So, I was talking to someone recently.

‘Oh, but you don’t DO formals, do you?’

But why, yes. Yes, I do.

I don’t tend to blog them because, if I’m really honest, they’re only particularly interesting to the people at the wedding and they’ll get to see them anyhow.

Cut to yesterday and I was chatting to a bride about the whole process of the formals and how they don’t really really have to be, y’know, FORMAL.

That there’s plenty of scope for personality and silliness.

And it reminded me how I used to dread the formals.

I used to think they were pretty much the worst thing ever (ugh – all that standing in front of people and trying to get them into line only to find G’ma has popped off for a wee and Uncle Jack is so pissed his eyes are pointng in different directions. Then there’s Fanny and Grace who won’t be in the same picture ‘cos of what Fanny’s aunt Hilda said about That Day At The Beach. And NO-ONE is LISTENING TO ME because I’m surprisingly quiet and far too bloody polite for this lark and -actually, no. I’m not allowed to beat people over the head with my camera) but one day I challenged myself to not only find a way to love them but to really make them a feature – after all – these are the images that will constitute quite a part of the ongoing visual legacy of your wedding day. The bits we leave behind for the people who will come after.

I was doubly reminded of this when I was rifling through my Mum’s stuff for some old family images to use on a different (as yet unwritten) blog post and I found this image of my grandparents’ wedding (image credit J & L Shillabeer, Plymouth).

Am I saying you absolutely unequivocally should have formals?

Absolutely not.

It’s more a thing of if they’re important to you, they’re important to me.

I thought it might be a bit helpful to include for you cut-and-pasting pleasure the list that nearly everyone asks for.

Bride and groom and bride’s parents

Bride and groom and groom’s parents

Bride and groom and all parents

Bride and groom and bride’s extended family

Bride and groom and groom’s extended family

Bride and groom and and both extended families

Bride and groom and maids and ushers

Bride and and maids

Groom and ushers.

And there you have the core images. Easy peasy