You’re traveling from a far for your Hawaii Wedding! Capturing your family formal pictures offers a rare opportunity to honor the community of loved ones who are attending your Hawaii destination wedding. For family formals, it’s important to plan out the various combinations of family members ahead of time and create a list so you don’t miss out on photo memories that capture the spirit of your growing family — and so the photography process goes smoothly. To help ensure you get all the ohana together, I’ll send you a list of groupings ahead of time. This way, we can prep your family members to make sure they’re around when the family formal photos are being staged (usually immediately following the ceremony).

I always like to take an image of both sets of parents (or guardians) to show your growing family.

Both sides with siblings

I love being able to capture you with your parents before the ceremony. It’s the last moments as a single woman.

Here’s an example of some family formal combinations that I recommend. This gives you a general idea, but it works best to provide us with actual names of your relatives to avoid confusion. The lilt below takes about15-20 minutes and each combination takes about 3 minutes. I point this out as I want you to also enjoy your wedding day.

• Bride + Groom + MFOB
• Bride + Groom + MFOB + Siblings with spouses
• Bride + Groom + MFOB + Siblings with spouses + Grandparents
• Bride + Groom + MFOB + Siblings with spouses + Grand parents + Aunties + Uncles
• Bride + Groom + MFOB + MFOG
• Bride + Groom + MFOG Bride + Groom + MFOG + Siblings with spouses + Grandparents
• Bride + Groom + MFOG + Siblings with spouses + Grandparents + Aunties + Uncles
• One big group shot of al guests OR a big group shot of all friends in attendance
• Both sets of parents of parents and siblings
• All cousins on one side
• All cousins on other side

Your family has traveled from afar to witness your Hawaii wedding, so it’s extra important to document their participation and time with you. In some cases, you may want to include non-family members who have played an important role in you or your fiancée’s life.

This couple traveled from Australia and so did all their close friends. I feel it’s just as important to grab a group image of your friends who’ve traveled with you to witness your Hawaii Wedding!

If you’re having a church wedding, we’ll take your family formal pictures in front of the altar. If it’s an outside ceremony, they are typically taken in front of the arbor (wedding arch). One issue I frequently encounter is when attendees get antsy to begin the party as soon as the ceremony is over — somebody always runs to the bathroom, gets a drink, loosens their tie, or takes of their shoes. Please communicate to your immediate and extended family that the family formal photos are about to happen and ask them to sit tight and stay fully dressed. Assigning a family member to help call out names and gather people together can help make the family formals run smoothly. I promise my crew and I will do our best to move the groupings swiftly along!

I love capturing family members before the ceremony. I asked Libby to kiss her mother and then giggle, It feels weird at the moment but it really creates a fabulous moment betweenMother and daughters!

 

Giving your family formal strategy some forethought and discussing it with your partner before your wedding day arrives helps you get the most from these priceless pictures. We’ll do our best to make the process as efficient as possible so you can relax and enjoy every minute of your special day.

—Jeannemarie

Jeannemarie is Hawaii’s Premiere Destination wedding photographer based on the islands on Oahu and Maui. She is available to photograph your wedding or event on any of our beautiful Hawaiian islands or where ever your wedding takes you. Contact her today about your BIG DAY!