Family Photos at Sawgrass Beach Club in Ponte Vedra Beach

There aren’t many occasions when an entire extended family is in the same place at the same time. Adult children have families of their own. Grandchildren have school and sports. People move to different states and before you know it, getting everyone together requires calendars, plane tickets and a lot of planning.

That’s exactly what makes a family gathering in Ponte Vedra Beach such a great opportunity for extended family photos.

I recently photographed a family of 25 at Sawgrass Beach Club, including grandparents, their adult children, spouses and grandchildren ranging from babies to older kids. With everyone together in Ponte Vedra Beach, we were able to create so much more than one large family portrait.

One Session, So Many Family Photographs

When I photograph a large extended family, the photograph of everyone together is important, but it’s only the beginning. We also make time for each individual family, grandparents with their grandchildren, siblings, cousins, couples and any other relationships that are important to your family.

With a group this large, I plan those portraits ahead of time so we can move through them efficiently. No one wants to spend an entire evening standing around on the beach waiting for their turn in front of the camera.

Once we have the important groupings, everyone can relax a little. The kids can play, grandparents can love on their grandchildren and families can simply enjoy being together and often, that’s when some of my favorite photographs happen.

Family Visiting Ponte Vedra Beach for Thanksgiving or Christmas?

The fall and holiday season is one of the best opportunities for extended family photography in Ponte Vedra Beach.

If parents or grandparents live in Ponte Vedra or Sawgrass and adult children are traveling to Florida for Thanksgiving or Christmas, it may be one of the only times all year that everyone is together.

Instead of trying to coordinate another trip specifically for family photos, we can plan your session around the time everyone is already here.

And while the holidays are an obvious opportunity, the same is true for milestone birthdays, anniversaries, family reunions and vacations. If everyone has managed to get to the same place, it’s worth considering whether this is the year to finally get that family photograph.

Have family coming to Ponte Vedra this fall or over the holidays? Let’s get your session on the calendar while everyone is together.

Extended Family Photos at Sawgrass Beach Club

Sawgrass Beach Club is a beautiful setting for a large family session because we have plenty of room to work while still creating photographs that feel relaxed and connected.

I typically start with the photographs that require everyone's cooperation while the kids are fresh. From there, we move into smaller family groupings and gradually loosen things up as the session continues.

For this family, that eventually meant shoes came off, kids headed toward the water and everyone had a chance to simply enjoy the beach.

Their finished gallery included the big family photographs you’d expect to frame for the grandparents, but also photographs of grandparents with grandchildren, cousins together, individual families and all the little interactions happening in between.

Those are the photographs that tell the fuller story of having everyone together.

Not sure whether the beach is the right setting for your family? I also put together a guide to choosing between the St. Augustine Fort and the beach for extended family photos. Click here to view that.

Planning a Large Family Photo Session in Ponte Vedra Beach

If you know your family will be gathering in Ponte Vedra Beach, I recommend reaching out as soon as you know your dates, particularly for Thanksgiving week and the Christmas holiday season.

Large family sessions require a little more planning than a typical family session. Before we meet, I'll help with wardrobe coordination, timing and a list of the family groupings that are most important to you. That preparation means we can spend less time organizing 20 or 25 people on the beach and more time actually photographing them.

Because getting the entire family together may be complicated.

The photographs shouldn’t be.

If your family is staying at Sawgrass, gathering in Ponte Vedra Beach or visiting the Jacksonville or St. Augustine area this fall or holiday season, I’d love to help you plan an extended family photography session while everyone is together.

I've also shared my tips for preparing for an extended family photo session here. Learn about wardrobe planning here.