Your family portraits on your wedding day are memorable. Family portraits are the perfect way to document the important people in your life and even get a chance to relax before the ceremony begins! Here’s how to make sure your wedding day family portraits run smoothly and efficiently! 

Have a Portrait List

Your wedding day will be full of beautiful memories, but family portraits will be some of the most important memories from your special day! These will be the photos most likely hung in your home! 

Create a portrait list of relatives and loved ones you want to include in your wedding photos so that no one important is forgotten! 

If you need help with a photo list, remember to include immediate family, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles, and any other extended family who are important to you! 

Set the Mood

Your photographer should help you get the right pose, but you can help by setting the right mood! Communicating with family members how important these photos are to you will help them understand the expectation for photos. 

Remind them to arrive on time and to listen to the wedding professionals! This way, your photographer will be able to send them to a cocktail hour sooner to enjoy themselves in your celebration! 

Save Extended Family Portraits for After the Ceremony

You may be asking yourself, “why should I spread out family formals?”

The reason for this is simply that breaking up long periods of time that you are in front of the camera can help keep you and your partner feeling good on your wedding day. 

Whether the temperature is high, your feet start aching from your heels or you just need a second to sit down, drink a glass of champagne and breathe, (you’re getting married for goodness sake!!) breaking the photos into groups will make you more relaxed and keep the day running smooth! No one wants to stand in one spot for nearly 60 minutes! 

It’s best to schedule extended family portraits for later in the day, after the wedding ceremony. This way, you’ll have everyone gathered in one spot after the ceremony! 

If you opt to have immediate family photos taken prior to the ceremony, we suggest only including parents, siblings, and grandparents in order to really focus on those small important groupings. 

Parents, siblings, and grandparents can always sneak in for a large group photo with extended family after the ceremony as well if that is important to you! 

Enjoy & Be Candid

Finally, it’s essential to enjoy your family portraits! Although you want to make the photos perfect, keep in mind the best family portraits are candid and natural. As long as you are smiling and making memories with your loved ones, your photos will look as beautiful as you felt! 

Guaranteed Beautiful Wedding Day Family Portraits

Ultimately, it’s best to approach family portraits as one more thing that makes a wedding extra special. While they aren’t the main event, they can still be beautiful and meaningful. Use these tips to make your family portraits on your wedding day beautiful.

B&B, Blanca & Brandon specializes in wedding and engagement photography. Contact us! Let us help you make your family portraits special on your wedding day.