Family photos with young children at a wedding
Small children have about ten good minutes in them. The trick is spending those minutes on photos, not on waiting.
4 min read · Updated 7 October 2026
Nieces, nephews, flower girls and page boys make some of the best wedding photos, and some of the hardest. Most problems come from timing, not from the children.
Photograph them early
Put every shot that includes a small child near the start of the family photos. A toddler who has been waiting for twenty minutes will not be smiling for the twenty-first. The best order for family photos puts little ones and grandparents first for this reason.
What helps
- Have a parent or favourite adult standing right behind the photographer, not in the photo.
- Keep a snack and a quiet toy nearby, but out of shot.
- Let them hold something: a flower, a bubble wand, a grandparent’s hand.
- Don’t ask for perfect. A child looking up at Granny is often the photo you’ll love most.
- Mark them as a little one on your list so your photographer knows to go quickly.
Nap times matter
If you have a baby or toddler in the family, check their usual nap time and plan around it. A slept baby at 2pm is worth more than any trick.
Mark the little ones on your list and we’ll put their shots first.
Make my family photo listQuestions people ask
When should children be photographed at a wedding?
Early in the family photos, ideally in the first few groupings, before they get tired or restless.
How do photographers get toddlers to cooperate?
By working quickly, keeping a parent close by behind the camera, and not asking for posed perfection.