How to Create Your Family Photo Shot List and Breeze Through It on the Wedding Day!
A Little Planning Goes a Long Way
Your wedding day is an exciting celebration filled with special people—and capturing those memories with timeless family photos is a must. But coordinating dozens of relatives and making sure every important person is included can quickly turn into chaos if we are not prepared.
My straightforward guide to creating the perfect family photo shot list
Below, you’ll find my straightforward guide to creating the perfect family photo shot list, along with how I make the process as quick and painless as possible on the big day.
Identify Key Family Members and Groupings
Start with Immediate Family- Begin by listing your immediate family (parents, siblings, grandparents) from both sides. This smaller core group is your priority and should ideally be photographed first.
Include Extended Family Carefully - Next, branch out to include anyone particularly close to you, such as aunts, uncles, cousins, or godparents. Aim to keep your list manageable—too many group photos can eat up precious time.
Coordinate with Your Partner - Collaborate with your partner to finalize which relatives need to be in photos together. Combining each of your family members intentionally helps you avoid last-minute confusion.
2. Prioritize Photo Combinations
How to Prioritize - Stack rank your must have photo combinations. Look at the window of time you have to take family formals. If you have 20 minutes, choose your top ten groupings. Each grouping will take about 2 minutes to complete. Ten groupings will take 20 minutes.
Pro Tip: Create a Clear, Numbered List. Once you’ve got your groupings sorted, put them into a succinct, clearly numbered list. This will help make sure nothing is missed.
3. Share the List in Advance
With Your Photographer - Provide your shot list to your photographer ahead of time. They can then review it, ask questions if something’s unclear, and strategize the most efficient sequence.
With Family - Email or text the list to family members so they know when and where they’ll be needed. If possible, include a rough timeline (“Family photos will start at 3:00 PM, right after the ceremony!”). This gives everyone a heads-up to gather and prevents bottlenecks.
Pro Tip: Encourage family members to stay nearby until all of the photos are done. This will prevent people from wandering off and keeps the momentum going.
Pro Tip: Ask your officiant to announce that family formals will immediately follow the ceremony and that the family should stay seated after the ceremony.
4. Optimize Timing and Location
Pick a Convenient Spot- Ideally, family photos should take place in a location close to the ceremony or easily accessible, especially for those with mobility issues. Have 4-5 chairs, water, and snacks available nearby.
Plan for Good Light - Work with your photographer on selecting the best spot in terms of natural light. Harsh sunlight at midday can be unflattering; opt for shade if possible.
Schedule Wisely - Each grouping can take 2-3 minutes, depending on the size of the group. Why? - First, the right people need to be gathered. Then, the photographer will pose them. Next, the photographer will take a close, middle, and wide shot. Truth be told, I take multiple (rapid) shots because someone is bound to blink. Two minutes goes by very fast. If we have just one person wonder off to cocktail hour, it can through the entire timeline off.
Final Thoughts
A little planning goes a long way when creating your family photo shot list. By identifying the people you absolutely want in your photos, prioritizing key groups, and working closely with your photographer (and a helpful friend or two), you’ll sail through family portraits quickly on your wedding day. Once it’s all done, you can soak up the celebration with friends and family—knowing you’ve captured every must-have shot!
Sample Family Photo List
KEY:
G = GROOM
B = BRIDE
M = MOM
D = DAD
BRIDE’S SIDE:
B+G
B+G W/ M, D
B+G W/ M, D, SIBLINGS
B+G W/ M, D, SIBLINGS + SPOUSES (AND KIDS)
B+G W/ M, D, SIBLINGS + SPOUSES (AND KIDS) + GRANDPARENTS
B+G W/ M, D, SIBLINGS + SPOUSES (AND KIDS) + GRANDPARENTS + AUNTS, UNCLES AND COUSINS
B W/ M, D, SIBLINGS + SPOUSES (AND KIDS) + GRANDPARENTS
B W/ M, D, SIBLINGS + SPOUSES (AND KIDS)
B W/ M +D SIBLINGS
B W/ M+D
B W/ M
B W/ D
B+G W/ BOTH SETS OF PARENTS
MOM AND DAD ALONE
POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL SHOTS:
B+G W MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS
B+G W PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS
B+G W COUSINS
B+G W AUNTS AND UNCLES
GROOM’S SIDE:
B+G W/ M, D
B+G W/ M, D, SIBLINGS
B+G W/ M, D, SIBLINGS + SPOUSES (AND KIDS)
B+G W/ M, D, SIBLINGS + SPOUSES (AND KIDS) + GRANDPARENTS
B+G W/ M, D, SIBLINGS + SPOUSES (AND KIDS) + GRANDPARENTS + AUNTS, UNCLES AND COUSINS
G W/ M, D, SIBLINGS + SPOUSES (AND KIDS) + GRANDPARENTS
G W/ M, D, SIBLINGS + SPOUSES (AND KIDS)
G W/ M +D SIBLINGS
G W/ M+D
G W/ M
G W/ D
MOM AND DAD ALONE
POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL SHOTS:
B+G W MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS
B+G W PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS
B+G W COUSINS
B+G W AUNTS AND UNCLES
IF DIVORCED BRIDE’S SIDE:
B+G W/ M
B+G W/ D
B+G W/ D, SIBLINGS
B+G W/ M, SIBLINGS
B+G W/ M, D, SIBLINGS + SPOUSES (AND KIDS)
B+G W/ M, D, SIBLINGS + SPOUSES (AND KIDS) + GRANDPARENTS
B+G W/ M, D, SIBLINGS + SPOUSES (AND KIDS) + GRANDPARENTS + AUNTS, UNCLES AND COUSINS
B W/ M, D, SIBLINGS + SPOUSES (AND KIDS) + GRANDPARENTS
B W/ M, D, SIBLINGS + SPOUSES (AND KIDS)
B W/ M +D SIBLINGS
B W/ D, SIBLINGS
B W/ M, SIBLINGS
B W/ M+D
B W/ M
B W/ D
POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL SHOTS:
B+G W/ M + STEP DAD
B+G W/ D + STEP MOM
B+G W/ D + STEP MOM, SIBLINGS
B+G W/ M + STEP DAD, SIBLINGS
B W/ M + STEP DAD
B W/ D + STEP MOM
B W/ D + STEP MOM, SIBLINGS
B W/ M + STEP DAD, SIBLINGS
IF DIVORCED GROOM’S SIDE:
B+G W/ M
B+G W/ D
B+G W/ D, SIBLINGS
B+G W/ M, SIBLINGS
B+G W/ M, D, SIBLINGS + SPOUSES (AND KIDS)
B+G W/ M, D, SIBLINGS + SPOUSES (AND KIDS) + GRANDPARENTS
B+G W/ M, D, SIBLINGS + SPOUSES (AND KIDS) + GRANDPARENTS + AUNTS, UNCLES AND COUSINS
G W/ M, D, SIBLINGS + SPOUSES (AND KIDS) + GRANDPARENTS
G W/ M, D, SIBLINGS + SPOUSES (AND KIDS)
G W/ M +D SIBLINGS
G W/ D, SIBLINGS
G W/ M, SIBLINGS
G W/ M+D
G W/ M
G W/ D
POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL SHOTS:
B+G W/ M + STEP DAD
B+G W/ D + STEP MOM
B+G W/ D + STEP MOM, SIBLINGS
B+G W/ M + STEP DAD, SIBLINGS
G W/ M + STEP DAD
G W/ D + STEP MOM
G W/ D + STEP MOM, SIBLINGS
G W/ M + STEP DAD, SIBLINGS
