How to Include Grandparents Meaningfully in Your Photo & Film Story
Grandparents are often the emotional anchor of a wedding day — especially here in the South where family legacy runs deep. When I film and photograph weddings in Chattanooga and Nashville, I build intentional moments into the timeline so grandparents aren’t just present — they are preserved in your story.
Meaningful ways to include them:
Plan a “first look” with grandparents — a 5-minute private reveal filmed and photographed before the ceremony
Record them giving a short blessing or message for the wedding film, either before or after the ceremony
Seat them intentionally so they are framed clearly for both photo and video during the aisle walk and vows
Feature heirlooms they’ve passed down — jewelry, bible pages, lace hankies, medals — and film those close-ups for your story
Add a timeline stop for generational portraits: Grandparents → Parents → Couple — ensures clean, unhurried images
Honor them at the reception with a dance, toast, or mention that we can capture candidly without staging
Because I work regularly with wedding planners and venues across Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain, Signal Mountain, Cleveland, and the greater Nashville area, I know how to build these moments into the schedule without adding stress or time crunch.
This part of your gallery and film often becomes the most re-watched — especially in the years to come. If you’re planning a wedding in Chattanooga or Nashville and want to guarantee your grandparents are more than background in your visuals, I’ll help you build that into the day from the start.