For family portraits, we’ll place you in the centre of a large group photo with all of your grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, godparents, etc. And then we’ll remove the extended family so it’s just grandparents, parents and siblings.

We’ll keep removing family members and switch a few closer family members in and out so we get photos of you and your parents, you and your siblings, some with the groom and your family, etc. Then we’ll repeat the process with your spouse's family. The whole thing will go quicker and smoother if you let family know how the portrait process will work ahead of time.
You + parents (together)

• You + parents (separately)

• You + parents + siblings (together)

• You + your siblings (together)

• Your spouse + their parents (together)

• Your spouse + their parents (separately)

• Your spouse + their parents + their siblings (together)

• Your spouse + their siblings (together)

• You + your spouse + your parents + your siblings

• You + your spouse + your parents

• You + your spouse + their parents + their siblings

• You + your spouse + their parents

• You + your spouse + your grandparents (if attending)

• You + your spouse + their grandparents (if attending)

If you have aunts, uncles, cousins or other people that you want to include in photos, we suggest opting for larger groups of people so you can get more groupings in during the time slot or using your cocktail hour for informal photos.

When we send out our pre-wedding questionnaire, we'll ask you for a list of specific groupings, special situations (such as divorces or handicapped family members & more), but if you want to start brainstorming photos in the meantime, you'll find our typical list below.

Please note that this list is just a starting point and that we're happy to take any requested family portraits as long as time allows!

Pro Tip: have someone in your wedding party or a close family member assigned to help organize groupings for family formal portraits. This will ensure that no one gets left out, as your photographer will not know all of your family members by name. Your group shots will be much more efficient and painless if you have your groups are ready and waiting to be photographed.

Using cocktail hour for informal extras. Many couples opt to take semi-formal photos with friends and extended family during cocktail hour. They aren’t super-posed, they’re more of the “throw your arms around each other and hug in tight!” types of photos. They are super easy to shoot and make for great memories.