Free planning tool
Free Wedding Family Photo List Generator
Tell it who's in each family and it builds your wedding family photo list for you, in a smart shooting order: biggest groups first, grandparents early, step-parents and divorced parents handled kindly. Edit anything, then get it by email as a PDF to print and a Word file to edit. No account, and your answers save on this device.
How it works
From family tree to shot list in a few minutes
Family formals are the most stressful twenty minutes of most wedding days. A good list, in the right order, is what keeps them calm and quick.
Tell it who's coming
Parents, step-parents, grandparents, siblings and their partners and kids, aunts, uncles and cousins, plus the wedding party.
It builds the order
Everyone together first, then grandparents so they can sit down, then each side from the biggest group down to the smallest.
One change at a time
Photos that add or remove one person come right after each other, so nobody is shuffled around more than they need to be.
Make it yours
Untick, reword, reorder or add photos. The list is a starting point, not a rulebook.
Get it by email
A branded PDF to print for your family helper, and a Word file you can edit in Word, Google Docs or Pages.
Share it in one step
Add your planner's or photographer's email and they get the same list, so everyone works from one plan.
It thinks of the tricky parts
Built for real families
- Divorced parents. Together in every photo, together then each with their partner, only together in the big photo, or kept apart entirely, with a note to keep them at opposite ends.
- Step-parents. In the parent's photos, photographed with the parent separately, or only in the big family photo.
- Half-siblings and step-siblings. In every photo, or added in after the main one so you have both versions.
- Boyfriends and girlfriends. Photographed with and without, just in case.
- Grandparents. Moved up early and grouped by Mom's side and Dad's side, with a note when someone needs a chair.
- Big extended families. Aunts, uncles and cousins in family groups, with optional photos of just one branch, just the cousins, or all the cousins together.
Questions
Wedding family photos, answered
How long do family photos take?
Plan on about a minute and a half per group when everyone is ready. Fifteen to twenty groupings usually fit in 25 to 30 minutes. The generator shows an estimate for your list.
What order should family photos go in?
Start with the biggest group while everyone is together, do grandparents early, then work down to immediate family, parents and siblings. Extended family goes first on each side so they can head to cocktail hour.
Who should be on the list?
Immediate family and grandparents on both sides are the core. Add aunts, uncles, cousins and friend groups only if those photos matter to you; they're easy to grab during the reception too.
Who rounds everyone up?
Pick a family helper who knows both families but won't be in most photos, like a cousin or close friend. Give them the printed list and they'll call the next group while the current one is being photographed.
Is it really free?
Yes. No account and no catch. You get your list by email, and anyone you add as a copy gets one email with the same list.
Who made this?
I'm Brian, a wedding photographer in Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara. I built this from the family photo list I send my own couples, so it follows the order that works on real wedding days.
Something not working?
Found a bug, or have a family situation the generator doesn't handle yet? Email me and I'll fix it.