How to get the most out of your group portraits on your wedding day

How to get the most out of your group portraits on your wedding day

Group portraits will always have a place at weddings, and we understand the importance of having them. One of our goals is to make it enjoyable and easy to do. It doesn’t have to be a lengthy and exhausting process during your drinks reception, and it doesn’t have to take hours either.

So here are a few starting points to get you thinking about what you want and how to decide what’s essential, as well as some creative options for your group portraits.

Decide on your list

Pick the most important and closest people to you, whether that's family, friends or your wedding party. Realistically, you only need 8 to 10 group portraits before it starts to feel like a lot. We will always ask you to list the photos you want and who those people are. We never presume or do 'set' shots because every wedding is different and every couple is different. Key things to consider might be: are you likely to put it up on the wall? Will your family members want it? The list doesn't need to be exhaustive because one key thing to remember is that you and others have to be in them, so you want to make it easy for everyone.

We always ask for 2 helpers when filling in our wedding day form, and group portraits list that can help gather everyone for the photos. It's worth picking people that know everyone on your list and giving them a heads up before your wedding day. This will help out MASSIVELY with making it feel quick and easy.

No matter how organised we can be with group portraits, they do still take a bit of time. If you have an hour and a half drinks reception, then that goes by incredibly quickly. You'll want to talk to your guests, have a canape, breathe, go for a wee, get some couple portraits and generally take a moment. You don't want the entirety taken up with group portraits. So deciding on a list of around 8 to 10 group portraits with 2 amazing helpers will give you that balance.

Do you need the ‘everyone’ shot?

Some people love this shot, and some people don't. It has its place at a wedding! But remember that it can take around 15 minutes to put together, depending on how many guests you have. This is purely gathering people together. You inevitably get a few people who refuse to participate. It takes only seconds to photograph, but it can take time up in your drinks reception that you might not have. Typically, this photo is best taken either straight after the confetti or just before everyone sits down for food.

Types of group photos you could have for your wedding day

Formal yet relaxed group portraits

These group portraits are probably the most common ones seen, as they are the quickest to do and look really put together within minimal time. For us, this tends to be the go-to option, especially for family photos, as often that's what parents and grandparents are expecting. These group portraits don't have to be boring. We will usually give prompts to get you to relax and be in the moment, but also manage to get a more formal-looking portrait, too.

Editorial group portraits

These are a little more fancy and take a bit more time to put together, with a few chairs thrown in for good measure! Typically, these group portraits are more doable in a longer drinks reception, such as 2 hours. We absolutely love doing these, so if it's something you want, then let us know, and we will get it done! Typically, they work really well for your wedding party, but can be done with any of your groups. We also often do these types of group portraits with grandparents who might need to stay seated and/or indoors.

Fun Group portraits

If you want a more relaxed and fun way of doing group portraits, then there are lots of ways you can approach that, especially with a group of people up for a laugh!

There are the fun, relaxed walking shots, which can also look quite chic. These work best in smaller groups of people. If you have a bigger group of folks, then the 'jump and smother' or 'jump and lift' can always create fun, chaotic photos. You never quite know what's going to happen! It's definitely not everyone's cup of tea, but normally, we're good at reading people and working out when the vibe calls for it.

Another option that's proving quite popular because of TikTok is the photo dash. It's actually one of those social media trends that works quite well on a wedding day without it feeling all-consuming. We really recommend doing it where the couple sit down on 2 chairs, and you have a fun upbeat song playing whilst each group or table runs around you. It often works better this way due to space and timing. It's a really good idea to do this post-meal and speeches to get everyone hyped up for the party element of your day, where normally there's a natural lull due to everyone being full on lots of food!

So that's it! That's our tips and tricks for group portraits. If you have a vision or want for your group portraits, let us know before your day so we can make sure it happens for you. We’ve done all sorts from formal to relaxed, photo dash, champagne sprays, sparkler group portraits, seated group portraits - you name it, there’s something for everyone!