Which Group Shots Should I Ask my Wedding Photographer to Take?

When it comes to your wedding photographs you're going to want some great group shots, so which ones should you ask your wedding photographer to take?

In times gone by, wedding photography has often had a bit of a bad name, mainly because of the length of time that the photographer commandeered proceedings for those dreaded group shots. Nowadays however, many couples specify that they do not want anything like the old style group-shot-fest and would prefer something a little more guest-friendly.

We usually suggest no more than about five or six ‘formal’ shots for the album, and this would include something like:

• The Bridal Party (Bride, Groom, Best Man, Ushers, Bridesmaids etc)
• Bride & Parents
• Groom & Parents
• Bride & Groom & Both Parents
• Everybody i.e. All friends, family and guests

Bridal magazines will often publish a very concise list of the shots to ask for, involving every possible permutation of family and friends that would take you the best part of the day to get through.

If you have chosen a wedding photographer whose style is quite candid and relaxed, the last thing you want to do is throw 20 group shots at them - everyone will be fed up at the end of it and most of your guests will blame the poor photographer for keeping everyone hanging around, even if it was your decision to choose so many groups!

In our experience a great compromise is to spend some time with the photographer as soon as you arrive at your reception venue (if you’ve had a church ceremony) whilst your guests are still arriving. This way you can make the most of the ‘dead time’ without it seeming like you have been whisked away. If time permits, and we often do this, you can always have a couple of 10 minute sessions here and there so you get to see your guests and have some time alone together (albeit with the photographer).

When you’re back with your guests, the photographer might be taking candid photographs of the fun and laughter and at this point you can have them cover some more informal group shots without the need to turn it into a big deal ... for example, get an usher to round up your mum and sister and have the photographer shoot the three of you ad-hoc and suddenly there’s a nice informal “formal” shot, done and dusted with no fuss.

Of course not all photographers will be open to this method of shooting, but it certainly works for us! A photographer with a more photojournalistic approach may not be interested in covering any groups shots at all, as their style is often more about capturing the day as it unfolds with no ‘posed’ shots.

The best thing to do is talk through all the options before the wedding and discuss what works for you all. All good photographers will work with you to find a good compromise and it may simply be that their style and your requirements do not match - in which case it’s time to move on to the next one on the list!

Article by Surrey Wedding Photographer Matt Pereira

Image Courtesy of Surrey Wedding Photographer Matt Pereira Photography

Read more Wedding Photography Advice articles

Read other Wedding Advice articles