Photography & Video Etiquette
- Question:
- Do you have to include boyfriends/girlfriends of relatives in family portraits at weddings?
- Answer:
Technically, you are not required to include boyfriends and girlfriends (the non-live-in kind) in family wedding portraits. The idea behind this is that if your sister and her boyfriend break up next month, you aren't looking at wedding photos of him for the next fifty years. This is a reasonable concern, but it can be hurtful, too—which is something to be avoided at all costs, especially at such emotionally charged events as weddings. If someone is likely to be very upset by the exclusion (and bear in mind that not everyone would be) I would recommend inclusion. Much of this decision will depend on how close the couple in question is—a significant other of three years could make for a very different situation than one of three months. In the end, the decision rests with the bride and groom, though their decision should be made clear prior to the wedding day to avoid any potential hurt feelings or unpleasant surprises when it's time to gather to take the photos.
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- The Emily Post Institute
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Have an etiquette question you'd like our editors to answer?
- Do you have to include boyfriends/girlsfriends of relatives in family portraits at weddings?
- Who usually puts the engagement photograph in the newspaper?
- When should we send out engagement photos?
- How do we handle family photographs when my parents are divorced?
- Whos responsible for paying for the parent wedding albums?
