Family photos at a Melbourne registry wedding

Family photographs at a small wedding go smoothly when everyone knows who is needed, where to meet, and when they can leave for the celebration. A short list agreed before the day does most of the work.

The list does not need every combination of guests. Start with the people and the relationships you want to remember together.

This is for a classic ceremony with guests. A legal-only ceremony at the Victorian Marriage Registry is limited to the two of you and your two witnesses, so the family photographs happen somewhere else, later in the day.

What goes on the list

Choose the combinations that matter to the two of you, and write the names of the people in each one. Include friends as well as family. A starting point:

• The two of you with everyone who came.
• The two of you with your witnesses.
• Each of you with the family or friends you want photographed together.
• Any relationship you want kept on its own: siblings, or a grandparent and grandchild.

Keep only what you want. A small wedding can still give these photographs proper attention.

Why names beat “family photos”

“Immediate family” means different things to different people. Names tell me, and whoever helps gather people, exactly who belongs in each photograph.

If a relationship is complicated, tell me beforehand, in private. Who stands together, who is photographed separately, and anything to avoid. Nobody should be making those calls while everyone waits with their coats on.

When to take them

If guests are leaving for lunch after the ceremony, take the group photographs before they go. Tell people in advance that they will be needed for a short while. At the Registry, you can take photographs with your guests during your allocated ceremony time, then you move on, so the list has to be short or the groups happen outside.

Leave a moment for congratulations first. Going straight from the vows into a list of instructions rarely suits the feeling of the day. If someone has to leave early, put them first on the list.

Who goes first

Anyone who needs to leave, cannot stand for long, or would struggle to walk to another spot. After that, group the combinations that share people, so nobody steps in and out five times.

Some families finish with the big group and let most guests go ahead. Others start with a seated photograph of an older relative. The right order depends on your people.

Where to meet

Agree a specific spot. “Outside somewhere” is how guests drift off. Think about standing room, access, other visitors and the weather.

At the Old Treasury Building, the Victorian Marriage Registry names the outside steps and the Treasury Gardens next door as places for photographs, and asks that doorways stay clear. Other couples will be there too, so we choose the spot on the day.

Ask one guest who knows everyone to find the next group. They gather people. I take the photographs.

How much time to leave before lunch

Count congratulations, the groups on your list, and the walk to your next venue. A small group with many combinations can take longer than a big group with few.

Send me the list and your lunch booking time before the day. If it looks crowded, cut a combination or move the booking. Rushing people through an important photograph is the wrong fix. The guide to photography hours helps you work out how much coverage the whole day needs.

The photographs not on the list

The list protects a few photographs. The rest of the day happens around it: greetings, conversations, the things people do without being asked. If something new matters on the day, tell me.

The packages are published. When you have your ceremony details, check your date.

The photographs on this page are from Megan and Nick’s Registry wedding at the Old Treasury Building.