Who to include in wedding family photos

The family photos are the ones that end up framed on your parents’ walls. They’re also the ones you’ll look back on in thirty years, when some of the people in them are gone. That’s worth keeping in mind when you decide who to include.

Almost every couple includes

• Parents, and step-parents if they’re part of your life
• Grandparents
• Brothers and sisters, with their partners and children
• The wedding party

Often included

• Aunts, uncles and cousins, usually in one larger group per side
• Godparents, especially in Irish and Catholic families
• A great-grandparent or great-aunt who travelled to be there
• Close family friends who are family in all but name

Usually fine to leave out of the formal list

• Recent partners of cousins or siblings. A good compromise is to include them in the big group shot and leave them out of the smaller ones.
• Second cousins and distant relatives. Your photographer can catch them informally during the reception.
• Friend groups. These work better later in the day, when people are relaxed.

People couples most often forget

• A grandparent who isn’t well enough for a long session but would love one quick photo
• Siblings’ partners and children, who end up awkwardly hovering at the edge
• Godparents
• The person who’s been like a second mum or dad to one of you
• Each of you with your own parents separately, not just as a couple

Make it easy for your photographer

Your photographer will meet most of your family for the first time on the day. Names alone don’t help much when twenty people are milling about. Add a photo of anyone they’re likely to need to find, a note like “wearing a green hat”, and flag anyone who needs a chair. Prefer paper? Use the printable family photo list template.