3 Steps to Creating the *Perfect* Family Photo Shot List

Family 

Keep it simple. Family photos are a "less is more" kind of scenario. To help your day stay on time and to keep guests from getting frustrated standing around waiting their turn, keep the family photo shot list simple. Keep it in sensible groupings and as few as possible. If getting photos with everyone is important to you, consider setting aside an hour during the reception to go around to each table and take a photo with the whole table, or do a receiving line out of your ceremony and have your photographer snap candids. Having a huge family photo shot list makes everyone feel stressed and almost guarantees that you're going to run behind. 

Example: 

• Bride/groom, Bride's parents, Groom's parents
• Bride/groom, Bride's parents
• Bride/groom, Bride's parents, bride's siblings
• Bride/groom, Groom's parents
• Bride/groom, Groom's parents, groom's siblings
• Bride/groom, all siblings 
• Bride and both dads
• Groom and both moms

If there are special photos you want with individual people, consider asking that person to arrive towards the end of your getting ready and grab those shots then.

Tell everyone to stay put. You don't want important family members wondering off right when you need them. Time is precious on a wedding day and it's a shame to waste time looking for a wondering cousin, or aunt. If you're doing family photos directly following the ceremony, ask all family that will be in the photos to simply stay in their seats. If you're doing photos before the ceremony, hedge your bets and ask family to be at the photo location 10ish minutes before they're actually needed. 

Think about where you are asking family members to "hang out" while waiting for their photo moment. It has to be a location that makes sense. Asking all your aunts and cousins to walk to the far side of the venue to stand in a grassy area for 20 minutes isn't reasonable. If your ideal photo spot is off the beaten path, work with your photographer to choose a secondary spot just for family photos that's close to the action. 

Appoint a search and rescue team. People wonder. It's just how it is. There's something about dress clothes and an impending family photo that makes people wander away. No matter how great your planner or photographer are, searching down your wandering family members is not their job. Appoint someone from your side of the family, and another from your fiance's family, who can help your photographer wrangle any stray people. 

The key point here is to choose the right person. Ideally, it's a distant cousin or someone who isn't in all the photos, but who knows all the family members by name, and has no qualms about chasing someone down if need be. 

It's worth the effort!

While maybe the least fun, posed family photos are truly the ones that will be hung on people's walls for decades! It's worth allocating time during your day to snap a few photos. Just be sure to allow adequate time (when in doubt, ask your photographer) for a modest list of family must have shots.