With relatives in town from all over the country, and sometimes the world, many clients use the hour or two before the fun starts to capture extended family portraits. This is a wonderful opportunity to get those group shots that mean so much to everyone. Once the party starts, you can chat with guests, dance and enjoy the evening without worrying about gathering relatives for photos.

Before your event be sure to share your family portrait list with your photographer to budget enough time. On average, a group of 25 or more will take 15 minutes to gather, pose and photograph while groups of 6-10 people take around 5 minutes. That time adds up, so I recommend clients select the key groupings, like the Bat Mitzvah girl with her grandparents, and eliminate variations, such as the Bat Mitzvah girl with each grandparent individually.

Ali is lucky to have such a large family, with the biggest group topping 30 people! I loved photographing these guys both before the party and on the dance floor.