siblings
Partner 2 with siblings
Partner 2 with sister
Partner 2 with brother
Partner 1 and Partner 2 with Partner 2 parents
Partner 2 with parents
Partner 2 with mom
Partner 2 with dad
If you have any questions about creating your family formal checklist, I’m more than happy to assist you via email or phone. Don’t hesitate to reach out—I’m here to help!
