Formal portraits are an important part of documenting a wedding day, but it can also be a point of stress. The suggestions herein are things that I find work well with my style. Other photographers, planners and books will have many other suggestions. This is what works for me.
How long will formals take?
20 – 45 min * You can use the info below to figure approximately how long formals will take.
– Estimated times per group size –
2 people – 1 minute
3-4 people – 3 minutes
5-8 people – 4 minutes
8+ people* – 5+ minutes
*Larger groups take longer because I have to pose everyone and inevitably someone is missing.
What is the best time to do formals?
Immediately following the ceremony is the best time to do formals. After the ceremony everyone who will be in the formals is on site (no waiting for aunts or wayward cousins). The light (at outdoor weddings) also tends to better post ceremony.
If you do want to do formals before the wedding I suggest having the photographer (me) arrive 2 hours before the ceremony and starting the formals 1.5 hours before ceremony. This will allow enough time for me to do candid getting ready photos and enough time to get through the formals before guests arrive. The nice thing about doing all of the formals before the wedding is that you can start partying right after the ceremony. Remember, however, your family may have other things they need to take care of on your wedding day and asking them to arrive two hours early may not be ideal.
Can we split the formals and do some before the ceremony and some after?
Trying to do family formals before the wedding tends to create more stress than the time saves. If you have a wedding planner who will get everyone were they need to be at the right time it works pretty well. If you don’t have a planner – I strongly advice against trying this route. I’ve photographed more than 200 weddings and I’ve only see pre-wedding formals go smoothly a handful of times.
Should I provide a list of who will be in each formal?
Sure, if you want to provide one that is great. When working on your list please include the group name and first names of each person in the group – Expample : Smith Family (brides mother’s side) – Joan, Bob, Carol, Andy and Rebecca. If you do not prepare a formal list I’ll just wing it.
What is the best order for the formals?
Do the formals in an order that will flow smoothly placing photos with same people in sequence. You also want to move from larger groups to smaller groups - Here is a sample ….
- B&G + Brides Extended Family
- B&G + Brides Immediate Family
- Bride and Brides Parents (w/ and w/o siblings)
- B&G +Brides Parents and Grooms Parents
- B&G +Grooms Extended Family
- B&G +Grooms Immediate Family
- Groom and Grooms Parents (w/ and w/o siblings)
- B&G + Full Bridal Party (including ushers, flower girl, ring bear)
- Bride+ Bridesmaids
- Groom + Groomsmen
- Bride and Groom – ALONE
How do you handle divorced parents?
Please let me know if your parents are no longer together and we can work out a strategy that will work for your family.
When should we do portraits of just the bride and groom?
I like to do romantic portraits after we finish the family photos. I usually spend about 15 minutes photographing the bride and groom formally. If the light is not perfect we may only spend a few minutes right after the ceremony and then spend more time working on the photos later in the evening when the light is prettier.
1 comment