It’s universal. Every wedding photographer knows that family formals are never the FAVORITE part of the day but they are so important! We actually think that family formal time is a VITAL part of the timeline for wedding photographers because it’s our best chance of making a great impression with the families and serving them well. One way that we can serve them well is to make family formals FAST! This part of the day doesn’t have to take 30-45 minutes. At least once at every wedding, we’re complimented on how quickly we roll through these portraits!
So what’s the hack to making this happen faster? Well, it’s actually a brand new idea. I was teaching during our last workshop and realized that we have been missing out on something that would save SO much time and yet require very little work!! If you want to speed up family formals, you need to gather the family members FASTER! So! Here’s the idea…..
PRINT THREE COPIES OF THE FAMILY FORMAL LIST!!!
I know, so simple. But think about it! If you have three copies of all of the family members that you’ll need to gather, you’ll be able to hand one copy to one member of the bride’s side and one copy to one member of the groom’s side. This will save so much time because you won’t have any confusion over who is on the list and who needs to be gathered. If there are additional family members who may need to be in a portrait later, you can encourage them to gather together during the reception!! Woohoo! Go get em’ friends! Happy shooting this weekend.
Ps. If you’re wondering how we get family formal lists before the wedding, it’s a part of our Bride and Groom Questionnaire. If you want to know what else is in the B&G Questionnaire, you can download it for FREE…just click HERE! 
To view other Ask Anything posts, click HERE!
To view our video series, click HERE!
To view the Katelyn James Education Site, click HERE!
Thanks for reading!
— Katelyn
MORE RECENT POSTS
A year ago, we promised to find a solution for those who were complaining about their R6 raw files looking dull and lifeless in Lightroom. However, due to various circumstances, we couldn’t deliver on that promise until now.
Kelly is an incredible wedding photographer who has been shooting 90 weddings a year. I know, it sounds unbelievable, but it’s true! Kelly’s success and the volume of work she handles is truly impressive.
Your sessions should be working FOR you not against you!
Top Personal Posts
Have a little time to read?
"Best money I have EVER spent on education! ... and I've spent a lot!”
"I love all the lessons I'm learning from KJ All Access! Thanks Katelyn!”
"I find very few educational resources worth it ... this one is!”
"Being able to see behind-the-scenes of Katelyn interacting with her clients has been SO impactful!”
"SO worth it! It's amazing the amount of knowledge you get out of them!”
"I learned just as much in one All Access as I did in a whole course! SO GOOD!"
The KJ blog
must-reads
YOUTUBE
