Organising group photos at a wedding
Group photos are the only part of the day you have to organise yourselves. With a list they take twenty minutes; without one, an hour — and that hour is missing in the evening.
The list, beforehand
Write down the combinations you actually want: couple with parents, with siblings, with grandparents, each side separately, then both families together. Ten to twelve groups is enough for most weddings. Every extra one costs two to three minutes and a name somebody has to call out.
Two people who do the calling
The photographer does not know the names. Appoint one person per family who knows who is who and is loud enough. Those two save more time than any equipment — and save you from spending your own wedding rounding people up.
The timing
- Straight after the congratulations, while everyone is still together.
- Not after the meal: by then a third of the guests are gone and the rest are seated.
- One fixed spot, agreed in advance, in shade or under a roof.
- The big picture with all the guests first — the smaller groups peel off from it.