As a wedding photographer ‘formals’ (the planned group shots of your daytime guests that often happen between the wedding ceremony and the meal) regularly form a part of my days work.
Of course, formal shots are not obligatory… Just because they are traditionally done doesn’t mean you have to do them too. However, some guests ? family and closest friends in particular – are likely to want a photo of themselves with you at your wedding; so if you don’t plan to have a set of formal shots it is worth thinking about where and when you might get those photos.
Just planning to get a shot with them ‘at some point’ may mean that it just doesn’t happen (I know my own wedding day flew by in a whirl!). The advantage of formal shots is that it removes the concern that someone important might be missing from your final photos. It’s also important to remember, you can have fun with these pictures too (particularly with your wedding party). They don’t all have to be traditional shots of people in neatly formed orderly rows! If they ARE right for you and your wedding, formal shots can form fantastic part of the story of your day, but with lots of people to co-ordinate – often including children who impatient to run off and play and a handful of camera-phobes determined to stay out of shot ? it is not without its challenges. Of course, a professional photographer is well equipped to handle what arises on the day...