Vendor Guide
Class reunion photographer guide
Budget $800–$2,800 depending on coverage. The all-class group photo is the artifact people frame — get it right with a pro at milestone reunions.
Typical photographer costs
Crowdsourced (shared album)
Fine for 5/10-year casual reunions
$0
Event photographer, 3 hours
100–150 edited photos, digital delivery
$800–$1,400
Event photographer, 4 hours
200+ edited photos, gallery + downloads
$1,200–$1,800
Full weekend (2 sessions)
Friday mixer + Saturday gala
$2,000–$2,500
Premium with album
Printed album, prints, video highlight
$2,200–$2,800
The complete shot list
Print this and walk through it with your photographer 2 weeks before. The single biggest quality lever.
Must-haves
- All-class group photo (75–90 min in, staged spot, rows pre-marked)
- Registration table + welcome banner
- Memorial wall + candle
- Classmates arriving + first hugs
- Detail shots: name tags, decor, table settings
- Slideshow presentation
- Awards / superlatives moments
Storytelling shots
- Then-and-now portraits (yearbook photo next to current — set up a small booth)
- Old friend group reunions (cliques re-forming)
- Dance floor wide + close-ups
- Sweet older couple slow dancing
- Kids of classmates (if family-friendly)
- The 'I traveled the furthest' classmate
Committee + planning
- All committee members together (worked hard, deserve the credit)
- Behind-the-scenes setup
- Group photo of out-of-town travelers
- End-of-night last-call shot
How to stage the all-class group photo
This is the single most important photo of the night. Treat it like a small production:
- Timing: 75–90 minutes after start. Late arrivals are in, nobody's drunk yet.
- Announce 3 times: 30 min before, 10 min before, "now everyone please." Use the DJ mic.
- Pre-mark the rows: Painter's tape on the floor showing front/middle/back row positions.
- Assign by height: Tallest in back, medium middle, shortest front. Have 2 helpers herd.
- 3-row maximum: 4 rows makes faces tiny. For 100+ people use risers or staircase shots.
- 6–10 frames minimum: Somebody is always blinking. Wide range catches everyone's eyes-open shot.
- Variants: One serious, one "say cheese," one "throw your hands up." The last one is always the favorite.
- Backdrop matters: Plain wall or stage curtain. Avoid busy backgrounds, exit signs, mid-room chaos.
How to hire
- Search "event photographer [your city]" — not "wedding photographer" (too expensive, different skillset). Yelp + Google Maps + The Knot's event vendor section all work.
- Ask for event portfolios specifically — corporate galas, milestone birthdays, charity dinners are closest to a class reunion vibe.
- Get 3 quotes minimum. Prices vary 2–3x in any market for similar quality.
- Confirm what's included: hours, # of edited photos, delivery format, turnaround time, gallery hosting, prints/album.
- Sign a contract. Required deposit (usually 25–50%), cancellation policy, what happens if they're sick (backup photographer).
- Walk through the shot list 2 weeks out. Email the list + venue address + day-of contact + parking/load-in.
- Pay balance the day of — most photographers expect final payment before they leave.
How to share the photos after
- Private gallery link (Pixieset, Pic-Time, Cluster) — attendees view, download, order prints. Most pros include this.
- Email the link 5–10 days post-event — builds anticipation and lets you include them in a proper thank-you email instead of a quick dump.
- Don't post the full set to Facebook — many classmates aren't there, you lose ownership, and resolution gets compressed.
- Pick 10–15 hero shots for the post-event email + any social. Save the full set for the gallery.
- Print the all-class shot — 16×20 framed, deliver to the committee chair as a thank-you. ~$30–$50 at a local print shop.
- In Reunly: attach the gallery link to your post-event thank-you email so it goes to every confirmed attendee in one click.
Track your photographer like every other vendor
Vendor contacts, deposit deadlines, shot list — all in one Reunly plan.
Start your class reunion →Photographer FAQ
How much does a class reunion photographer cost?
Expect $800–$2,800 depending on coverage hours, edited photo count, and prints/album add-ons. A 3-hour event-coverage package with 100–150 edited digital photos typically runs $800–$1,400. Full-day weekend coverage with multiple events, 300+ edited photos, and a printed album runs $2,200–$2,800. Skip wedding photographers (overkill, overpriced); look for 'event' or 'corporate event' photographers.
Do I really need a professional photographer for a class reunion?
For 5-year and 10-year reunions you can often crowdsource photos via a shared album link (Google Photos, Apple Shared Album). For 25-year and especially 50-year milestones, hire a professional — the all-class group photo is the artifact people frame, and amateur smartphone shots don't reproduce well at poster size. Worth the $1,200–$2,000 for milestone reunions.
How long should I hire a class reunion photographer for?
Minimum 3 hours — covers cocktail hour, the formal all-class group shot, and 90 minutes of dinner candids. Most reunions go with 4 hours to also capture the slideshow, awards, and dance floor. For full-weekend reunions, hire 2 separate sessions (Friday mixer 2hr + Saturday gala 4hr) rather than one continuous shift — better quality, lower cost than 8 hours straight.
What's the most important shot at a class reunion?
The all-class group photo. Schedule it 75–90 minutes after start (after late arrivals, before the bar gets too loose). Stage it in advance: pick the spot, mark the rows with painter's tape, assign tall classmates to back row, and have 2 helpers herd people. Take 6–10 frames. This is the photo that gets printed, framed, and posted to every social account afterward — get it right.
How do I share class reunion photos with attendees?
Best: a private gallery link (Pixieset, Pic-Time, or photographer's own portal) where attendees can view, download, and order prints. Email the link 5–10 days after the event (build anticipation). Don't dump photos in Facebook — many classmates aren't on Facebook, and you lose ownership. In Reunly you can attach the gallery link to the post-event thank-you email that goes to all attendees.
Should I provide the photographer with a shot list?
Yes — this is the single biggest quality lever. Pros work better with a shot list. Include: all-class group photo (time + spot), key candids (registration table, slideshow, awards, dance), then-and-now portraits (yearbook photo next to current photo), memorial wall, classmate groups by friend circles, and committee members. Walk through it with the photographer 2 weeks before. Most reunions skip this and get generic event coverage instead of intentional storytelling.