The groom's side of the album is usually thinner than it needs to be, and it's almost never the groom's fault.
Bridal prep has a natural rhythm built in. Hair, makeup, dress, done, each step is its own photo. The groom's side needs someone to build that same structure on purpose, because left alone it's just five guys in a hotel room waiting for a text saying it's time to go.
1. A Plain Hotel Room Photographs Flat
Beige walls, a rumpled bed, room service trays on the desk. It's not anyone's fault, it's just what most hotel rooms look like, and it becomes the background of every single groom photo taken that morning.
A den, a study, a backyard, even a garage with good light beats a generic hotel room every time. Pick the spot for how it photographs, not just how close it is to the venue.
2. Suiting Up Deserves the Same Attention as the Dress
Cufflinks, tie knot, jacket on, final look in the mirror. It's the exact same structure as a bride's dress-and-veil sequence, and it gets skipped constantly because nobody told the groom it was a moment worth capturing.
3. Groomsmen Standing in a Line Isn't a Candid, It's a Lineup
Left to their own devices, a room full of groomsmen either lines up shoulder to shoulder for a stiff group shot or scatters to their phones the second the photographer looks away. Neither gives you photos worth keeping.
- Play actual music, not silence
- Have someone pour a drink or make a toast
- Let the photographer catch reactions, not poses
- Have everyone stand in a silent line
- Let phones stay out the whole session
- Rush suiting up in under ten minutes
4. If There's a Letter or a Gift, Photograph the Reaction
Brides often get a card or a small gift from their partner before the ceremony, and photographers know to catch that reaction. The same moment happens on the groom's side constantly, and it goes uncaptured because nobody flagged it in advance.
If you're sending something over, tell your photographer the rough time it'll arrive. this one gets missed more than any other
5. Watch, Boutonniere, Cufflinks, Shoes. Photograph Them Before They're On
The bride's rings and shoes get a flat-lay session as a matter of course. The groom's version, a watch, cufflinks, a boutonniere, the shoes, rarely gets the same five minutes, even though it's the exact same kind of shot on the exact same kind of surface.
Set them out together before anyone gets dressed and let your photographer treat it the way they'd treat the bride's details.
6. A Parent Photo Before the Ceremony, Not Just After
A mother fixing a tie, a father shaking hands or pulling his son in for a hug, these moments happen fast and early, usually while everyone's still half in getting-ready mode. If the photographer isn't in the room yet, the moment's gone before the formal photos start.
Ask your photographer to arrive on the groom's side with enough time to catch parents drifting in and out before the suits are even fully on.
7. Give the Groom One Quiet Minute Before Everyone Piles In the Car
The bride often gets a solo portrait, veil on, right before she walks out the door. The groom's version of that moment, alone for a second, jacket on, about to head to the ceremony, usually gets skipped because the room is loud and everyone's already moving toward the exit.
Ask for sixty seconds. One shot, no groomsmen in frame, just before the door opens. it's worth asking for on purpose