Start with your people
Think about the photographs you will want to have years from now. Write a separate line for each group, with everyone’s first and last names where needed. Your list might include grandparents or kaumātua, parents, siblings, chosen whānau and close friends. Use the combinations that fit your people.
Decide whether both of you will be in every group. If you want a photograph with just one of you and a particular person, make it its own line. A large group picture does not automatically cover that smaller photograph.
Make the list your own
Save this plain-text template and open it in your notes or document app. Fill in the names, duplicate or delete rows, then share the final version with your photographer and helper. You can print it from that app for the day.
| Group | What to write down |
|---|---|
| Guests needing an early turn | Names, a chair or accessible meeting point, and who can help them arrive. |
| Each chosen family group | Every person’s name; say whether both of you are in the photograph. |
| Siblings and partners | Include partners and children by name if you want them in this group. |
| Chosen whānau or close friends | Name the group members rather than relying on a label everyone may interpret differently. |
Give it enough time
Allow time to find people, move them into place and take the photographs. A series of small groups that swaps one person at a time feels different from gathering twenty people who have already headed to the bar.
Share your finished list with your photographer before fixing the duration in the run sheet. Group size, mobility, travel between spots and the number of combinations all affect the time. There is no useful universal promise that every group takes the same number of minutes.
Ask one helper who recognises the guests to call the next group. Give the MC a meeting time and a named location, and tell people beforehand if they need to stay nearby after the ceremony.
Keep private details private
Tell your photographer directly about combinations you would prefer to avoid, recent bereavements, separated families or anyone who needs particular care. You do not need to explain those details on the list handed to guests.
Share only the information each helper needs. A simple private note can make it easier to move between photographs without putting someone on the spot.
Choose a second meeting spot
Choose a covered space that fits the largest group and can be reached comfortably. Ask the venue to check access and availability before you put it on the list.
Use the Taranaki wet-weather guide to plan the backup. If family photos, portraits and canapés compete for the same time, compare the sample timeline and one versus two photographers.
Share one final version
- Confirm names and remove duplicate groups.
- Agree the order and time allowance with your photographer.
- Put the meeting place and wet-weather alternative at the top.
- Send the same final version to your helper and MC, with sensitive notes shared separately.
We can work through this during the planning calls included in every 2027 photography collection.