Combining extended families for photos, or keeping them separate?

We are having grandparents and aunts and uncles in some big group shot photos and also separate but not with cousins. We also have a lot of cousins tho.

I’m not taking extended family photos at all!! Problem solved!!

We only did pictures with grandparents/parents/siblings. If we did do extended family our photographer told us it was best to do one big group shot with everyone and then release most people to cocktail hour. My husband has divorced parents and a lot of step family so we knew if we added extended family we would be there all day taking pictures.

We did one group shot with each extended family (so 2 total, 1 for each side) and then a bunch of shots with immediate families

We’re asking all family in attendance to stick around in the ceremony space immediately after the ceremony for one group shot. The officiant will announce.

We did parents/siblings/grandparents. Extended family photos were more informal and taken during the reception.

We did a photo with my extended family and a separate photo with my wife's extended family. We did not combine extended families. 1) it would have been about 60 people and it was just too many and 2) we felt a separate photo of each family was sufficient.

We obviously did photos with me, my wife, mine and her parents, and siblings. But we didn't extend it past that.

We did one group shot. Everyone stood in their seat and the wedding party stood in the front and the photographers took a few snaps. Other than that, it was immediate family only (we invited aunts and uncles, but not cousins, and no grandparents chose to attend). We started with the biggest family (so my parents and brother plus husbands parents) and then pared it down one by one.. so husband and I with my fam, then my parents, then me with my parents. Then husband and I with his parents and husband with his parents.


If you take wedding party photos before the ceremony, you could do some extended family more candid shots during cocktail hour. Your family members are likely to congregate together during cocktail hour so it’s easy for you as the couple to pop over with your photographer and grab a quick casual shot.

View Quoted Comment

Good to know, thanks!

View Quoted Comment

That is a fantastic solution!

View Quoted Comment

That is a great idea, I like the idea of doing one big group shot. That would help a lot with timing!

View Quoted Comment

We might do something like this too, thanks!

View Quoted Comment

What a brilliant idea to have the officiant announce that! We might do that too

View Quoted Comment

I like the idea of saving these for later. I might end up saving them for the dancing portion and just pull our family out for a quick picture

View Quoted Comment

That's a good idea. Now I'm thinking of saving these extended family pics for the reception so we have enough time during cocktail hour to do couples portraits

View Quoted Comment

That's a smart idea to save those pics and do them more informally, thanks!

View Quoted Comment

Yes, I would definitely prioritize your couple photos. What are you going to want hanging all over your home, you and your spouse or you and your great aunt Suzie? lol.

View Quoted Comment Lol exactly 😂