Group photos are such an embedded tradition in almost any wedding, regardless of the style of photography couples prefer. And if you aren’t too fussed on having any, the truth is that your parents probably are. But do you have to miss your entire wedding reception to have beautiful group photos from your big day? Absolutely not. I use a simple system that lets me get group photos done in as little as 10 minutes and I’m going to share it with you.

It’s All About Organisation

Don’t get me wrong. Group photos are far from my favourite part of the day. As a documentary photographer I’d much rather spend every minute photographing your wedding day as it unfolds, without setting up or staging anything. But I still want to do and deliver my best for the couples who value these traditional photos. Yes – not everybody wants those done, and that’s totally fine.

The key to getting those out of the way as quickly as possible and achieving the best possible results lies in the organisation of the process. There are 5 simple staples in the process that ensure it all runs smoothly and you get back to enjoying your wedding in no time.

Location, location, location

Picking the right location for your group photos is critical. I normally do this on the day – depending on the weather and lighting conditions. Ideally you want to aim for a spot with a clean background, away from direct sunlight which would make everybody squint, and most important of all – very close to where your drinks reception is. The further away the spot, the longer it takes to find that one missing person from group 5 and get them to where they need to be.

One Person in Charge

Having one person in charge of rounding people up is also a critical step in the process. I ask couples to give the “job” to somebody who is very organised and would take it seriously, knows most people at the wedding, and is loud (ideally). This is a step that saves a ton of time. It also allows me to keep capturing moments in between groups. And there are plenty of lovely moments happening at that time.

Group Size

Keeping group sizes small-ish works really well for two reasons. One – people’s faces are bigger and clearer in the photos. Two – it’s much easier to gather and line up a smaller group than it is a bigger one. 10-12 people is what I normally ask couples to aim for. While it’s not always possible with big families it’s always good to keep that in mind. After all the goal is simple – get back to enjoying your wedding quickly, stress-free.

Keep Groups Limited

That’s an obvious one, I know. 6 groups are normally enough to capture your closest people. Couples typically go for Parents, Siblings, Bridesmaids, Groomsmen and a group of friends. Most couples who book me tend not to want to spend too long trying to create those group photos however if those are really important to you, doing more than 6 is fine.

Let Them Know

The last step in the process that could save a lot of time is simple – let people who are in the group photos know. Let them know when the formal photos are happening before the wedding so on the day they know that they need to be around at the agreed time.

And that’s how I photograph group photos at weddings in 10 minutes instead of 2 hours. If you’ve found this helpful, please save it, consider sharing it with a friend or somebody else you know who is planning a wedding. It might just save them from missing their wedding reception trying to round people up for endless group shots.

OR… let’s get to know each other