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! 
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Thanks for reading!
— Katelyn
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