Group photos at weddings (the fun and quick way)

Shooting group photos at weddings is probably the oldest tradition that links photography with weddings. And as much as I dislike doing them, I do realise they have a purpose, and a certain degree of importance to the documenting of your day. I totally get it… at your wedding are the most important people in your lives, taking part in possibly the most important day of your life (so far), so making sure you get a photo of you and them together in the same shot is a huge deal.

The biggest mistake most couples make when it comes to having their group photos taken on their wedding day is the amount of time you put aside for it. Or possibly the huge amount of time your photographer has put aside for it. Believe me, there are some photographers out there that bloody love doing endless group photos… I’m not one of them. I’d rather be spending my time getting fun, emotional, creative, and natural photos of you and your guests enjoying the day without the faff of a boring two hour staged photoshoot. Your day will go by in the blink of an eye, don’t waste it doing something you really don’t want to.

Admit it, we’ve all been to a friends wedding where the group photos seemed to take forever to get done… people started arguing because they were taking so long… or Uncle Dave was missing from the shot (almost certainly at the bar!)… well, this is exactly the reason why I give all my couples two simple instructions to make the group photos part of their day go as smoothly as possible.

1. Keep your group photos list to around 6-8 groups MAX!

2. We shoot them 10-15 minutes before you sit down for food/speeches… and the whole process doesn’t take longer than 10 minutes!

Right, now let me ease you in gently. I’ll keep it simple, and with a bit of luck you’ll like the images I’ve captured, and agree that this is exactly how you want your group photos to look like.. If you want any posed/staged photos at all that is!

In an ideal world, all group photos would look something like this…

and these…

…Chilled-out, totally relaxed, sometimes even completely candid and caught in the moment images! That first image may look like some epic staged affair, but in actual fact took about six minutes to setup and shoot. Then everyone was called in for their meal!

(BELOW) Still don’t believe me that group shots can be quick to shoot and totally natural? Here’s a selection of fun alternative shots taken around the time of me shooting the formal versions.

Photo 1 - Taken just after the formal group photo…

Photo 2 - Taken just before the formal group photo….

Photo 3 - THE formal group photo… (as formal as it gets with me!)

(BELOW) The boys!

The best advice I can give you for getting really relaxed shots of lads, is to have a drink! Have a few beers… chill out with each other, and then I’ll approach you and take a fun group photo. And you never know, I may even catch a fleeting BROMANCE moment too.

(BELOW) A perfect example of a candid group photo. The bride and her bridesmaids all gathered, waiting to go through to the ceremony room.

(BELOW) The girls! Here’s a small collection of extremely simple setups. As you’ll see, whether you’ve got 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or more bridesmaids… I like to keep the frame filled, but a nice simple and clean shot. Minimal distractions and always a cool backdrop.

(BELOW) Here’s a collection of group photos that really benefit from vibrant colours. I always edit my images in a subtle manner. I’m not a fan over over-saturated filters/presets at all. I want my photos to look natural, and truly representative of the day you got married!

(BELOW) For this large family group photo I shot in France last year I continued shooting after I’d taken the simple group photo. I personally prefer the second shot! It has a lot more energy and humour to it than the first. But what I like isn’t always what everyone else likes, so I will always deliver both options to the couple.

(BELOW) Mix it up! Blending the boys and girls together for a fun and (moderately) formal shot.

(BELOW) Find the perfect location… and stick to that perfect location.

(BELOW) Go with the flow. I shoot SO many frames when I’m doing the groups. Probably because I’m rattling through them as quick as possible so you can get back to the party, but also because I always capture the unexpected, and random events that happen in the moments in between!

(BELOW) In my experience the wider picture is ALWAYS more interesting…

(BELOW) This kid was slowly sliding out of the shot… I think he heard an ice cream van go by!

(BELOW) Suggesting something a little different - Its not unusual for me to say to a bunch of flower girls “JUMP!”… this instantly makes them do something fun, but also creates a cool portrait.

Asking a groom and his groomsman to climb onto the roof of the fire engine that brought the bride to the wedding…

Or even asking the bridesmaids and the bride to have a little dance to loosen up!

So that’s it… my very brief guide to getting your group photos done in the easiest and most stress-free way possible. Just have fun, keep smiling, and PLEASE just stick to the 10 minute rule! Trust me, you’ll thank me in the end.

Thanks for taking the time to look at this post I’ve put together. If you like the look of these images I’ve shot, and think I’d be a perfect fit for your wedding day, please get in contact with me and lets chat!

If you’ve already booked me, GREAT! Please take these tips on board and I promise to give you a collection of amazing images from your wedding day that you’ll love looking at for the rest of your lives.

2019 - End of year slideshow

I’ve edited and delivered over 35,000 images this year, so narrowing that number down to just 55 of my favourite frames for this slideshow was extremely hard.

2019 started off with my first wedding of the year on Valentines Day with a lovely London elopement. Made even more special by the fact that the couple only booked me a couple of weeks before the wedding day.

With weddings all over the UK, France, and Spain, I’ve really enjoyed visiting lots of new venues I hope to shoot at again soon. One thing I’ve really noticed this year from my enquiries is that it seems a new wedding venue opens up every week in the UK!

On a personal note its been a very joyful year with us welcoming our beautiful second son Jonah into the world in April. His arrival prompted me to choose to take on less weddings this year than ever before and it has not only allowed me to give my couples the best service they deserve, its also allowed me to spend lots more time with my family.

Unlike previous years I’ve gone for a bit more of a slow song for this slideshow. At just 2 minutes long I promise not to take up too much of your day. Even though its a shorter slideshow than I’d normally make, its still full of fun, emotion, relaxed portraits and most off all (and my favourite)… documentary style wedding photography!

Many thanks to all of you that booked me to shoot your wedding this year… I hope you love the moments I captured for many years to come.

I’m really excited about my 2020 weddings, and have still got dates available if you’ve not yet booked a photographer… just get in touch!

Have a great Christmas everyone, and a very happy new year.

Ed.

2018 end of year review

Fun plays a huge part in my photography. Well, thats what a lot of my couples tell me anyway! And I like to think a lot of this end of year slideshow portrays how I capture all the happiness I see at weddings.

Putting together a slideshow at the end of the year is never easy. Mainly as I have SO many fun and creative shots I want to feature. Anna and I delivered over 40,000 images to couples this year, so choosing just three minutes worth of photos to show was really tough! What you’re about to watch is only a tiny selection of images that make me smile when I look at them… Just as much now as when I saw them happen in front of me.

To every couple that asked me to shoot their wedding this year, THANK YOU!

Thank you for booking me, trusting me, and just allowing me to rock up on your special day and just do my thing. Even after 20+ years of doing this I still continue to find shooting weddings a hugely interesting and fun experience. And when I get to spend so much time with couples that genuinely get excited about seeing what I see, it really does mean the world to me.

(And if you like this slideshow… you can check out a couple more of my previous years slideshows too… 2017 and 2016)

Summer wedding at Patrick's Barn, West Sussex - Harriet and Stuart

"Ed was everything we could of wanted for our wedding photographer. He completely got the theme of our rustic farm day and he did everything to ensure it will be remembered for the rest of our lives. He made us feel fully relaxed and slipped into the background during the day as if he wasn’t even there. The only evidence was a personalised package delivered to our home with an incredible set of photos. He is the best and will give our family many memories to come."