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Rome Italy Temple Wedding Photos: A Guide to Family and Wedding Party Portraits
If you're planning Rome Italy Temple wedding photos, the question we hear most is not about poses. It's about logistics: how do you photograph the couple, both families, the wedding party and the friends, in the time you have, without anyone standing in the sun for too long? This guide comes from a real session we photographed at the Rome Italy Temple, and it explains how we handled the groups, the heat and the move from the outdoor grounds to the Visitors' Center.
We're Eidos Photography, a Rome photography team. For this session, Sara was the photographer and led the poses and group arrangements, and Jeff filmed the video. The session lasted about two hours and included roughly 18 people with the couple. We started outside and finished in the Visitors' Center.
A Real Wedding Portrait Session at Rome Italy Temple
Here are the facts of this session, so you can separate what we did from what we recommend.
| What happened in this session | What we recommend based on it |
|---|---|
| About two hours of photography | Plan a continuous block for portraits, separate from ceremony time |
| Started on the outdoor grounds and moved to the Visitors' Center | Do the large outdoor groups first, then move to an indoor space if it is allowed |
| About 18 people including the couple (an estimate) | Keep the group list short enough that each combination takes only a few minutes |
| Sara placed people and directed the poses | Let one person direct, so guests hear one clear voice |
| We paused for water, hats and short breaks in the shade | Build rest into the plan from the start, not as an emergency |
The rest of this article follows the order of the session: family groups, wedding party portraits, managing heat, the Visitors' Center and finally the time for the couple.
Before You Plan: Check the Photography Rules
According to the temple's website, the gates in Rome are open every day from 9:00 to 21:00, no booking is needed to walk the grounds, and photographers are welcome to use the grounds for photoshoots without a fee. It doesn't mention wedding photography specifically, and it doesn't state a photography policy for the Visitors' Center. That is why we recommend you ask the site, or the contact for your group, before your date, instead of assuming that what worked for one session applies to yours. The grounds and the Visitors' Center are not the interior of the temple, and nothing here should be read as permission to photograph indoors in general.
Planning Family Photos Without Missing Anyone
The most common problem with family photos is not time. It's that someone is missing when you call their group. A relative is in the restroom, a cousin is talking to a friend, or the grandparents are sitting in the shade. A simple plan prevents this.
Write the list before the day
A written list of groups is the most useful thing you can send your photographer. Family formals guides recommend that the list include both sides of the family and any divorced or remarried parents, and note that family formals usually need 30 minutes to an hour depending on size. Here are the combinations we suggest you consider.
| Group | Priority | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Full group of everyone present | Essential | Do this one first, while everyone is together |
| Couple with both sets of parents | Essential | Usually the first request from the families |
| Couple with each side of the family separately | Essential | Do them back to back to avoid people leaving |
| Couple with siblings | Essential | Short and simple |
| Couple with grandparents | Essential | Do these early so they can sit afterward |
| Couple with the wedding party | Essential | Covered in the next section |
| Couple with extended family | If time allows | Group by side to keep it fast |
Choose one person to gather the families
Ask one relative or friend who knows both families to be the coordinator. Their only job is to call people by name and make sure they are standing near the photo location. This saves more time than any pose idea. Family formals guides recommend a coordinator too, and in our experience it saves a lot of time.
Think about the guests, not just the photos
Older relatives, children and anyone in formal shoes should not wait in the sun. We suggest putting them in the earliest groups and giving them a place in the shade afterward.
Wedding Party Portraits: Formal Groups and Natural Moments
For the wedding party, we usually take a few formal frames first and then ask everyone to relax. The formal frames are what the families will print. The relaxed frames are usually the ones the group remembers.
- Formal frame. The full wedding party standing together, facing the camera, with the couple in the center.
- Smaller formal frames. The couple with the bridesmaids, then with the groomsmen. These are quick, and they are easy to repeat if someone blinks.
- Natural moments. Ask the group to laugh, look at each other or raise their bouquets. A simple instruction works better than a complicated pose.
In this session we made both types: the group frames in front of the temple and the relaxed frames of the groomsmen and the full party indoors. As a general rule, a simple instruction such as "look at each other" gives a more natural result than "look at the camera".
Managing Summer Heat During Group Photos
The heat was the biggest planning factor in this session. It was very hot, and a group of 18 people in formal clothes cannot stand in direct sun for long. Here is what we did and what we recommend.
- We stopped between photo blocks. We paused for water, hats and a short rest in the shade, then continued.
- Sara placed people quickly and clearly. She decided where each person stood and which pose they used before calling them in, so that people spent less time waiting in the sun.
- We continued in the Visitors' Center for the later part of the session, which also gave the group a break from the outdoor sun.
From that experience, our recommendations for your day are:
- Bring water for everyoneCarry enough for the whole group, not only for the couple.
- Bring hats for the time between photosGuests can wear them while they wait and take them off for the frame. Summer wedding guides, like the one from Shoot Dot Edit, also recommend shade and frequent breaks.
- Plan the breaksTell your photographer in advance that you want a pause after each block of groups.
- Have the group list readyA prepared list shortens the time in the sun more than anything else.
- Keep the large groups earlyThey need the most people standing together and the most patience.
The family formal guides we reviewed cover the list and the coordinator, but not heat or what to do for guests who are waiting. That is the part we would put at the center of a Rome summer plan.
From the Temple Grounds to the Visitors' Center
Part of the reason this session worked is that it had two very different backgrounds in one place. The first part was on the grounds: the golden entrance doors, the temple facade and the open space in front of it. The second part was in the Visitors' Center, where there is a room with white statues in niches and a curved mural above them.
The Visitors' Center, according to the temple's website, has a replica of Thorvaldsen's Christus with the twelve apostles and an original curving mural by Joseph Brickey, and it is open daily from 9:00 to 21:00 with free entry. We mention this only so you know the space has a different look from the outdoor grounds. It is not the interior of the temple, and you should confirm the photography rules for it before your date.
If you have the option, we recommend using both: the outdoor grounds for the large family groups and the iconic temple frames, and an indoor space for the wedding party, where no one needs to squint in the sun, if the rules allow it.
Leaving Time for Couple Portraits
It is easy to spend the whole session on groups. A family list of ten combinations and a wedding party of several people can use all your time, and the couple ends up with a few quick frames at the end. We recommend protecting time for the couple instead.
| Order | What to photograph | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Full group outdoors | Everyone is together, fresh and on time |
| 2 | Family groups outdoors | Elders go first and can rest |
| 3 | Wedding party formal and natural | Short frames, easy to repeat |
| 4 | Break in the shade | Water, hats, a few minutes of rest |
| 5 | Couple portraits | Fewer people, so you can slow down |
| 6 | Indoor frames (Visitors' Center, if allowed) | Out of the sun; confirm the rules first |
This order is our recommendation, not a record of the session. The point is simple: put a block for the two of you in your plan before the session starts, and tell your photographer how much time you want for it. Without that, the couple portraits become whatever time is left over.
How to Plan Your Own Session
If you're planning Rome Italy Temple family portraits or a wedding party session, send Eidos Photography the information below and we'll suggest a plan that fits your time and your group.
- Your date and the approximate time of the ceremony
- The number of people you expect for the photos
- The photos that are essential to you (for example, grandparents, siblings, the full wedding party)
- Any guests who need extra care in the heat or need to sit
If you would also like portraits of the two of you before the wedding day, our pre-wedding photoshoot in Rome is made for that. If you're still deciding between a church, a civil ceremony and a vow renewal, our guide to church, civil and vow renewal weddings in Rome explains the options. If your plan doesn't fit a standard package, our Custom Experience package is the place to start.
Send us your details and we'll help you build a simple plan.
Eidos Photography works with couples and families from many countries. See packages and send us your wedding details.
Jeff
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