Family wedding photos are an important way to document the historical moment in time and an important part of every wedding. After all, how many times do you have all of these people in one place that spans family generations?   

Thinking about family wedding photos can feel overwhelming and stressful. How will you possibly coordinate everyone where they need to be and on time? What is the way to capture them without distracting from all of the memorable moments of the day?  How will you get good photos with the kiddos? What are the logistics of planning for family wedding photos? This guide is just for you! 

Keep reading to learn more about how I help couples prepare for stress-free family wedding photos, so you can be more present on your wedding day! 

How To Make Wedding Family Photos Painless: 5 Tips From A Wedding Photographer

Here are my pro tips on what works best to get incredible family photos on the day of your wedding (without the stress): 

Tip #1: Create a detailed list of photos 

The best advice I can give is to create a detailed list with your wedding photographer. By having this plan ahead of the wedding day, you will be able to fly through these photos in no time, getting your family and friends to the cocktail hour quickly.  

A list alone will not be enough – oftentimes, lists of photos you want are created in a way that takes people more time to move in and out of the photos.  It is also important to prioritize those with limited mobility or short attention spans (hello, 2-year-old nephew!). 

To make this happen, I use my football method: where I start with one side of the family, with generally the least amount of people in the first few photos, and then I keep adding until you reach the middle, where both families are combined. After I’ve photographed one side of the family, I then work my way down the other side of the family. This method works like a charm and doesn’t leave your family members waiting around for long periods of time. 

Tip #2: Take your family photos after the wedding ceremony, vs before 

When mapping out your wedding timeline, I personally suggest planning family wedding photos after the ceremony, rather than before. You might think doing them ahead of time will get them done and out of the way, but I find that people often want to do extended family photos that require those same people to get together again after the ceremony (which means you’re adding onto the amount of time wedding family photos take to capture).   

When family photos are done before the ceremony, there is a specified time all family members need to meet to do the photos.  If you’ve ever tried to corral a group for a restaurant reservation, you’ll know that not everyone arrives at the exact same time.  For family wedding photos, this means standing around while waiting for the arrivals and photos to start.

However, if you do them right after the ceremony, everyone is already there. They will all be at the ceremony at the same time, and you can go right into the family photos after the ceremony, once the guests who are not in the photos can make their way to cocktail hour.  It allows all the wedding family photos to move quickly, as long as you have your plan from tip #1.  

Finally, post-ceremony wedding family photos tend to move more quickly because people are motivated to move on to your cocktail hour. 

Tip #3: Decide on a  location beforehand 

Work with your photographer to choose a location beforehand (if possible). You’ll want this location to be somewhere easy for guests to get to, especially those with limited mobility, and so that you don’t waste time traversing all over the venue property. 

The location of your ceremony is a great option because you already have it set up for your ceremony, but if the lighting does not cooperate or you need other options, consider your porches, patios, and unique sides of buildings. With any location you choose, make sure you consider the time of day you will be taking the photos, as lighting can impact the outcome of the photo.  Also, make sure your space is large enough to fit the largest group you have planned. 

Tip #4: Tell your family beforehand the plan for family wedding photos 

Usually, multiple reminders will help everyone to remember that they have to be somewhere for these photos.  I suggest an email or text two days before your wedding, a reminder at the rehearsal dinner, and designating a photo person for the wedding day to make sure all the included family members are at the location spot, or stay seated at the conclusion of the ceremony.  

We want to prevent meanders to the cocktail reception or bathroom.  Everyone is excited to be a part of your wedding, and it might be easy to forget where and what they are supposed to be doing on the wedding day.   

Tip #5:  Still want to take family photos before the ceremony?  Schedule them as close to your tuck-away time as possible.  

When couples see each other before their wedding and take all of their photos ahead of time, it often means that the 30 minutes before the ceremony are reserved for the wedding couple (and party) to tuck away from guest arrivals.  

Let those wedding family photos be the last thing you do before that time, so that family members’ arrival time is closer to the ceremony start time.  For instance, if you are starting your ceremony at 5 PM, scheduling family photos at 4 PM will provide 30 minutes for those photos (usually all family photos can be done in this amount of time), and they won’t have to arrive earlier (which often results in more delays).  

Bonus Pro Tip: If you want your family to arrive for 4 PM photos, tell them 3:45 PM. It’s okay if they are standing around for a bit while you finish up your couple and/or wedding party photos; the key is to have everyone there when YOU are ready to take your wedding family photos.  

Ready To Book Your Wedding Photographer?

I hope you found this info on preparing for family wedding photos helpful and will give you more time to spend with your guests, instead of waiting around for those important, historical family photos.  With a little bit of preparation ahead of time, you can make this part of your wedding a quick, stress-free experience! 

And… if you’re still looking for a Washington DC/Virginia wedding photographer, I’d love to connect! My approach to wedding photography starts with understanding what—and who—matters the most to the two of you.

When you hire me to photograph your wedding, we’ll sit down to figure out what photos are must-haves and how you want your day to feel. Your images will capture your day in its entirety: the spontaneous joy, the precious family photos, the experience you created for your guests. 

You can learn more about my wedding photography services here or get in touch with me here! 

Read these next: 

What Is Documentary Style Photography? Everything You Need To Know

How To Choose A Wedding Photographer: The Most Important Things You Should Consider

What is documentary style photography, and how do you know it’s for you? Documentary or candid, photojournalistic wedding photography is a style of photography that captures how the day felt instead of just how it looked.

As a documentary wedding photographer in Washington D.C. and northern Virginia,  I’ve learned this style resonates with couples because it allows them to experience their wedding day instead of being involved in a day-long photoshoot. 

Keep reading to learn more about documentary-style photography and whether it’s a good fit for your wedding! 

What Is Documentary Style Photography?

Documentary-style wedding photography is all about telling a story, whereas traditional photography captures curated photos that focus on how the day looks.  ; Documentary style photography prioritizes capturing genuine emotion, moments, and everything about your day as it unfolds. 

What about those posed family photos, couple and wedding party portraits?  They absolutely still happen, but with documentary photography, they won’t be the main focus. The posed photos are carefully considered and planned prior to the wedding day, to reduce the amount of time these take, allowing you to focus on spending time with the people you love.

Who Is Documentary Style Photography For?

Documentary style photography works for you if you want to prioritize capturing moments over details, emotions over staged poses, and spending time with your friends and family instead of your photographer. Couples that prefer documentary wedding photography crave photos that highlight unique aspects of their relationship and capture the emotions and feelings of their day authentically with an unscripted approach. You’ll have time to spend with your guests and can be fully immersed in your wedding day from getting ready to when you say your last goodbye – Your photos will have the depth, character, and personality that 

Only happens when moments unfold organically. To help guide your decision, here are some questions you and your partner can discuss to decide if this is the right style for your wedding: 

• When you picture your wedding day, what does it look like? Does it involve spending lots of time with your guests, enjoying your cocktail hour, lots of laughter, and dancing the night away? 
• What parts of your wedding day matter most to you? How do you envision these special moments being photographed? Are you posed or completely immersed in the moment? 
• Are you comfortable with your photographer celebrating along with you and your guests, by capturing the big and small moments as they unfold, instead of following a scripted photo must-have “shot” list?
• Do you prioritize being fully present on your wedding day over being pulled away for another set of photos? 

If you agree that you want to fully enjoy and be present for your wedding day, it sounds like documentary style photography will complement your need wedding day. 

My Approach As A Wedding Photographer To Documentary-style Photography

You’ll notice, as you look at documentary-style photographers’ work, how every photographer’s work looks a little bit different. That’s because even though someone labels themselves as a documentary style photographer, each photographer will have their own approach to this style and their own interpretation of it. 

For me, how I photograph is a classic adherence to true documentary photography, meaning I won’t stop to ask you to do something again. I also won’t interrupt your quiet, intimate moments or take over; instead, I’m all about letting your day unfold naturally.

Of course, wedding photography is about storytelling. But what story do you want to tell? That’s not just up to me. (After all, your wedding photos are for you.) When you hire me to photograph your wedding, we’ll sit down to figure out what photos are must-haves and how you want your day to feel.

In viewing your completed gallery of photos, I’ll provide you with photos that chronicle how the day unfolded naturally. My direction to my clients is during family photos, wedding party photos, and couple portraits. The rest of the day, you get to live, experience, and celebrate with all the people you love who have worked really hard to come to your wedding.

Furthermore, instead of being the photographer dressed in all black, I will be embedding myself into your day – capturing the sway to the music, the twists and turns of the day, without stopping you from enjoying every single second for a photo op.

Living and experiencing the day also means you aren’t being pulled in a million directions to do different things; you are present in each moment and what is occurring. You’ve heard the saying that your day goes by so fast that it’s like a blur – but what’s special about this style of photography is that it lets you slow down and reflect on moments and eflect focus in a bit more so that you can actually remember moments of connection with your wedding guests.  

Ready To Hire Your Documentary-Style Wedding Photographer?

I hope you found this info on documentary-style photography helpful. At the end of the day, regardless of the photography style you choose, your wedding photos should be a genuine representation of you and your partner and feature the most special moments from your day. 

And… if you’re still looking for a Washington DC/Virginia wedding photographer, I’d love to connect! My approach to wedding photography starts with understanding what—and who—matters the most to the two of you.

When you hire me to photograph your wedding, we’ll sit down to figure out what photos are must-haves and how you want your day to feel. Your images will capture your day in its entirety: the spontaneous joy, the precious family photos, the experience you created for your guests. 

You can learn more about my wedding photography services here or get in touch with me here! 

Read these next: 

How To Choose A Wedding Photographer: The Most Important Things You Should Consider

Your Guide To Planning A Small Wedding Or Elopement In Washington, DC / Alexandria

You’ve decided to get married!  And you have a place, which means you also have a date! What to do next?  Look for a wedding photographer, of course. So how do you choose the perfect wedding photographer for your day?

This is where I find so many couples get overwhelmed. There are so many wedding photographers, and their prices and services vary so much, that you might conclude the easiest way to pick a photographer is to simply choose the one recommended by your venue. Or maybe quickly scroll through photographers in your area’s social media and see which ones have photos you like.  

I mean, you’re not wrong, but when it comes to your wedding photographer, you are going to spend so much time with this person on your wedding day, so you kind of have to like them, too.  

And I don’t know about you, but I haven’t gotten along with everyone I’ve ever met (and I generally like a lot of people!), so chances are you’re missing that insight if you are selecting from a vendor list or skimming portfolios.  

As a Washington, DC / Virginia wedding photographer, I wanted to share some helpful tips so you can choose a wedding photographer who truly feels like a perfect match for your celebration. Keep reading for my top tips on how to choose a wedding photographer. 

How To Choose A Wedding Photographer

Right now, you might be thinking to yourself, “Seriously?”  I just want good wedding photos. And trust me, I get that!  And we are going to help you achieve exactly what you want – but just in a different way.  

Before you start looking at wedding photographers, the first thing I want you to do is answer these five questions (both you and your partner), jotting down your answers along the way. Answering these questions will truly help you find the right fit for your celebration. 

Here are the questions:  

• How would you describe the personality of your closest friends?  Kind, empathetic, and personable?  Or fun, life of the party, and everyone’s best friend?  
• What is your biggest pet peeve of service professionals?  Such as being late, pressure tactics, etc.  Great – now what is the opposite of that trait?
• When you are stressed, what do you need most? Calm, encouragement, or action?
• What do you want your wedding photos to capture?  Lots of empathetic, candid moments that take you immediately back to the day?  Or, maybe timeless portraits that will make your friends swoon when you post them on Instagram?  
• When you are at a special occasion, is it more important to remember what it looked like or how it felt?  

Now that you have your list, let’s interpret it.  Here is my sample couple and what they wrote as answers for each question: 

• How would you describe the personality of your closest friends?  Kind, empathetic, and personable?  Or fun, life of the party, and everyone’s best friend?  Answer – Joyous, full of life, nostalgic.
• What is your biggest pet peeve of service professionals? Such as being late, pressure tactics, etc. Answer – difficult to connect with or have a conversation with. What is the opposite of that trait? Answer – relatable. 
• When you are stressed, what do you need most? Calm, encouragement, or action? Answer – encouraging. 
• What do you want your wedding photos to capture?  Lots of empathetic, candid moments that take you immediately back to the day? Or, maybe timeless portraits that will make your friends swoon when you post them on Instagram? Answer – all the love and good vibes. 
• When you are at a special occasion, is it more important to remember what it looked like or how it felt? Answer – how it felt to be there. 

The first three questions tell me what kind of photographer will work best, and the remaining tell me what type of photography you want.  So this couple wants a photographer who is upbeat and relatable, encouraging and prioritizes memories, while providing photography that captures unscripted moments, like the ones you didn’t know were happening.  

Start researching wedding photographers 

Once you have your answers to the questions I gave you, I want you to start searching for your wedding photographer while keeping those answers in mind. 

Does their website embody the kind of photographer you need?  Do the photographs reflect the type of photography you prefer? These can be quick gut checks.  If you have to think too hard about the answer, the photographer can probably be crossed off the list.  

Why is all of this important?  Because at the end of the day, if you are not comfortable with your photographer, you will likely not like your photos.  Being photographed is a personal experience, and as humans, we tend to show emotions on our faces. 

Maybe you think, well, as long as I don’t hate them, it will all be fine.  But imagine you unexpectedly ran into a friend you adore on the street.  Now consider someone you barely know but see at work.  How would your expressions be different?  That is the difference between choosing a photographer you vibe with and one that you don’t hate.  

If you are like me, you’d love to spend my wedding day with a person I adore, rather than one I barely know.  

Schedule an engagement session 

If you’ve looked through a wedding photographer’s website and wedding galleries, read their reviews, and had a call with them, I would also suggest scheduling an engagement session with them. 

This way, you can spend meaningful time with them before your wedding and also see how you both connect in person. An engagement session will also tell you how they work, how comfortable you truly feel around them, and give you more insight into their style and how they can help pose you. 

Ready To Hire Your Wedding Photographer? 

I hope you found all this info on how to choose your wedding photographer helpful. You shouldn’t just settle for what’s available when it comes to your wedding photographer. This is a big decision and investment. You deserve a wedding photographer you love who makes you feel like you can be 100% yourself! 

And… if you’re still looking for a Washington DC/Virginia wedding photographer, I’d love to connect! My approach to wedding photography starts with understanding what—and who—matters the most to the two of you.

When you hire me to photograph your wedding, we’ll sit down to figure out what photos are must-haves and how you want your day to feel. Your images will capture your day in its entirety: the spontaneous joy, the precious family photos, the experience you created for your guests. 

You can learn more about my wedding photography services here or get in touch with me here! 

Read these next: 

Your Guide To Planning A Small Wedding Or Elopement In Washington, DC / Alexandria