You said your vows, poured a few drinks, threw your shoes off on the dance floor maybe even slept in with a slice of cake for breakfast (as you should) — but for me, the work is just getting started after I hug you goodbye. Once I get home, it's makeup off, sweats on, and time to start turning your wedding day into the gallery you’ll obsess over for years.
From backing up your photos (in like, three places) to culling, editing, and finally delivering your gallery, here’s a little behind-the-scenes peek at how your wedding photos go from memory card to final gallery.
Step 1: Backup
First things first: your photos get backed up the second I walk through the door. The camera I use has dual card slots so photos are automatically saved to two cards simultaneously (aka: your images are already backed up while I’m shooting), and when I get home, I copy everything onto:
- My main working hard drive
- A cloud backup for extra safety
- Memory card gets labeled with the couple's name and put it in my drawer where it stays until the final gallery has been delivered
I don’t play around when it comes to protecting your memories 💪🏼
Step 2: Pre-Cull & Sneak Peeks
First thing Monday after a wedding, I dive into what I call my “first round cull” — basically just a super quick pass through alllllllll of the photos (often 5,000+ 😮💨) to get ready to edit sneak peeks. This isn’t the full sort-through yet, just a way to get my eyes on what we captured throughout the day and reduce the photo count enough to move quickly through sneaks.
I run everything through Aftershoot using the strictest settings to cut down the extras. Then I import the selects into Lightroom, build smart previews, and start popping through to all the key moments:
- Details
- First look
- Portraits
- Friends & family
- Walk down the aisle
- First kiss
- Golden hour
- First dances
- Dance floor energy
I pull about 50+ favorites, give them a quick edit, and send them off to you — usually within a couple days of the wedding. That way, you’ve got gorgeous sneak peeks to share (or just obsess over privately) while I take my time to slowly pore over your gallery and perfect the final.
Step 3: Prep for Outsourcing
Once I’ve sent off the sneak peeks, I'll go ahead and prep the catalog for outsourcing the next cull. Here’s that process:
- Import all RAW files to Lightroom & create smart previews on import
- Export the catalog with smart, zip it, and upload it to Dropbox for my team to assist with the final selection.
Side note: I hateeee culling and outsourcing this step to someone I TRUST has been life-changing!
Step 4: Catalog Prep
Once the culled catalog comes back, I jump into organizing everything before I start editing. If you're into the behind-the-scenes stuff, I’ve got a blog post that dives deeper into how I structure my catalogs — but here’s the quick version: I break the gallery into chunks which helps me edit more efficiently (and gives me little wins along the way).
Step 5: Final Edit
Now, the real magic happens — editing! I hand-edit every single image for color, light, mood, and consistency — nothing overly filtered, just that glowy, true-to-life vibe that makes your photos timeless. My editing style is crisp, a hint warm, and with a little edge when it fits the vibe.
I always start editing with the reception — IMHO it's one of the most challenging parts of the day due to lighting changes and the extra effort it takes to create a cohesive "story". Reception photos don’t always happen in a tidy, chronological order (sometimes I’m snapping a detail like the bar sign as I’m walking out), so I always spend time arranging them in a way that feels intentional and narrative-driven.
I cull and export as I go to stay organized and keep things moving. On average, I spend about 20-30 hours editing a wedding, but it totally depends on how many masks, touch-ups and background removals are needed. Some days all the conditions come together perfectly and editing is a breeze, other days might take a little more TLC — but I always take the time to make sure everything looks its best!
Step 6: Gallery Delivery
Once your gallery is fully edited and ready to go, I’ll upload everything to an easy-to-navigate online gallery where you can download, share, and relive your day. You’ll have access to:
- A simple URL to share with friends and family
- Photos protected by a secure download PIN
- High-resolution images for printing
- Web-sized versions perfect for social media
- A built-in print shop for ordering and framing your favorites
And of course, I’ll be sure to let you know the moment it’s ready so you can dive in and start reliving the magic right away!
Final Thoughts
Your gallery is always designed to reflect how your day truly felt — capturing both the big moments and the little details that might’ve been missed in the excitement. As you go through your photos, I hope they bring those emotions back and allow you to experience your day from a new perspective, perhaps even noticing moments you didn’t catch at the time.
It’s a privilege to be able to tell the story of your wedding day through my work, and I’m always grateful for the opportunity to capture these memories.
