4 Tips for taking group photos at a wedding
4 Tips for taking group photos at a wedding
Even though a group photo session might seem simple, planning is vital to ensure its success and to make sure it doesnt eat up too much time on your wedding day. Here are a few tips to keep in mind to take the best group photos.
- Keep it small
Taking group photos don’t have to include everyone at the wedding in one frame. Ideally, there should not be more than around ten individuals per shot. That is because the more people to participate, the longer the time it will take to finish the session. Plus, everyone is going to have a photo of themselves anyways because that’s the photographer’s job.
What I usually like to do on a wedding day as a wedding photographer is take one big group shot of everyone attending – usually using my drone so that it’s a bit of a novelty, and captures everyones attention while taking the photo, and then peeling off for taking group photos in smaller groups.
- Look for helping hands
Help is always appreciated, especially when you are trying to gather people to take photos. For this reason, do spend some time looking for people who can help. You can ask a family member who most likely knows most of the guests, which means they can get things done a little better.
Your photographer will not know anyone there, so they are usually limited to shouting out names blankly if you’ve given them a list. If you gave a list to someone who is natually good at rounding up people, this process will be done much quicker. I usually say it’s best for your parents to do this job.
- List the shots that you want
Create a list of all the shots you want to take on your group photo session. Doing so will allow you to announce who is coming up next and ensure that those who are going to take multiple pictures do not have to leave so often. For example, if one person were to show up in the first shot and then again four shots later, they might have already disappeared after the first.
It’s often the case that people don’t like having their photos taken in a group like you’re often forced to on a wedding day so they might run off – conveniently be hiding in the toilet, or taking an ‘important’ phone call. Try to have those people you know will try to avoid you have their photos all at once.
A big hint I like to point out is try to organise it so that elderly and children go first so that once they are done with taking group photos, they can go sit or play about. Also have your parents go last! They will be your best hellp in rounding up any groups who have not yet had a photo taken!
When you list the shots and organise properly, you ensure that the time where you’re taking group photos goes smoothly, and no one’s going to be missing.
- Talk to the photographer
You should always talk about your plans with your photographer. That is because they are the ones with the experience in photo taking and generally know what will work best. For example, if you have a place in mind for the session, tell your photographer about it. They will work with you to set up the area for proper lighting or suggest another place that may be better for the group photos.
If you want some help in this regard, I’d be super keen to have a chat, you only need to ask!
Group photos on your wedding day can take up a bunch of your precious time if not correctly planned. They require plenty of planning to ensure success, and you will need to put in the effort if you want it to be so.
However, taking group photos on a wedding day generally just can’t be skipped as you’re likely to have family and guests in attendance that would rarely be seen together otherwise.
The photos and the memories you will capture from this will be ones you will cherish for the rest of your life, your group photos will help you remember when Uncle John accidentally tripped on Aunt May’s dress, spilling his champagne everywhere!
