Hi brides! Some times groomsmen photos can be a struggle. Sometimes, the guys can be super chill, but also just want to hang out and have a good time with their buddies. I mean, who doesn’t on a wedding day?! I want every couple to feel prepared for their wedding day. These wedding photography tips will help a groom and his crew be prepared when it is their turn for photos.

I can honestly say I haven’t had a wedding where the guys didn’t pay attention and listen to me – inappropriate humor for the win! I think there is a GOOD way to command authority on a wedding day. Do it in a way that gets them to listen up, that isn’t demeaning or bossy at all!

Groomsmen photos are something I’m able to fly through at every wedding! I’ve figured ways to get the guys to listen well, and this all applies to the whole bridal party, for that matter! Also, it gets through all the photos in a way that makes them EXCITED to listen and go quickly!! So, I’m here to share with you some of my workflow and how I get the ENTIRE wedding party excited AND cooperative for portraits!

6 wedding photography tips to photograph a groom and his crew without complaint :

1. Have confidence. I know this goes without saying, but I approach these photos with confidence. It makes it a lot easier getting your squad to listen! I have no problem with volume! Sometimes I have a workflow of images I want to get out of the way. Other times I let the creativity take over. Either way, I’m confident in being able to handle any wild squad thrown at me.
2. Introduce yourself to each groomsmen. For the most part, this either happens during the getting ready or during bridal party portraits, whenever I have a chance to meet them first! We exchange hellos, size each other up (jk), and swap names. Hint: I’ve also started memorizing bridal party names before a wedding, so all I have to do is associate the face with the names! Super easy thing to do in the car as I’m driving to a wedding! 🙂
3. Don’t leave them wondering. I rarely leave more than 2-3 seconds of silence while I’m posing! It might sound like a lot, but when you are constantly talking, directing, and reassuring them that they’re doing great, there’s not much room for them to not listen! 🙂 And everyone knows, I love to talk!
4. Have a pep talk. What I mean by this is to let them know basically this: We are going to fly through these, and the faster we get these done, the sooner they can head out (to cocktail hour, inside, to the party, etc). This reassures them I’m on their side, and that I want to fly through these as fast as they do! From time to time, I sometimes even give them an incentive and tell them they can do ANY pose they want at the end if they go fast enough!!
5. Follow through and fly through your shots! In general, I have a flow I typically stick to with groomsmen. I will do a standard stand-in-a-line (a few combinations of this), a flying V, and some walking shots. I already have these in mind so I can be thinking ahead and follow through to get them done quickly, and not have a lot of awkward pauses in between shots!
6. Let them have fun! A lot of times they’ll want to do something fun, so I let them do it!! This gives them the freedom to do what they want. I’ve had anything from drinking beer to jumping in the air…they LOVE them! 🙂 They react well to my enthusiasm and work with me on the shots I want. Remember, my number one priority is serving the couple + their friends and family on their wedding day! 🙂

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