Mom's hilarious “pro tip” for family group photos goes viral

Despite all the photo editing tools available, removing old memories can still be a hassle. One woman has a preventative solution.

A video posted on Instagram by Rachel Teodoro (@msrachelteodoro) has gone viral after she revealed her method of taking group photos on family vacations with new partners – by having the other guests stand a few feet away. Since the video was posted, it has received over 856,000 likes and over 4,300 comments.

“If you allow your adult children to bring their girlfriend/boyfriend on a family vacation, make sure they stand a little off to the side for the family photos, just in case you need to crop the photos out later,” she captioned the video. “Just a little pro tip.”

Many of the commenters found the tip a hilarious reference to the common experience of an ex going through old photos.

“Yes, my high school boyfriend is a rose bush in my sister’s wedding photos,” @anne.mahoney.realtor

“My ex-mother-in-law put stickers on the faces of those who were no longer part of the family,” wrote @stephiecole13. “After I filed for divorce, I told my best friend, 'I've probably officially been stickered.'”

While many found it funny, some found it distasteful that partners of family members feel excluded from photos. Other commenters responded with wise words when asked about transparency.

“I actually tell them we're going to take some photos as a family without them. They're totally fine with that,” said @aprilbeachlife. “I also remember my mother-in-law [mother-in-law] to do that to me before we were married. That's life and I have no problem with it.”

“Tip for people: Family will always be flexible. Will you edit out all instances of an ex-spouse?” wrote @cynthianbee. “My son's girlfriend is part of our family now. If they split up, she will not be edited out. Family photos are a snapshot of who is part of the unit. It is constantly changing, hopefully by addition and not subtraction.”

“In 1998 I went to a wedding with my then boyfriend and was asked to sit on the outside (I was trying to get out of the photo) and his sister's boyfriend was asked to sit on the opposite side,” wrote @ericaagran. “Well, now it's 2024, both couples have been married for over 20 years and the couple getting married has been divorced since 2005.”

Newsweek asked @msrachelteodoro for a comment via Instagram.