Hi ladies, the other week OH and I sat down and started drawing up a photo list for our photographer... it was much harder than we imagined! The first problem is that both our parents are divorced and all re-married/re-partnered, so we're finding ourselves having about 4 different versions of more or less the same shot to cover birth parents/step parents etc and to try and cover all scenarios... my first question is, is anyone else with lots of step parents having them all in photos?
Secondly.. where do you draw the line with photos? We would ideally like photos with everyone but I'm becoming aware that it's going to be a very lengthy process trying to please everyone. We've found ourselves trying to get photos taken with OH's step dad's parents and OH's cousins who he hardly ever even sees.. should we be making such an effort to get individual photos with these people?
Also, are you having yourself and your groom in ALL shots - or are you having individual ones? I.e. if one shot was my mum and my dad, would you have myself and OH both in the picture, and then another picture with just me and my mum and dad? We feel it would be nice to have individual ones but again we're ending up with lots of versions of more or less the same shot and it's creating a massive list to get through...
Obviously these are just the "official" photos and if anyone else would like a picture taken with us throughout the day then they are more than welcome to do so... I think I am definitely over thinking this and just need to be ruthless!!!
Has anyone else found this part challenging?
Happily married
18th June 2016
xx
CommentAuthorMrs Jones
That's on our to do list this weekend.
I know OH wants a shot of just himself and his old school friends without me, but that's really as far as we have got!
First Date 26 April 2014
Proposed 27 June 2015
Happily Married 18 June 2016
CommentAuthorEmily17
I haven't even thought about it. I would love a picture of me and my mom and dad and me mom mom and dad and sister without OH but I would also like those 2 with him too!
Met in 2009
He proposed Jan 2014
Will become Mrs P 7th October 2017
CommentAuthorFlossie
Another thought.. not sure when to take my veil off?! Definitely want some photos with my veil on but don't want to wear it in ALL of them. Why is this so confusing!!
Happily married
18th June 2016
xx
CommentAuthorEmily17
See for me that one is easy. take it off when we arrive at the reception venue after the church. If not I have no idea how you would know to take it off..
Met in 2009
He proposed Jan 2014
Will become Mrs P 7th October 2017
Our photographer is 'reportage' style so capturing people in the moment more than anything. She does the usual posed pictures, us with parents and I have asked for her to do one with mum and stepdad and one with dad and stepmum but OH's parents are still together so it's not so bad. We plan to be together in all the photos taken after the ceremony, seeing as the day is about us and us becoming one family, we feel we should be together for any posed ones. OH will probably get snapped with his parents before the ceremony.
I plan to leave my veil on all day as I really want to be wearing it still when the evening guests arrive and for the first dance, I will take it off after that.
CommentAuthorEmily17
How long is your veil Nicola? Mine is cathedral length so will be a task to manage all day with it on!
Met in 2009
He proposed Jan 2014
Will become Mrs P 7th October 2017
CommentAuthorFlossie
Yeah mine's cathedral length too, there is no way I'm going to keep it on all day. My veil is also going over my hair, so I want to show off my hair at some point as well otherwise it'll just be hidden all day.
Happily married
18th June 2016
xx
CommentAuthorNicolaB7220
Aww I see, no mine is not cathedral, it comes just above my bum, think it's called elbow length. I can understand you not wanting to wear a cathedral veil all day
CommentAuthorEmily17
Ahh that makes sense! After I posted that I was thinking. How am I going to cope with it getting in and out the car twice. May need a rethink!
Met in 2009
He proposed Jan 2014
Will become Mrs P 7th October 2017
CommentAuthorDanielleS0709
i havent thought about this, just thought id leave it up to photographer but i definatley wont be having pics with everyone!! we will ones with our immediate family then probably a big group photo with everyone at wedding
as for the veil, im taking mines off when we are announed into the reception room for dinner, then we were are called on for our first dance im taking the little top bit of my dress off so that its then a strapless!
21st May 2016 xxx
CommentAuthorWundatigga
Sounds like planning operational maneuvers!
We haven't got so far as making a list though I am wanting some "bubble" photos (in lieu of confetti). H2B's parents are divorced, but neither are remarried and they get on well enough so we'll probably just have them in the same photo.
Started dating: 10th February 2011
Welcomed our little girl: May 2015
I proposed: 23rd December 2015
I finally become Mrs R 17th August 2017
CommentAuthorMrsMaherToBe
We have this problem too and really struggled but our photographer was awsome. Both mine and my partners parents are divorced so we're having just mum, just dad then mums side and dads side. Except for my partners side as his step dad bought him up so is having photos with him. I would have a chat with your photographer as it's quite common now and they've probably delt with it before x
2009 met my boy.
2011 had our baby girl.
2013 had our baby boy.
2016 we'll live happily ever after.
CommentAuthorJennK
We kept it really really short, we literally had 5 small group photos and that was it. Otherwise it got too political and was overly complicated!
Our perfect day - 08.08.15 <3
CommentAuthorFlossie
edited
Thanks all. I've cut our list down quite considerably, but still feel it's quite long...
I think I'm forgetting that other shots can be done at other times though and they don't all need to be squeezed into a 1.5 hour slot. Like the groomsmen shots can be done before the ceremony, loads of shots with OH and I will be done after the wedding breakfast, I can have photos with my mum and my dad once I'm ready etc. So I don't think it'll be too bad.
Just need to make sure we give a photo list to someone with a loud voice as well as the photographer so they can boss everyone about and get them organised!!!
Happily married
18th June 2016
xx
CommentAuthorSuper4ac
I'll be doing what my uncle did at his recent wedding: Bride's immediate family (Mom, Dad, Sister, Her fella, their kids) Bride all family members - literally everybody who's there that's related to me Groom's immediate family (mom, dad, brother, sister, her hubby) Groom entire family - everybody related to him All friends - anybody who isn't related!!
I'm not spending hours taking photos! No interest in it. I wouldn't even have a formal photos if I had my way. If OH has any issues with this list of photos he can bloody well do them without me!! :)
CommentAuthorSuper4ac
Also regarding the parents thing, my folks are split but don't have new OHs, if they did I would probably still just put them all in the same photo. But like I said, i'm not too fussed on photos so it wouldn't be a big deal to me!!
CommentAuthorKirstyR386
Our photographer advised doing about 10 formal photos or people (and you) get bored. Although we don't have split parents so I guess you may need the extras to include them.
We had: Each set of parents Parents and siblings and their long term partners Each set of extended Family so his side and then my side 3 sets of friends pictures for the relevant friendship groups.
X
CommentAuthorMrsBU2B
Do we have to come up with a photo list? Thought the photographer would know! Ha! Such a novice at this. But what Kirsty said makes sense to me as I was at a friends wedding once and they were having so many formal photos that even the photographer seemed to be getting bored with it, and saying that, the bride seemed to be making it up for what she wanted so maybe having a list sorted with the photographer prior to the day makes sense too. Think we may just limit it to family/friends and attendants though.
Think I just talked myself into the list thing. Will have to find a photographer first though.
CommentAuthorKirstyR386
I would definitely advise having a list MrsBU2B. We printed copies out for the ushers to be able to round people up and it made things run so smoothly because we could call out the next group.
A friend who got married last year was really disorganised with it and would do one photo, then a completely different one and then would call some people back from the first photo if that makes sense. It just made things really complicated. X
CommentAuthorFlossie
Most photographers should advise writing up a list... families these days can be so complex they won't always know who needs photos with who. xx
Happily married
18th June 2016
xx
CommentAuthorSamanthaW362
edited
you can check on **** i think
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CommentAuthorCharlotteE98
edited
Our photographer told us that he preferred to take natural shots rather than arty farty ones. He got some really lovely ones that our guests didn't even realise had been taken.
We had the usual 'official' ones done (with bridesmaids, best man etc). My parents are divorced so I had some done just me and my Dad, some just me and my Mum and we had one of me and husband with my parents and step-parents. I specifically asked for one with the two of us with our group of friends and me and my Sisters. My Sister had asked for the Sister photo to be done at her wedding but the photographer didn't do it. I had a problem with MIL because she kept pestering the photographer about which ones were on the list :o/ He was quite happy to do some last minute photos that we forgot to put on the list too.
He sent us a list of the usual 'official' photos that are done.
CommentAuthorInDreamland
edited
Floss, do a list based on who you want in which groups, don't worry about the right groups as they're different for everyone depending on the relationship with step family etc. Have what works for you as in who you want in certain pictures.
I thought ours would be straight forward as my parents are still together and whilst hubby's parents divorced his mum sadly passed away before we even met so didn't think family politics etc would be an issue with the photos so didn't provide a list. Big mistake, FILs girlfriend ended up being in all the family photos when she isn't family and TBH hubby and his sister don't really have any relationship with her, she's just there and included in things because she's FILs girlfriend, actually, I find her weird and SIL doesn't really like her.
Secondly the boyfriend of one of my friends plonked himself right next to me, smack in the middle of the front row of all the friends photos. I absolutely hate him, can't stand the sight of him. Wish I'd been more explicit before the day of who were the closest friends I wanted near me in the photos. For the official photo album I had to get creative to have certain photos without him in them (clever cropping).
It is nice to have one big group photo of the entire wedding party. Any good photographer will be able to get all photos done quickly. Ours was very commanding and you could tell he knew what he was doing in terms of the sequence to build up the groups to eventually the one big one.
Married the love of my life on Saturday 11th May 2013 xxx
Had our dream perfect honeymoon in Hawaii!
CommentAuthorAnikaM60
I want most pictures to be natural. I think it can turn out some much prettier when people arent trying to pose, but i also want pictures taken of the bridesmaids and grooms men flower girls and parents. Also think it would be nice to have those pictures done twice, once with the bride and groom and one without. Best of both worlds that way. Were not going to have individual pictures taken of everyone though. One big group one should be good enough.
CommentAuthorDanielleG93
I'm hoping my photographer can help me out with this one, I'm thinking of just having a few foraml shot of us and our bridal party and some of us and our immediate family. I like natural shots and I have an autistic daughter who hates her photo being taken so we are going to have to be sneaky around her to get some photos of her x