Building Your Family Photo List (So It Feels Easy)

Family portraits are some of the photos you'll live with the longest. They're the ones that end up framed on a hallway wall, tucked into your parents' holiday card, passed down to your own kids someday. Which is exactly why this part of the day deserves a little planning — not because it has to be complicated, but because a few minutes of thought now saves everyone a lot of standing around later.

Since we lean more toward capturing candids through the flow of your day, the family photo segment is often the one time where it can feel like things are get snagged, so we make EVERY effort to have it flow as smoothly as possible.

Here's how we like to build it with our couples.

Start with who really matters

Think about the photos you'll actually want printed, framed, or handed down — not every possible combination of people who'll be at your wedding. For most couples, that's:

Bride and groom in family photo in Acadia National Park by Warner Photography

The two of you with each partner's parents
The two of you with each partner's siblings (and their partners/kids, if applicable)
The two of you with grandparents, if they're able to be there
The two of you with both families combined

Extended family — aunts, uncles, cousins, close family friends — can absolutely be part of your day, but those photos tend to happen more naturally during cocktail hour, when there's no clock ticking and everyone's already relaxed with a drink in hand. Save the formal, everyone-stand-still-and-smile energy for the people who'll be in the photos you look at for the next fifty years.

Keep the list tight

A good rule of thumb: aim for 12–15 groupings. That keeps you inside a clean 30-minute window, which is what we typically recommend building into your timeline for family formals. Go much beyond that and the math starts working against you — each additional grouping adds a couple of minutes once you factor in people finding their spot, kids being kids, and someone inevitably needing to be tracked down.

Family Photo during Wedding at Bates College by Maine wedding photographers Warner Photography

If your family situation calls for more than that — blended families, multiple sets of grandparents, a big wedding party — that's completely normal, and we'll just build a little more time into your day-of timeline together. There's no one-size-fits-all list. There's just your list.

Three pro tips before you build your list

1. If you're doing a first look, use it to your advantage.

A first look isn't just about seeing each other early — it opens up the whole front half of your day. We can knock out couple portraits, your full wedding party, and either some or all of your family formals before the ceremony even starts. Split the family list in half if that feels right, or move the whole thing up front. Either way, it means less time spent posing for photos after your ceremony and more time actually in your cocktail hour.

2. Write first names next to every grouping, not just relationships.

When you send us your list, write it as [Name] + [Name] + [Name] — relationship to you, not just "bride's immediate family." Something like:

Julia + Mark + Susan — Julia's parents
Julia + Mark + Susan + Emma + Jake — Julia's parents and siblings

This one small habit makes a real difference on the day. It means we can call people by name instead of shouting "bride's family, over here!" into a crowd — which is faster, calmer, and just feels better for everyone standing in front of the camera.

3. Give your family a heads-up to stick around.

Let the family members on your list know ahead of time that they'll need to stay put right after the ceremony for photos, rather than heading straight for cocktail hour. Your officiant can even make a quick announcement to the group if that's easier than tracking down everyone individually beforehand. It's also worth picking one person from each side — someone who isn't in the photos themselves — to help gather people quickly. Without that, one missing relative has a way of turning into two, because someone always goes off looking for them and doesn't come back either.

Appoint a point person/wrangler

Family wedding photo by Maine wedding photographers Warner Photography

Pick one person from each side of the family — ideally someone who isn't in the photos themselves, like an aunt, family friend, or wedding party member who knows everyone by sight and is (generally speaking) loud and confident— to help gather people quickly. This is the single best trick for keeping things moving. Without someone doing this, one missing person often turns into two, because someone goes off to find them and doesn't come back either.

When to send it to us

We'll ask for your list during our planning meeting, about two months out (which you’ll receive a reminder to schedule a time with us!). When the time comes, take it at your own pace: jot down names as they come to mind, run it by both families if that's helpful, and send it over whenever it's ready (ideally in a Google doc). We'll fold it right into your day-of timeline.

A simple starting template

Feel free to copy this and fill in names as a starting point — add, remove, or reorder however fits your family:

Grandparents (first, so they don’t need to stand around)

Couple + all grandparents
Couple + Partner A's grandparents
Couple + Partner B's grandparents

Partner A's side

Couple + Partner A's parents + siblings
Couple + Partner A's parents

Both families combined

Couple + both immediate families combined
Couple + both sets of parents

Partner B's side

Couple + Partner B's parents + siblings
Couple + Partner B's parents

Extended (optional, if time allows)

Couple + Partner A's extended family
Couple + Partner B's extended family

That's it. However your family looks — blended, small, big and loud, spread across three states — this list is just a starting point to build from together. We'll take care of the rest on the day.

With love,

Julia & Ned