Gather everyone before choosing the background.
The most common delay is not light or crowds; it is finding a relative who left for security, the restroom, or another floor. Ask family to remain in one meeting area after the ceremony and assign a person who knows every name.
Match the location to mobility and group size.
Stairs can be difficult for elders, children, heels, and mobility devices. A level gallery, window, corridor, or ground-floor setting may produce a better experience. The building has many options beyond the grand staircase.
Use the architecture without losing faces.
Wide frames establish City Hall, but family photographs need expressions and connection. Make a clear group portrait, then a few smaller combinations where people can stand closer and interact more naturally.
Keep the list proportionate to the day.
For a small ceremony, a long formal list can consume the time everyone expected to spend together. Prioritize parents, siblings, grandparents, children, and one full group; create other combinations at the meal when the atmosphere is looser.