I’m just being honest with this one. I’m just going to come out an say it. Family formals can be an absolute nightmare.

The good news is they don’t have to be. Being one that has gone though family formals a few times myself, as well as orchestrated them what feels like a million times, I can definitely tell you what works best and what doesn’t work at all. Here’s goes.

Family Formal Dos

–Do have someone who can act as your “photography coordinator,” if you will. I always tell my brides that this person is a little bossy, but it the nicest way possible. They aren’t afraid to be loud, and get people’s attention.

–Have a list of shots with NAMES. Not just “bride with aunt,” “groom with brother.” We need NAMES! This is a huge one. If I have a bride that wants a few different variations of family formals, I have no idea who everyone is, and if you have a list of the MUST have shots, that said “photography coordinator” reads them off, we take the shot, and we move on. Simple. Quick. BOOM! Done.

–Start with the BIG group first. For some reason, it’s always easier to start with EVERYONE first, and then start pulling people out. Big to small, then repeat with other side of the family.

–If they’re younger kids involved, make sure they’re first! They’re attention span is….wait, what was I saying. Yes. It’s like that. 😉

–Get granny and pop pop over with in the beginning as well. First off, if it’s hot, they melt, and second, most of the time they can’t just stand around.

Family Formal Don’ts

–DON’T ask for a photo with every single person individually of your ENTIRE family that shows up to the wedding. 1. We probably don’t have time to take 300 photos of each combination. 2. You aren’t going to REALLY want those pictures after all is said and done.

–DON’T wait until the last minute to put together that said list of names of your family. I generally email my brides 6-8 weeks before the wedding to go over final timeline and shots, and that’s a great time to go over it. Then you can make you don’t forget grandpa. PLEASE, don’t forget grandpa!

–DON’T forget to let your guests know that taking photos during family formals of the family formals really isn’t ok. It’s hard enough trying to get everyone in the right position, but it’s SUPER disappointing, when the shot looks great EXCEPT Aunt Fanny is starring off into la-la land because she was looking at someone else’s camera. I know that they want photos, and they will be able to get some great images from me when you share the gallery with them! It’s hard when you have multiple photographers trying to take the same image and no one knows where to look. It’s not that us crazy photographers want to have all those to ourselves. I assure you.

–DON’T forget to make sure your family knows EXACTLY the time they need to be there! If someone isn’t there on time, we generally can’t wait 30 minutes for that one photo. We shoot it without them, and move one, and maybe we can come back to it.

SO those maybe harsh, but family formals can be super stressful if you let it be. It really doesn’t need to be though, and won’t be if you follow these tips! 🙂