Your group shots don't have to be BORING.
As a London wedding photographer, if I had a fiver for every couple who's told me they're dreading the group shots, I'd have retired to a beach somewhere by now. It's usually up there with public speaking on the list of wedding day fears, and I get it. Standing in a line while someone barks out names, waiting for Auntie Sue to find her glasses, watching the minutes tick by while your drink goes warm. Nobody wants that. So here's how I actually do wedding group photos, and why it works.
First things first, I always read the room. If you're having a black tie do with a gorgeous venue to match, we've got a bit more time to play with, so I'll get a little more editorial with it, posing you properly in the setting, making the most of where you are. If it's more relaxed and you just want to get on with the party, that's just as good, we keep it dead simple. Either way, all I actually need from you in that moment is a laugh.
Then there's the timing, and this is the bit that makes the biggest difference. I always split group shots into two rounds rather than doing the lot in one go. Immediate family come straight away, so parents, siblings, grandparents, done and dusted before anyone's had a chance to wander off. Then I leave the rest, your uni friends, your bridesmaids, your groomsmen, your whole I do crew as I call them, until later on in the champagne reception. Mainly because nobody, and I mean nobody, wants to stand around taking photos the second the ceremony ends. Let people have a drink first, let them relax a bit. Then when we do come back together for the second round, it doubles up as the perfect warm up for your couple photos straight after.
The other rule I stick to is numbers. Ten group shots, max. Any more than that and it starts to drag, and dragging is exactly what we're trying to avoid. So before the day, just write me a list of who you want and in what combinations, and I'll get through all ten in under ten minutes. Quick, easy, everyone's straight back to their drinks before they've even noticed.
And I'll be honest, this bit is where I get to have some fun. I pride myself on being bossy, friendly and fun all at the same time, and being able to herd a big group of people is a proper skill. Twenty years in the events industry will do that to you, I know exactly how to get everyone where they need to be with a smile on their face, herding sheep but make it fabulous.
That's really it. Read the room, split it into two, keep the list short, and get it done fast. Boring group shots were never a rule you had to follow, they were just what everyone assumed was normal. Not on my watch.
Fancy a chat about your day? If you're after a relaxed, fun London wedding photographer who'll get your group shots sorted without eating into your party, come find me.
Kisses, VQ