A Wedding Photographer's Guide to Quick and
Stress-Free Family Wedding Photos

The ultimate guide to planning your wedding family portraits

Family wedding photos are some of the most treasured images from your day. They’re the pictures that get framed, printed, and shared for generations. But without a plan, family portraits can feel overwhelming and time-consuming.

The good news? With a little structure, your wedding family photos can be quick, organised, and stress-free—so you can get back to celebrating sooner.

This guide will walk you through a proven, time-saving approach to family portraits, with tips, a sample shot list, and answers to common questions.

📋 Why a Family Photo Plan Matters

A clear structure is the secret to keeping your wedding day family photos smooth and stress-free. By starting with the largest groups and working down to smaller ones, we can usually complete the whole session in around 20 minutes.

This ensures no one is missed, the energy stays upbeat, and you don’t spend too long away from your guests.

✨ Sample Family Photo List

Here’s an example wedding family photo list to guide your planning:

Big Group to Start

• Everyone at the wedding

• All friends only

• All extended family from both sides

Bride’s Family

• Couple with Bride’s extended family

• Couple with Bride’s immediate family (parents, grandparents, siblings)

• Couple with Bride’s parents & siblings

• Bride with parents & siblings

• Couple with Bride’s siblings

• Bride with siblings only

• Couple with Bride’s grandparents

• Bride with grandparents only

• Couple with Bride’s parents

• Bride with parents

• Bride with mum

• Bride with dad

Combined Families

• Couple with both sets of parents

Groom’s Family

• Couple with Groom’s extended family

• Couple with Groom’s immediate family

• Couple with Groom’s parents & siblings

• Groom with parents & siblings

• Couple with Groom’s siblings

• Groom with siblings only

• Couple with Groom’s grandparents

• Groom with parents

• Groom with mum

• Groom with dad

How to Customise Your Wedding Photo List

Every wedding and every family is unique. Step-parents, chosen family, or close friends might need to be included in your portraits. You might also want solo shots with siblings or grandparents.

Think of this list as a starting point—you can add, remove, or rearrange based on what matters most to you.

Pro Tips for Stress-Free Family Photos

🎤 Get the Celebrant Involved
Ask your celebrant to announce family photos just before the ceremony ends. That way, no one slips away too early.

📋 Assign a Photo Wrangler
Nominate someone from each side of the family who knows everyone and can help gather groups quickly.

🕒 Choose the Right Timing
Family photos work best immediately after the ceremony, while everyone is close by and looking their best. For weddings with 100–120 guests, allow around 20 minutes.

🌧️ Have a Backup Plan
If the weather turns, don’t stress—we’ll move to a covered space or find a beautiful indoor spot.

👶 Include Kids Early
Get photos with children done first while they’re happy and full of energy.

📸 Don’t Forget the Candid Shots
Some of the best wedding family photos are the in-between moments—hugs, laughter, and chats captured naturally.