Wedding group photographs
Date posted: 02 February 2015
Trends in wedding photography come and go but one type of picture that has remained is the formal group photograph. With all your friends and family in one place, weddings offer a great opportunity for photos of your loved ones together.
Whatever the style, size or theme of your wedding there’s always a time and place for well composed group photographs. Many wedding photographers regard this part of their job as a chore that has to be done, but not us. We enjoy taking the group photographs.
These don’t have to be too formal and stuffy. Neither do they have to be artificially quirky or contrived.
We like to put people at ease so that the result is a well composed, relaxed group photo. However, we would recommend that these formal photographs are kept to around eight to twelve group shots. Otherwise it does get very boring for those people who are waiting for their turn, and even more boring for those who aren’t needed at all.
When thinking about the group photos for your wedding, try not to go for all the possible combinations – for example, all possible pairings of family members firstly with the bride, then secondly with the groom, and then all again with both the bride and the groom. We’ll be taking photos of everyone throughout the day anyway so don’t feel that all your guests have to be included in the formal photos.
If you’re getting married in church, taking the pictures in the grounds after the ceremony is an ideal time and place. If you’re having a civil ceremony, the time for the group photographs is usually after the afternoon drinks reception and before the sit down meal.
We generally allow 15 to 20 minutes to get all the group shots done. If you are unsure as to what groups you should have, let us know who you've invited to your wedding and we'll make some recommendations.
Throughout the day – often before the ceremony – we’ll take several other formal, and semi formal groups photos. For example:
• The groom with his best man
• The groom on his own with his parents and siblings
• The groom with all the ushers
• The bride on her own with her bridesmaids
• The bride with her father
It’s often the case that some family members have separated and that parents have remarried. We’re always sensitive to family issues and we won’t force people into family photos if it will cause anyone to feel uncomfortable.
There may be other special groups that you’d like, for example extended family and grandparents, guests that have come a particularly long way to be with you, or groups of work colleagues.
There are no set rules for formal wedding group photographs. Just let us know what you’d like and on the day we’ll get it all organised for you.
