Photographers photograph children, they do not look after them. Name the adults responsible for the children, decide which moments you want to see, and tell us what the families agree about photographs of their children. Then plan the family and children's moments around the activity, not instead of it.
Children add life to a reception. Many hosts arrange a kids' table, a play corner or a quiet room, so that parents can enjoy the evening. The photographs of those children are often among the favourites, and the planning is simple. This page sits within our guide to wedding reception photography.
What are the children doing, and who is in charge?
Start by describing the activity: a table with colouring, a room with a film, a play area or a helper-led game. Then name the adults who will stay with the children. If your venue or planner supplies childcare, tell us who is responsible.
Our role is to photograph. We do not supervise, discipline or guide children, and we cannot be the adult in charge. That job stays with the family or the people you have arranged.
What do the families agree about photographs?
Each child's parents or guardians decide whether the child may be photographed and shared. Some are happy for the child to appear in the wedding gallery. Some want photographs only for themselves. Some prefer none.
Collect the preferences before the day, and give us a short list. The personal photography preference note lets parents record their wishes simply. For the questions the adults should resolve, see our guide on children's event photographs.
Which moments do you want to see?
Decide which of these matter to you.
| Moment | What it shows | Planning needed |
|---|---|---|
| The children's activity | Play, concentration, laughter | Permission to enter the space |
| Children with the couple | A short posed or candid moment | A parent present, a rested child |
| Children in family groups | Cousins, siblings, grandparents | A place in the group photograph plan |
| Children on the dance floor | Energy and joy | Light, space and parents' consent |
Our group photograph planner helps include children in family groups without delay.
How do you keep it comfortable for the children?
Children tire, get hungry and lose patience. A photograph session works best in short bursts, at a time when they are rested, with a parent near. Never force a child to pose. Our guide on when a child does not want to be photographed explains how we respond.
Loud, bright flash can unsettle children, so we work with available light where possible.
An example scenario
For example, imagine a reception for 160 guests with a separate room for around fifteen children, where a helper runs games and a film. The couple wants a few candid photographs of the children, plus a photograph of the couple with their nieces and nephews.
The brief asks the helper to let the photographer into the room for ten minutes after the meal, with parents informed. Two families asked for no photographs, so the photographer avoids those children. The couple visits the room, and the photographer takes a short photograph with the nieces and nephews, with their parents nearby.
What to tell the photographer
Share the activity, the room, the helper's name, the list of children with preferences and the time you would like the couple to visit. Mention any allergies or restrictions that affect how the children are positioned.
How it affects coverage
If the children's room is separate from the main hall, one photographer must choose where to be. A second photographer solves that, at extra cost. We state the arrangement in your quotation and confirm the date, venue and crew in writing. Where the children's activity is in another room, see our page on wedding reception coverage across several rooms.
Questions to ask the venue and the adults in charge
Ask the venue whether a children's room has its own access rules, and whether there is a quiet corner for a child who tires. Ask the helper when the activity starts and ends, and whether parents will collect the children before the cake or the speeches. A child who goes home early will not appear in the later family photographs. Share the answers with us, so that any photographs with the children happen while they are still there, not after they have left.
Checklist
- Name the adults responsible for the children and for each activity.
- List the children whose families have photography preferences.
- Decide which moments you want to see: the activity, the family or the couple with the children.
- Choose a time for any posed photographs, when children are rested.
- Tell us where the photographer may go and where not.
- Agree who approves photographs of children before sharing.
- Arrange for an adult to stay with the children at all times.
Tell us about the children's activity, the adults in charge and the family moments you want with the children, and we will plan around them and confirm the arrangement in writing.
Plan photographs with the childrenCommon questions
Will the photographer watch the children?
No. Our team photographs. We cannot supervise children, keep them from wandering or take responsibility for their safety. A named adult should stay with them throughout, and we work around them.
Who decides whether children can be photographed?
Their parents or guardians. Tell us the children whose families have asked for no photographs, or who may be photographed but not shared widely. Our guide on children's event photographs lists the questions to settle.
Can the photographer go into the children's room?
Only if the host and the adult in charge agree. Some rooms are private, or used for quiet time. Tell us where we may go and when, and we respect the boundary.
How do we get photographs of children with the couple?
Plan a short moment, with a parent present, at a time when the children are fresh. A child who is tired or hungry will not cooperate, and we will not push them. Our guide on when a child does not want to be photographed describes our approach.
What if the children's activity is outdoors or in another room?
Then it affects coverage. Our page on wedding reception coverage across several rooms explains the choices. One photographer cannot be in two places at once.
Plan photographs with the children
Tell us about the children's activity, the adults in charge and the family moments you want with the children, and we will plan around them and confirm the arrangement in writing.
What happens next: You send your event details on WhatsApp. Our team reads the brief, asks what is missing, then confirms in writing whether the date, venue and coverage can be booked, with a quotation. Opening WhatsApp does not send anything, and a message is not a booking until both sides confirm.
Last reviewed: