Your wedding day is coming up! And you want everything to go smoothly, including the family portrait photography. Relax… I have the best family portrait ideas for weddings, group photography tips, and a few more tidbits.

With these great but simple ideas, I assure you that they will help you avoid some common mistakes and make a nice gesture for your family portrait photos. Pay attention…

Organize everything beforehand

wedding family portrait

Most things need to be planned in advance and with enough time to foresee everything from inconveniences and problems to the smallest details. 

And how can we know? Let’s go by parts, if you were hired or you will be in charge of taking this important portrait photography, do a good job…

Be attentive and talk to the bride and groom about what kind of portrait they would like their family photo to be. 

Ask them about the people who should be in the picture… If possible, take the initiative to make a list of each family member and friend’s name.

Coordinate the time of the photograph, one thing is what is planned, and another thing is what happens. That is why it is important to pay attention. 

Although it goes without saying, take everything you are going to need and what you think may be useful for taking the picture. 

Take your time

drone family portrait

It may seem a cliché, but we must take the time to see who will be in the family photo since we don’t want anyone to be left out…

Keep in mind, more than a photograph, it is a moment that will be remembered for a lifetime, among family, friends and guests

Organize the people who will be in the picture (make sure no one covers anyone else). One of the frequent mistakes in family and group photographs is that the people in the corners tend to bend… It’s not a circle or semicircle!

If possible, make a linear reference so that everyone is positioned side by side (without blocking each other) and arrange each member of the photograph individually. 

Just before shooting, make one last check that everyone is in place and ready to take the shot. 

You might be also interested in: “Creative wedding photo ideas“.

Manage space and environment

wedding family portrait

Although this is one of the last points I’m touching on, this should also be kept in mind from the beginning…

Both the material spaces and the environment of those who make up the photo-portrait, have to be appreciated correctly. 

This is fundamental if you want to give life and feeling to this moment. 

In the photograph you are looking at, resources such as chairs are used, and the kiss of the bride and groom that make up this family group. Since it is a good way to set a space for love and even sit that grandmother or elderly aunt…

It would also be possible (in the case of a very large family group) to establish an angle from above so as not to neglect anyone in the photograph. 

In addition, you can organize them by size or even take the portrait photograph, on a staircase, with the same orientations indicated. 

Another important factor is lighting (as long as we want the photograph to be visible).

If our lighting resources are low, don’t get caught up if we have natural daylight. 

Make use of nature’s light and its spaces in general, when you leave the sun behind you, it will be easy to take advantage of its light.

And if it’s a small group, the spaces between each other can be a little more open (you can take into account the opposite way).

Take several pictures

family portrait wedding

Capture 4, 5, or as many photos as you are allowed or have the luxury of allowing

Remember that this is an art and as a creative derivative, it is great to implement the expressions of the bride and groom and leave our own style and mark. 

This does not mean that all photographs have to be crazy or informal.

On the contrary, once you have taken the family portrait or the main photograph, you can involve the bride and groom in taking more. 

And who doesn’t like good photos and celebrations? They are likely to accept and like them. 

Plus, taking several photos gives you a better chance of capturing the right one (but try to make them all the right one).

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