There is a reason photographers sometimes dread the family formals list, and it's usually because without proper flow it can definitely be a bit chaotic! I do not mind the family formal shots and I work with my clients before the wedding to come up with a list that works well and seems to only take about 10-15 minutes after the ceremony to complete! That sounds like a win for everyone, the family can get to the cocktail hour quicker, your bridal party begins their pictures sooner, and you and your groom get to get this typically "un-fun" part of the day through so you can head to the reception and party!
I typically only have the grandparents, parents, siblings (and children if there are any!) stay after the ceremony, but I always say if there is a family member that you are super close to we definitely want to include them in the formal pictures. The rest? The extended cousins that you likely aren't going to print/frame a picture of? We save that for the reception!
As a side note, some couples DOO request one big huge whole side of the family shot which is really great to have and we can do that first if requested, but we don't typically need to break that down further than that unless requested.
The family formals list is kind of like a diamond, we start small, add in, then take out, then swap to the grooms side! Easy, right?
Here is my standard family formals shot list:
Bride & Grandparents
Bride, Groom, Grandparents
Bride, Groom, Grandparents, Parents
Bride, Groom, Grandparents, Parent, Siblings
Bride, Groom, Siblings
Bride, Siblings
Bride, Mom
Bride, Mom, Dad
Bride, Mom, Dad, Groom
Bride, Dad
Now, of course this is in the perfect world of the parents still being together and grandparents in attendance, so we definitely modify it for each couple that we work with! This list and the timeline is the only thing I need from the bride and groom on the wedding day.