Line em up

A common concern about documentary/photojournalistic wedding photographers is that we don’t/won’t/can’t do formal posed groups. By and large, this simply isn’t true.

The fact is that wedding photographers recognise that a couple’s wedding day is one of the most significant events in their lives. Family and friends may well have travelled great distances to attend, and in some cases it will never again be possible to capture specific groups. Almost every couple, when it comes down to it, will want some formal posed photographs from their day.

The trick is to get the important formal shots without wrecking the flow of the day. Personally, I always make sure the bride and groom understand how long it will take to get through their list of must-haves. They usually settle on around 5 or 6 groups, which should take up to 25 minutes or so. Longer than that and they’re going to be missing the good stuff!