Behind the Scenes of a Wedding Photographer

What You Are Really Paying For?

Most people think wedding photography is just turning up with a nice camera, taking a few photos and heading home. Anyone who has been around a real wedding knows it is a completely different story.

When you hire a professional wedding photographer, you are not just paying for someone to point a camera at you. You are investing in someone who can handle nerves, chaos, heat, rain, tight timelines, emotional families, broken buttonholes, dark venues, wild dance floors and every unexpected moment that comes with the day.

Here is what you are actually paying for when you hire a pro. The stuff no one talks about, but every couple deserves to know.

All the preparation you never see

Before I even step foot at your venue, there is a lot happening behind the scenes. You might think my day starts when I walk through the door, but it usually starts much earlier.

This includes:

• Checking the timeline

• Scouting the venue

• Packing backup gear

• Charging batteries

• Cleaning lenses

• formatting cards

• Weather planning

• Route planning

• Double checking timings

• Understanding family dynamics

• Reviewing your preferences

• Running through any must have moments

It is all done so I can turn up calm, organised and ready for anything.

Multiple cameras, backups and enough gear to open a small shop

A wedding is a once in a lifetime moment. You cannot redo the first kiss because a battery failed or a memory card died.

So professionals bring:

• Multiple cameras

• Multiple lenses

• Backup flashes

• Backup cards

• Backup batteries

• Hard drives for copying images

• Lighting kits for dark rooms

• A plan B for every situation

If something breaks, the day carries on without you ever knowing.

Reading the room

A seriously underrated skill. A good photographer knows:

• When to step in and when to back off.

• When to create a moment and when to let it breathe.

• When to give direction and when to disappear into the background.

During a wedding, energy changes constantly. You need someone who can read people, calm nerves, handle big personalities and still keep things fun and relaxed.

Handling family dynamics without causing chaos

• Every wedding has its characters.

• Every family has history.

• Every group photo session has at least one person who disappears to the bar - true fact!

A professional photographer works through all of that with patience and good humour.They keep things organised without making it feel like a military operation.

Working fast under pressure

Weddings run late. All the time. It is normal.

A good photographer can:

• work fast

• adapt on the fly

• find good light in seconds

• jump between locations

• keep people comfortable

• still nail the shots

You would be shocked how many moments are captured in seconds, not minutes.

Capturing the moments you did not even know happened

You will not see everything on your wedding day. You can't. You are busy living it.

Your photographer sees:

• your parents reaction during the vows

• your partner taking a deep breath before seeing you

• your friends laughing together at the back

• kids doing something chaotic

• the look on your face right after the confetti

• tiny details you never noticed

These moments are the heart of your gallery.

Staying switched on for 10 hours straight

A wedding day is long. Physically and mentally.

Photographers are:

• lifting gear

• climbing things

• walking miles

• shooting constantly

• managing light

• anticipating moments

• thinking ahead

• guiding people

• smiling through everything

• arranging furniture to create space when needed

It can be pretty full on sometimes but its all part of the job.

Hours of editing

What you see on the day is only half the job. The real work starts when I get home.

Editing includes:

• Backing up every single photo in multiple places

• Sorting through thousands of images

• Colour correcting

• Fixing lighting

• Retouching small distractions

• Choosing the photos that tell your story the best

• Making sure everything feels consistent and timeless

For every hour shooting a wedding, there are usually several hours editing afterwards.