Standing by your best friend as they marry their person can be a fun experience, but there’s also so much to prepare for. Read on for some tips!

As a professional wedding photographer, part of my job is to make the wedding day go smoothly. This means I have to guide everyone through photos as quickly as possible while still making the experience fun. I LOVE to have a good time with the wedding party!

This is where you come in! One of the things that can make the day for your best friend or sibling go smoothly is for you to be aware of everything that goes into the wedding party photos. Here’s my best tips to help the couple of the day get gorgeous wedding party images like this one that they will cherish for a lifetime!

1. Be on time.

The last thing you want for the couple you care so much about is to make their day run late because they’re stuck waiting for you.

2. Come ready to listen AND smile.

The easiest way to make sure the group photos go fast and are fun is to pay attention to the photographer. I try to move through the groupings and different group poses really fast so you don’t have to spend an hour taking photos. Listening to my directions means I don’t have to yell AND it keeps everything fun! I will also need a few smiles from you. Have your smiles ready – you’ll hear “3-2-1” about 500 times. I promise you will make it through and have fun!

3. Know what to expect for group wedding party photos.

During the wedding party photo portion of the day, there are four main groups of photos we will get.

• The entire group: this includes all members of the wedding party such as bridesmaids, groomsmen, personal attendants, ushers, flower girls, and ring bearers. I do a few photos of everyone looking nice and smiling, and then we do some fun ones like walking towards me, cheering while the couple kisses, and maybe more!
• The bride & bridesmaids: This is pretty strait forward. We will do some smiling and laughing ones, and some fun ones!
• The groom & groomsmen: Also pretty straight forward. Again, some smiling and nice ones, and then some fun or serious ones!
• Individuals with the bride or groom: Each individual in the wedding party will get a photo with the bride or groom, respectively. You can do a smiling one, and then I always ask if you want to do a funny one with the bride or groom! Come with ideas because those are always the BEST!

Here’s some ideas of what I usually do for wedding party photos!

4. Outside of group wedding party photos, just go about the day as you normally would.

I tend to photograph the day in a documentary style, meaning that I just take photos of what is naturally happening. Unless I specifically ask for your help with something or ask you to pose, you can assume that I am just documenting the precious moments of the day and don’t need anything extra from you. Here’s a few of my favorite candid moments of the wedding party.

Last but not least, just enjoy the day!

Smile, laugh, and have a good time. There’s no better photos than those of a group of people who are having the time of their life!

P.S. – if you’re in a wedding I am photographing, now you know who I am! Don’t be afraid to say hi when you see me on the day of! I can’t wait to meet all of you! If you want to see more from me before the big day, check out my instagram to see some of my latest work and follow along in stories!