Should You Shoot Family Formals Inside The Church or Outside? | For the MW Brides

I remember sitting on my family couch turning page after page of my parents wedding album. I made sure that none of the prints fell loose of there respectable place holders. I was absorbed seeing how young my parents were! (Because for real were my parents not always old?) And as my mom and dad smiled back up at me through the pages i was also able to see my grandparents, aunts and uncles with fewer lines on their smiling faces. Those family photos will always be treasured in our house hold because family is close to my heart. 

Years after your wedding you will be looking back on your own family photos and smiling at all those who were able to attend. So now you are trying to decide where your family photos will be? And I think it comes down to deciding if you want to be more traditional or more modern in your family formals. Let me share with you a couple of pros for both to help you decide.  

Pros for having your family photos outside. The lighting will be more natural and go better throughout your gallery. As a natural light photographer a lot of your photos will already be shot outside. Having your family formals outside will help with the over all flow of your gallery. The lighting will be more beautiful. There will not be any distracting background that your venue will have such as speakers,crosses, all that stuff you cant move off of the stage. It will be a more modern look. 

It will be enough space to host larger families.  

Doing your family portraits inside your venue is more traditional .

Pros to shooting them inside. It will be very similar to the photos that your mom and her mom have in their wedding album. You will have your venue stage show cased in your photos so you can have a little piece in your album other than the ceremony. Inside will be cooler on a hot summer day or shelter from a stormy or winter day. It will be easier for any elderly family member to sit down while they wait and easy to get to.

I personally love the more  modern look of having family formals outside when possible. I think it fits my photographic style more. 

Steps for Successful Family Formals

Family Formals are one of the many joys of your wedding day. Through weddings I have shot, I wanted to share ways that I have found to be a good recipe for successful family formals.

Prepare your family. Make sure everyone has access to the schedule and the time in which family photos will take place.

Bring your shot list. Having a list of groups with names for your photographer will make all the difference. It allows us to move everything along without leaving anyone out. Try giving it to a second shooter or a personal attendant who can call out all the names.

Leaving Family Formals for Immediate Family. Family is family, but you don't want to be waiting on your cousin that was twice removed that you only see at Christmas to finish the photos. Keep your your list to immediate family (grandparents, parents, siblings, etc.) and you will be looking at a quick time with family photos. The quicker the family formals are completed the more satisfied your family will leave. If other family members feel left out tell them to plan on fun shots at the reception.

These are a few things from my experience that I hope you will be able to help your day go smoothly!

Monday Moments: From MN to AZ | My Christmas

This year Marcus and I were able to enjoy a Christmas with his family in Arizona. I was fortunate enough to bring him back with me to Minnesota when we got married and I knew he had been really missing his family, so Christmas seemed to be a good enough excuse to me the journey out there.  (Photos are both my camera and my phone!) 

Besides waking up at the early hour to make our flight, the whole trip there was pleasant. I was able to enjoy a new book I finally purchased after weeks of contemplating;  "Why Not Me?" By Mindy Kaling is a book that had me laughing out loud from just her honest views of life and it had the feel of listening to a new friend's life story. Anywho, here are a couple of my christmas trips highlights. ( besides sleeping in and actually feeling like I had a Christmas vacation )

When we arrived on his doorstep, his two little siblings just had shock written all over each others faces as they hugged Marcus for a long period of time. Half of use were tearing up!

Besides the cool breezes of 68 degree weather, Christmas in Arizona started off with celebrating grandma and grandpa Shay's 50th year anniversary.  (#marriagegoals )
Aunt Judy read off a list of everything that happened the year they got married; Grandpa Shay talked about how hehad gotten his draft notice in the mail 2 days before his wedding.  (Talk about stessful!) I am thankful for my husband's family being so loving and caring;they made me feel like a part of the family.

With anyone with younger siblings might understand, Marcus and I needed a small break to ourselves. Venturing out to explore a little bit of Arizona, we checked out Montezuma Castle and the Tuzigoot.  With a fun car ride and beautiful sites it made the day one of my favorites from our trip. 

We saw lights on multiple occasions but holy moly some of them out did the others! Most impressive was done about 45 minutes out of Phoenix at a Mormon church that had nativity seasons all throughout their property.

One of my christmas presents to my MIL was photos of her and her children, we did this at Christmas dinner at the grandparents. It was a really laid back day and a little weird with no snow on the ground.... I am happy I live in Minnesota!  But I loved how these photos turned out!!

I had a wonderful Christmas with family and I hope yours was just as wonderfilled. <3
I am excited to find what this new year holds for my family!