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How to Take a Group Photo at a Party

Last updated: September 25, 2024

Taking a group photo during your party is one of the most high-reward activities that you’ll do. It doesn’t have to be hard or complicated. I’ll show you exactly how to do it.

If the idea of gathering everyone to pose for a picture during your party sounds stressful or even silly, don’t worry! That is a normal feeling.

Just imagine how nice it will be to look back at your photo! You’ll see all of your friends having fun. And you’ll be so proud of bringing everyone together.

Pro Tip: A great time to take a group photo is immediately after your last icebreaker at your party, as discussed in Chapter 12 of my book, The 2-Hour Cocktail Party.

Video: How to Take a Group Photo

Watch this video to see how I gathered everyone at a recent party and what we did to make the photo special and fun.

Step 1: Set a reminder

After working with over 50 people who hosted their first party since my book launch, I’ve found that the group photo is the thing that most people forget.

So: set a reminder for yourself to take a group photo! Set it on your phone, or on your watch, or write a reminder note to yourself and tape up it in your home. You could even ask a friend to help you remember and take the picture.

Step 2: Circle everyone up

To get everyone together for a picture, I hold my phone up and say the following:

 “I want to take a quick group photo! Everyone, come gather over here and look this way because I’m taking a selfie.”

I say this smiling and with high energy. Then I usually take a selfie so that it is quick and fun. 

But if someone doesn’t want to be in the picture, I ask them to take the group photo with my phone. That’s what I did for my video.

After taking the picture, we begin the last icebreaker.

Icebreakers serve as both an introduction and a conversation starter. They let people start conversations more easily. Read more about icebreakers here.

Why take a group photo?

Here are the reasons why you should take a group photo:

  • It will be a happy memory for you to keep and to think about after your party.
  • You can share the photo with people the next day as a thank you message to your guests for attending your party.

And, most importantly:

  • You can use the group photo when you invite people to your next party! It will be social proof to show that you have lots of friends and that you host a fun event.

Group photo examples

These are a few examples of group photos that people have taken at parties and shared to me:

For more, I’ve collected a bunch of group photos from parties using The 2-Hour Cocktail Party on this page of my website here.

Conclusion

Don’t forget to take a group photo during your party! You’ll be proud of your party. And you’ll use the image to follow-up to your guests, and to invite new people to your next party.

Do you have tips or tricks for taking a group photo at a party, gathering, or networking event? Email me and I will add your tips to this article.

Leave a comment on this article here.

About the author

Nick Gray is the author of The 2-Hour Cocktail Party. He’s been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and in a popular TEDx talk. He sold his last company Museum Hack in 2019. Today he’s an expert on networking events, small parties, and creating relationships. Read more about Nick Gray here.

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