Delivering a wedding gallery is one of my favorite moments as a photographer. I love to imagine the joy each newlywed feels now that the stress of the big day is over and there’s nothing left to do but enjoy looking back at a beautiful day full of love! But a lot happens between “I do” and a finished gallery—and I don’t just mean your honeymoon! In the 8 weeks between the nuptials and my promised delivery time (an expedited 4 weeks if you choose my deluxe collection!), your photographer is hard at work cleaning up your images to make sure they look their absolute best. And with close to 1,000 images to deliver, depending on the collection of services you choose, that’s no quick or easy task!

Why do we do it? Let me show you. Here’s a look at some “before and after” images… a.k.a. why your photographer edits your wedding gallery.

When it comes to the “why” of editing a wedding gallery, I like to think of it in three categories. The first (and most obvious) one?

Visual enhancement and technical corrections

No matter how hard we try to capture perfect, flawless images, weddings move quickly, and so do the magical moments. I also average 100-150 photos per hour of coverage, so batting 1,000 is a tall order! Even the most skilled, professional wedding photographers are at the mercy of unavoidable glares or shadows from decor, reflections, and stray clouds. Editing allows those inconveniences to be our responsibility, not yours! Correcting issues like white balance and exposure, or fixing technical aspects like a crooked horizon or cropping out unwanted visuals on the periphery of a perfect moment can make the images in your wedding gallery more vibrant and appealing, with better composition, before you even see otherwise.

Adding Value to Your Wedding Gallery

Next up: The value. For me, delivering a wedding gallery of carefully edited photos shows the time, effort, and attention I give to ensure my clients get the vision they want. It adds value to the overall product, and creates consistent, visually stunning images that can appeal to future brides/grooms. For you? Well, you get what you pay for! When you hire a professional wedding photographer, you get a professional wedding gallery. Wedding photos preserve memories, and hiring a professional preserves them well. You want perfect images. Let us create them for you!

Last but not least…

Artistic Expression & Storytelling

There’s a reason you chose your wedding photographer. Maybe it’s a connection through family or friends, but even so, it’s almost always because you like their vibe. Warm and sunny images won’t work for a modern/industrial wedding feel. Just like dramatic angles and unique composition won’t suit a more traditional or outdoor/farmhouse-style wedding. When choosing your wedding photographer, I always encourage people to look at the galleries.

Wedding photographers honor your wedding’s design and bring your vision to life, but it’s also important for us keep our branding and editing style consistent. That way clients know exactly what they’re getting and what they can expect in their wedding gallery! Post-event editing allows your photographer to shift focus within an image to draw the viewer’s eye to different details, creating emotional connections through cohesive, recognizable style.

While you’re here, check out some of my wedding galleries and pricing collections here. If you like what you see, let’s talk! All three options include artistic editing and a print release.

Graduation portraits are some of my very favorite photo shoots. And with good reason! Capturing genuine human emotions is such a fun part of this job, and graduates are always so full of pride, hope, and joy. Over the last year, the Class of 2025 was no exception! These amazing young adults are ready to take on the world, and I’m so excited that I got to capture this chapter of their stories. As we all look forward to whatever the future holds, let’s take a look back and celebrate!

Graduation Portraits Your Way

The best thing about graduation portraits with me? You can make the experience as unique as your story! Take individual portraits, book a shoot with a group of your friends or roommates, or make a whole day of it with your whole tribe. The common thread? No matter what vision you have for your graduation portraits, we’ll work together to make it something you love. Read all about my grad session details here!

Graduation Portraits In Your Neck of the Woods

Even though I’m technically a Colorado photographer, I love to travel around the country… especially for graduation portraits! To my alma mater (Go Red Birds!) and beyond, I hit the road every spring to celebrate the graduates of several universities that I’ve come to know and love over the years. Interested in a session? Reach out and subscribe to my newsletter to be in-the-know for all my upcoming travel dates and locations.

Make the Most of Your Senior Year

Portraits go a lot farther than they used to. In addition to the traditional cap and gown shots your parents and grandparents will love to receive as gifts, your images can live forever online, be used for graduation gift thank you notes, resumes… even framed side-by-side with your future spouse as personalized wedding decor some day. All this to say? Investing in these photos is definitely worth the commitment. Check out some more of my ideas on how to use senior portraits here, and get ready to graduate in style!

Refer A Friend = Make Some Cash!

Did someone say cash? If you tell a friend about my services and they book, you’ll get $50 cash via PayPal or Venmo. You read that right! Refer five friends and all of them book? That’s $250 in your pocket. So if you love your graduation portraits, be sure to share your images, tag @sarnoldphoto, and tell your friends and fellow grads. Let’s remember these moments together!