A good wedding photo list is short: eight to ten groups of family and friends, written with names, in the order you want them, and agreed with both families before the day. You don’t need to list moments like the rings, the first kiss or the first dance, because I’ll be photographing those anyway. The list is there so the group photographs take twenty to thirty minutes rather than an hour.
Why a long list works against you
A long shot list feels like insurance. If it’s written down, it can’t be missed. In practice it tends to do the opposite.
- Groups take time to gather, not to photograph. The photograph itself is quick. Finding everyone is the slow part.
- Your guests wait while it happens, usually during the drinks they were looking forward to.
- You’re away from your own wedding for longer. Very few people look back on the group photographs as the best part of their day.
As a rough guide, a short, agreed list of eight to ten groups takes around twenty to thirty minutes once everyone is in the right place. There’s more on where that fits in my post on planning a wedding day timeline.
A starting list of group photographs
Cross out what doesn’t apply to your family and add what’s missing.
- The two of you with everyone from one side of the family.
- The two of you with everyone from the other side.
- The two of you with one set of parents.
- The two of you with the other set of parents.
- The two of you with grandparents.
- The two of you with brothers and sisters, plus their partners and children if you like.
- The wedding party: best man, bridesmaids, ushers, witnesses, whoever stood up with you.
- Each of you with your closest friends.
- Everyone, if the space allows it.
That’s nine groups, and for a lot of families it’s all you need. If your list runs past twelve, look at whether two groups could become one. Most of the time they can.
Put the groups in a sensible order
A good order keeps people in place and only changes the edges of each group.
- If you want a photograph of everyone, do it first, straight after the confetti, while everyone is still in one place.
- Grandparents and older relatives next, so they can sit down again quickly.
- Children early, before they wander off or lose interest.
- Build groups up rather than swapping people out. Parents, then add brothers and sisters, then add grandparents.
- The wedding party last, because they’re usually the easiest people to find.
Write names, not roles
“Mum’s side” means different things to different people, and on the day I won’t know who that includes. Write the list with first names: “Us with Sarah, David, Grandma Jean and the Thompsons.”
Flag anything sensitive while you’re at it. Parents who’d rather not stand together, a relative who needs a chair, someone left out of a group on purpose. I don’t need the history, just the instruction.
Agree it first, then hand it to someone else
Send the draft round to both families a few weeks before the wedding. It’s the easiest way to catch the cousin you forgot, or the step-parent who’d be hurt to be missed. Then send me the final version, in order, about a week before.
On the day, put one person in charge of the list. Ideally someone confident, loud enough to be heard outside, and who knows at least one family well. Their job is to have the next group ready while I’m photographing the current one. That’s what makes twenty minutes possible, and it means neither of you is shouting names across a car park.
What to tell me instead of moments
A lot of the shot lists you’ll find online are lists of moments: the dress, walking back down the aisle, cutting the cake. They don’t need writing down. What’s worth telling me is anything I couldn’t know:
- People who matter to you but aren’t obviously family. A godparent, a childhood friend, a neighbour who’s been like a grandmother.
- Things with a story behind them. A grandfather’s watch, a dress that was your mum’s.
- Anything that isn’t in the running order. A surprise reading, or a guest who’s travelled a long way to be there.
Small weddings need a list too
If you’re having a register office ceremony with a dozen guests, a list might feel like overkill. It’s usually more useful, because the time is tighter. Two of the weddings I’ve photographed so far were register office ceremonies, at Beaconsfield and High Wycombe, so I’ve seen first hand how a small day runs.
Ask the register office how long you’ll have outside once the ceremony is over. If that window is short, four or five groups means nobody is hurried, and there’s still time for a few photographs of the two of you. There’s more in my post on civil ceremony photography.
If you’ve started a list and want a second opinion, send it over and I’ll tell you roughly how long I think it will take. You can read more about my wedding photography in Buckinghamshire, or get in touch here.