How many wedding photos do you get?

Today’s post is a bit of a sales pitch, a bit of education and a bit of a gripe about how many photos you get after your wedding is done and dusted.

I don’t get asked very often anymore, but when I do, I shudder inside and answer very politely of course. When I’m asked how many photos a couple will receive after their wedding, it’s an impossible question to answer. When you factor in so many variables such as weather, are we shooting the boys and girls getting ready or just the girls? How is the reception room decorated, is there a band or DJ, what formalities they’re having such as speeches, cake cutting and a first dance, is it a guest list that will get up and boogie or will they mainly stay seated. There are just too many variables to give a straight answer on how many photos you will exactly get after a wedding.

I’ve photographed two 8 hour weddings in a row and come back with vastly different numbers because of a combination of things listed above. One wedding we shot just under 2,000, and the other was just over 1,300.

I’m always wary when I see photographers promising a certain number of photos because there’s a risk that you shoot for the sake of it instead of shooting for the moment. Then at the other end when it comes time to edit, what if you have 1,500 photos and you’ve promised 500. What if there are another 300 good ones that the couple miss out on receiving?

To me, it makes more sense to shoot for the moment on the day and during the editing process, deliver ever shot that is technically correct from a photography point of view, has relevance and is reflective of the day. If I shoot 2,000 images at a wedding and deliver 900 then so be it. I’d far prefer to buy larger USB’s and give a couple as many photos as I can than shoot to a limit and potentially miss out on some gold.

So there you have it, my take on how many photos you get from your wedding.