Preparing for a wedding often involves months — sometimes even years — of careful planning. And among all the decisions you’ll make, photography stands out as one of the most important.

Your wedding party photos will capture the moments shared with your closest friends and family, preserving memories you’ll cherish for a lifetime. Because photography plays such a pivotal role on the big day, it’s essential to plan ahead and understand what makes a great photo stand out.

To help, I spoke with professional wedding photographer Ashley Kristine, who shared her best tips for working with your photographer, plus a few creative ideas you can try yourself, whether you're using professional equipment or an iPhone.

Note: All wedding photos featured are courtesy of @AshleyKristinePhoto on Instagram.

Table of Contents

• Planning Your Wedding Party Photography
• How to Take Photos at a Wedding Party
• Editing Wedding Party Photos
• Sharing Your Photos: Resizing and Compressing

Planning Your Wedding Party Photography

In my interview with Ashley Kristine, she emphasized that planning is crucial for getting the best wedding party photos. While some aspects of planning might seem obvious, others are often overlooked.

Below are key considerations you should keep in mind when coordinating with your photographer and personally preparing for your wedding party.

1. Color Schemes

It’s important to communicate your planned color schemes to your photographer (and guests) to ensure proper balance at your wedding party.

While editing can correct overly warm or cool images, it’s much easier to achieve consistent results when color expectations are set ahead of time.

Natural settings, especially those heavy in green and yellow tones, can shift the overall appearance of your wedding party photos. Working with your photographer to maintain balanced colors will help your photos stay vibrant, clear, and visually appealing.

2. Personality

One of the most crucial planning steps is finding a photographer whose style matches your personality. A forced connection will often show in your wedding party photos, capturing tension instead of joy. Choose a photographer whose energy matches the vibe you want for your day — whether that’s relaxed, playful, high-energy, or somewhere in between.

High-energy photographers are especially great at organizing large wedding parties, posing crowds, and encouraging creative moments, letting you focus on celebrating rather than managing every detail.

3. Guest Count

Knowing your guest list is important for logistical reasons, but it also plays a role in your photography planning. Beyond just the size of your party, consider the relationships among your guests.

If there are strained relationships or individuals who should be kept apart, be sure to communicate that to your photographer ahead of time. Likewise, letting them know which friends and family members you’re closest to will help them capture genuine, emotional moments with the people who matter most.

Thoughtful planning ensures your wedding party photos reflect true connections, not just staged group shots.

4. Event Schedule

As weddings have become increasingly elaborate productions, clearly communicating your event schedule to your photographer is more important than ever.

Planned surprises — like a bride serenading the groom or an unexpected flash mob — make for unforgettable memories, but only if your photographer knows when and where they’ll happen.

Remember, your wedding isn’t a photoshoot; it’s a celebration of your love. Photography is simply the tool that preserves those moments for you to cherish later.

Careful planning allows your photographer to capture every important moment without adding extra stress to your day, ensuring that your wedding party photos tell the full story of your celebration.

How to Take Photos at a Wedding Party

When capturing wedding party photos, being mindful of your surroundings will help you take better images and minimize the need for heavy editing later.

For example, try to avoid distracting background elements like exit signs, clutter, or other illuminated features that can pull attention away from the main subjects.

Equipment

The device you choose to capture your photos is equally important. Standard cameras like DSLRs or mirrorless bodies are excellent for shooting high-quality, high-resolution images, but they may not always fit the mood you want to create.

If you’re aiming for a unique, retro feel, using a disposable or classic film camera can instantly add a timeless charm to your photos — something that editing alone cannot always replicate.

For candid or behind-the-scenes moments where larger cameras feel intrusive, consider using wearable technology like glasses with an integrated camera. These offer a hands-free way to capture spontaneous, authentic moments without disrupting the flow of the party.

Lighting

One detail that often goes unnoticed is lighting.

For instance, a predominantly backlit altar can create a warm, ethereal atmosphere, but it may also reduce contrast in your wedding party photos, making fine details harder to capture.

Color adjustments can evoke different emotions: for example, black-and-white images often convey a sense of elegance and timelessness that fits beautifully with special events like weddings.

Finally, knowing when and how to step in for photos is crucial, especially if a professional photographer is present. As a rule, avoid competing with the hired photographer.

If there’s no photographer nearby or if you want to capture a specific moment they missed, keep these tips in mind:

1. Don’t force a scene. Adding too many artificial props or harsh lighting can make images feel unnatural and staged. Let genuine moments unfold naturally.
2. Focus on candid moments. Capturing genuine laughter, hugs, or spontaneous group interactions often results in the most memorable wedding party photos.
3. The best camera is the one you have. Don’t miss a special moment by searching for a “better” device — work with what’s available.
4. Be assertive, but kind, when organizing groups. Never be rude when gathering people for a photo. Instead, speak loudly, use individuals’ names, and maintain a friendly tone to keep the energy positive and relaxed.
5. Check the background. Before taking a photo, take a quick look for any small objects or clutter that can be quickly removed. A clean background makes the image subjects stand out and reduces the need for heavy editing.

Editing Wedding Party Photos

The editing process for wedding party photos always starts the same way — culling. If you (or your photographer) did the job well, you’ll likely have far too many photos to edit individually. This is intentional. Capturing a large number of images increases the chances of having a strong selection of standout moments.

After culling, basic edits like color correction are typically handled by your photographer before you receive the final set. From there, more personalized or creative edits are in your hands.

One fun way to make your wedding party photos more shareable is by converting still images into short videos with animated graphics. This can bring new life to your favorite moments and make them perfect for social media.

Another option is to add a subtle watermark to your photos. Whether you use a simple text overlay, a custom graphic, or a combination of both, a watermark ties important details like your names, wedding date, or location back to your images.

Adding details like these when sharing ensures that key details like dates and locations are always tied to your image.

Sharing Your Photos: Resizing and Compressing

Often overlooked in the process is sharing your wedding party photos. Wedding photos might be included on thank you cards, programs, announcements, Christmas cards, or Instagram posts after the big day. With high-resolution photos and videos now the standard, there are some common limitations many people aren’t aware of.

Resizing Content

Most professional cameras, like handheld DSLRs, capture images in a 3:2 aspect ratio. While this resolution is excellent for prints, photo albums, and detailed keepsakes, it’s less ideal for the constantly shifting aspect ratios on social media.

As a result, resizing your images before posting online ensures that important details aren't accidentally cropped out.

Here’s how you can resize your wedding party photos for free online:

Start by uploading your images to the Kapwing editor. Then, select the background of your project and find the Resize Project tool on the right-hand side.

Expand the Size dropdown menu to either choose from popular social media presets or enter custom image dimensions.

Confirm your changes by selecting the Resize Project button at the bottom of the menu.

Finally, adjust the crop of your image to make sure all important elements are fully visible. If you skip this step, the social media platform you upload to will automatically crop your content, often without preserving the parts you want highlighted.

To manually crop your image, simply double-click it, then drag the frame to your desired positioning.

Compressing Videos

Another limitation people often run into when sharing files online is file size. This is especially common with videos, where large files can either be restricted or lose quality when uploaded. Fortunately, the Kapwing editor offers a simple solution.

After uploading your video to the editor, locate the Export Project button in the top right corner.

Next, adjust the Compression Level slider to reduce your video’s file size without lowering its resolution. For the smallest file size, slide the bar all the way to the left.

Then, export your project by selecting the Export as MP4 button at the bottom of the window. Once processed, your compressed video file will be ready for easier sharing or uploading to platforms with strict file size limits.

If you want to share your video without any compression, consider sending a direct link to your Kapwing project instead. Being a cloud-based editor, anyone you share the link with can access and download the video without needing additional software.

To share a project, select the blue Share button next to the Export Project button.

Then, simply copy the provided project link or enter an email address to send it instantly to others.

However you choose to share your photos and videos, optimizing them by resizing ensures you control how your wedding party photos look when others view and share them.