There she stood. Center stage. The overhead spotlights pointed down on the soft curls that draped her shoulders. She had been smiling for so long her cheeks looked exhausted and the creases along her eyes became pronounced. Her new husband rubbed her neck as she waited for the next round of family members to take their places on each side of her and the groom. Once everyone is arranged, the camera crackles a few times and documents the moment…for only the bride to look and count at least six more groups of people who are waiting for formal portraits.
This is not merely a story. It’s a scene that is played again and again at weddings across the nation. So often the bride and groom lose precious time together and/or enjoying the simple moments of their day to the notion that formal portraits with many people is a necessity. As a wedding photographer, I encourage my clients to keep family formal portraits to a bare minimum…and by this I mean keeping group shots exactly that: group shots. 
Often times there’s a silent pressure to capture every possible portrait combination (i.e. Groom with aunt and uncle, Groom with aunt, Groom with uncle, Groom with maternal cousins, Groom with paternal cousins, etc.), but in reality those pictures are harbored away because people don’t want to remember a single person in a single moment, they want to remember everyone captured as a sliver of their wedding day…more like a delicious side dish to a wonderful meal instead of focaccia bread that’s served at the beginning as a stale filler.
I encourage brides to set aside a large portion of time to spend alone with their groom and photographer. During your first few moments as husband and wife, make sure the photographer can capture the joy and elation of the day without pressure from family members rushing to get to the cocktail hour. Afterall, most couples want a wedding album with a mix of candid and traditional photographs of them on their wedding day…and not pages of formal pictures and poses. A wedding album is the first heirloom a couple will create for future generations, so I want to stress the importance of giving enough time to relax with the photographer and capture timeless moments as husband and wife.
Be sure to take a step back and decide in advance exactly what formal portraits you want captured…and then set aside time to enjoy your wedding day with your new spouse and photographer. You’ll be able to look back at see the delicious fruits of your decisions for years to come!
–Jasmine Star
Website: Jasmine Star Photography
Blog: Jasmiine Star Blog