Wedding family photo list

Months after the wedding, someone opens the album and asks, "Is there no photo of us with Nani?" The photographer was excellent. Nobody told him who Nani was. A photographer captures what happens in front of the camera. The family photographs you want have to be planned. A written list and one helper are all it takes.

How to use this list

Copy the groups below and delete what does not apply.
Replace the general words with names: not "bride's uncles" but "Suresh mama and family".
Mark the five or six photographs that matter most.
Give one copy to the photographer a week before and one to a helper from each family.

The family groups

Start with the largest group on each side and take people away, so that nobody has to be called twice.

Bride's side

The couple with the bride's whole family.
With her grandparents.
With her parents and siblings.
With her parents alone.
The bride with her parents (without the groom).
The bride with her brothers and sisters.
With her father's side: each uncle and aunt's family.
With her mother's side: each mama and masi's family.
With her cousins.

Groom's side

The same nine groups, in the same order.

Together

The couple with both sets of parents.
Both families together, if the stage allows.
The two sets of grandparents with the couple.
All the siblings from both sides.
The couple with school friends, college friends, colleagues, neighbours.
The couple alone: full length, close, and one natural, unposed picture.

People who are easily missed

The oldest relatives, who may leave early. Take their photographs first.
Relatives who have travelled the farthest.
The people who did the work: the cousin who managed the day, the aunt who packed every gift.
Household staff who have known the bride or groom since childhood.
The parents by themselves, each couple, dressed for the day. It may be their best portrait in years.
The bride with her mother, and the groom with his, before leaving home.

Moments to ask for

Tell the photographer which rituals your family holds dear, because the central moment differs by tradition and can last only seconds. The ritual pages list them in order. In general:

Getting ready: the last touch of make-up, the tying of the sehra or turban, a parent's blessing.
Arrival: the baraat, the welcome at the door.
The central act: the pheras, the laavan, the nikah, the vows, the tying of the thali, the removal of the antarpat. Ask where the photographer will stand, so that the family does not block the view.
The faces around it: the mother during the kanyadaan, the father at the vidaai, the grandmother watching.
The farewell and the welcome at the new home.

Details that become memories

The invitation card, the rings, the garlands, the mehndi on the hands.
The clothes and jewellery laid out before dressing, especially pieces passed down in the family.
The decoration, the mandap and the venue before guests arrive.
The food counters and one plate of the dinner.
The house lit up, and the rangoli at the door.

Getting the groups done quickly

Group photographs are where weddings lose an hour. These habits get them done in twenty minutes:

Fix a time and announce it. Straight after the jaimala, while everyone is fresh and on the stage, is the usual choice.
One caller per family, with the list, who knows faces. While one group is being photographed, the caller lines up the next.
Elders first, then they can sit down and eat.
Biggest groups first, then subtract people.
Keep the stage clear of bags, plates and extra chairs.
Ask guests to put phones down for the main groups. Ten cousins photographing at once means half the group is looking at the wrong camera.

The brief for the photographer

Send one message a week before the wedding with:

the programme: dates, times and places of every function to be covered, from your timeline;
the photo list, with the must-have pictures marked;
the names and numbers of the two family callers;
any rules of the venue or place of worship about photography, flash or drones;
people to take special care over, such as a grandparent in a wheelchair, and anyone who prefers not to be photographed;
what you like: more natural pictures, more posed ones, or both.

What to settle before you book the photographer, such as hours, number of cameras, delivery and albums, is on the vendor questions page.

Photographs from guests

The professional pictures may take weeks. Guests' phone pictures are ready that night. Ask everyone to share theirs in one group or shared album, and ask them to send the originals rather than forwarded copies, so that they stay sharp. To turn a few of them into a quick thank-you picture, the collage maker on our sister site works in the browser.

Questions people ask

When should family photos be taken at a wedding?

Straight after the jaimala or the main ceremony is the usual time, while everyone is present and fresh. Photograph the eldest relatives first.

How long do family group photos take?

About twenty to thirty minutes if there is a written list and one person from each family calling the groups. Without a list they can take over an hour.

What should I tell the wedding photographer in advance?

The full programme, the list of family groups with names, the rituals that matter most, the venue's photography rules and the phone numbers of two family helpers.