Let’s be real: family portraits on your wedding day can feel like herding cats. It’s chaotic, messy, and seems to take longer than expected, right? But before you toss the idea out the window, consider this: those family portraits aren’t just for you—they’re for your loved ones, especially the ones who’ve spent hours perfecting their looks (I’m looking at you, Nana!). This is about capturing the beautiful moments with people who might not be around forever, and trust me, that’s worth a few minutes of organized chaos.

Who Should Be in Your Wedding Family Photos?

Family comes in all shapes, sizes, and sometimes with a sprinkle of drama. To make sure everything runs smoothly, I’ll ask you for a timeline and a list of the groups you want to include. Is there any family friction I should know about? This helps avoid awkward moments, like putting Aunt Carol next to Uncle Bob when they haven’t spoken since ‘02. Let’s keep things smooth and stress-free, yeah?

What Family Groups Should I Include?

Here’s a tip: keep it balanced. You want a good mix without it feeling like a never-ending roll call. A few basics could include:

• Couple + one set of parents

• Couple + the other set of parents

• Couple + both sets of parents

• Couple + parents + siblings + their partners and kids

• Couple + bridal party (bridesmaids, best man, flower girls, etc.)

• Couple + grandparents

Got friends and family flying in from interstate or overseas? This is the perfect moment to show them some love and include them in the shots!

When and where are the best times for family portraits on my wedding day?

In most cases, the family portraits will be taken right after the ceremony. However, another great option, depending on the format of your day and the locations you have chosen would be to have some images taken before the ceremony if you choose to do a first look. The location and the set up will depend on the light that day. Ideally, if you have an outdoor ceremony around lunchtime or early afternoon, then the family portraits should take place on a shaded spot to be able to have even light across all of your family members faces and avoid squinting. If you are planning a sunset ceremony then I would strongly advise to have your family portraits before the ceremony to make sure that most of the light and outdoor options can be used before all the light disappears.

Whatever format you choose for your wedding day, it’s always very helpful if you let your closest family members know about your plans so they can assist with making sure that everyone is available at the critical time when it comes to getting everyone together for their portraits.

In regards to location keep in mind those guests that will have a hard time moving around, and always remember if there is a disability option to access your chosen location to be able to cater to your guests. Ideally, the location for your family portraits will be closer to the ceremony location. Another factor to keep in mind is the heels of guests that could dig in sand or dirt.

I really hope that these handy tips will help you to organise your wedding day. If you need more tips and tricks for wedding timelines, then come and visit these blog posts.