Weddings can be wonderful. Celebrations of love. Commitments to the future. Family bonding. Reconnection. Nightmares to organize. But spectacular when pulled off well. The aftermath involves wedding night canoodling and honeymoons, as everyone goes about their merry ways basking in the joy of a happy day. Perhaps nursing an embarassingly amusing story. All of which give the intrepid wedding photographer time to work on the hundreds (sometimes thousands) of images from the event.
Unsurprisingly, most of our work is done after the event, in front of the computer. Culling bad photos, grouping and collating. Correcting white balances. Removing cigarette butts, photobombers, and other distractions. Choosing which of all those images show this beautiful day in the best light.
It’s quite a responsibility. The memories we choose become part of family history, for generations to come. Show the bride smiling, not crying. The best man hugging the groom, not frenching a bridesmaid. You get the idea. Leave out or include the wrong photo and you change history. No pressure.
Time
It also takes time. All that editing can take literally days. Which is a large part of the cost, when hiring a photographer. You are not just paying for the time at the event. You may be paying for the whole week. Particularly on larger events, which have multiple photographers as well as drone pilots and videographers. That stuff also takes longer in the edit. And then there are wedding albums and prints. Photo books and posters. Thank you cards for the guests. The list is long. Our work is just beginning as the final dance finishes, the DJ starts his clean up, and the venue staff start clearing tables.
Of course, the happy couple want their photos as soon as possible and we try to accommodate. Usually successfully. Because that’s what we do. We work hard, and fast. While others are pondering their bank balances and hangovers, we photographers are working hard to make your history, your memories, the best they can be. Because we care. Because wedding photography is not just a job. It’s a vocation.
