Your wedding might be over, but there's a good reason I don't make you wait weeks to see your first photographs.
There's something I've always found rather amusing about weddings. Couples can spend months, sometimes years, organising every little detail of their day, from choosing the venue and arranging the flowers to deciding what everybody is going to eat, but once the wedding itself arrives, the whole thing seems to disappear in the blink of an eye.
One minute you're getting ready, wondering whether everybody is going to arrive on time, and the next you're married, the speeches are finished and somebody's trying to persuade the last few guests that the evening really is coming to an end.
And somewhere amongst all that excitement, there's usually one thing couples are desperate to see as soon as possible.
Their wedding photographs.
Having photographed weddings across North Yorkshire and the North East for almost two decades, I completely understand that excitement, which is why I've made something quite important part of the service I offer through Discovery Photography.
I aim to get your social media previews to you within 24 hours of your wedding, and whenever possible, I like to have them ready that very same evening.
It might seem like a relatively small thing, particularly when there's an entire wedding gallery still to come, but I think those first few photographs can make an enormous difference.
Your Wedding Doesn't Finish When I Put My Cameras Away
By the time I've finished photographing a wedding, packed away my equipment and driven home, there's a fairly good chance I've been on my feet for most of the day. Depending on the wedding, I might have spent eight or ten hours photographing everything from the morning preparations through to the evening celebrations, so you'd probably imagine that my first priority when I get home would be putting my feet up and finding something to eat.
And I won't pretend that isn't an attractive idea occasionally!
However, before anything else happens, there's something considerably more important that needs doing, and that's making sure all the photographs I've taken throughout the day are safely backed up.
Wedding photographs are irreplaceable, and protecting them is something I take extremely seriously. Once I'm home, I transfer the images from my memory cards and make sure they're safely backed up before I begin working through them.
Only then can I start looking at which photographs I'd like to share as a preview of the day.
Now, a full wedding can involve taking a considerable number of photographs, and working through them properly is something that takes time. I'm not going to sit there after a long wedding and attempt to edit the entire gallery before going to bed, because that wouldn't be particularly sensible for me or fair to the couple.
What I will do, however, is select a handful of photographs that give an early glimpse of the wedding, edit them carefully and prepare them for sharing.
Usually that means around seven or eight photographs, although the exact selection depends on the wedding itself and what I feel best represents the day.
Those First Few Photographs Are Rather Special
I think there's something lovely about seeing photographs from your wedding while the excitement is still fresh in everybody's mind.
Perhaps you're sitting at home the following morning, still trying to take in everything that happened the day before, or maybe you're enjoying a quiet moment together after finally getting a little peace and quiet. Either way, seeing those first photographs gives you the opportunity to revisit some of what happened before the full collection is ready.
Quite often, you'll find yourselves looking at something you barely remember happening, particularly if it was one of those moments when there was so much going on around you that you didn't really have an opportunity to take everything in.
You might see a photograph of the ceremony, a lovely portrait of the two of you, or perhaps one of your guests doing something that you completely missed at the time.
That's one of the things I enjoy most about wedding photography, because although I spend a lot of time concentrating on what the couple are doing, I'm also constantly looking around to see what everybody else is getting up to.
There's no way I could possibly show everything from a wedding in seven or eight photographs, but that's not what the preview is intended to do.
It's simply a first look at your day, a little reminder of how everything felt and something to enjoy while I get on with preparing the rest of your photographs.
Why I Like Sharing social media previews So Quickly
Another thing I've noticed over the years is how much enjoyment wedding photographs can bring to the people who were there, particularly when they're shared shortly after the celebrations.
Your friends and family have probably spent the previous day taking photographs on their phones, chatting about the ceremony and enjoying themselves, and by the following morning there's usually a fair amount of conversation about what a wonderful day everybody had.
When the first professional photographs appear, it's another opportunity for people to relive some of those moments together.
I've seen social media previews attract lovely messages from guests, family members and other people involved in the day, and it's always nice to see just how much enjoyment a few photographs can create.
Recently, I've been photographing weddings at Grand Villa Heights in Ravenscar, including Joe and Leah's wedding and Michael and Kealeigh's celebrations, and both provided plenty of wonderful moments to share. With those spectacular views across Robin Hood's Bay, along with everything happening inside the venue, there was no shortage of opportunities to capture something interesting.
But the same applies wherever I'm photographing a wedding, whether it's Rushpool Hall, Grinkle Park Hotel, Danby Castle Barn or somewhere completely different.
It's not necessarily the grandest photograph or the most dramatic setting that gets people talking. Sometimes it's simply a lovely photograph of two people enjoying themselves, or a moment involving somebody's family that brings back a particularly happy memory.
And that's really the point of sharing those photographs so quickly.
While everybody is still talking about the wedding, it's rather nice to be able to give them something else to smile about.
Your social media previews aren’t the Finished Wedding Gallery
Something I think is worth explaining is that the photographs you see within the first 24 hours are a preview, rather than a rushed version of your completed wedding gallery.
There's a considerable difference between preparing a small selection of carefully edited photographs and completing the full collection from an entire wedding.
Every wedding I photograph has its own lighting conditions, challenges and little details that need attention during the editing process. Some photographs might need relatively straightforward adjustments, while others require considerably more time to make sure everything looks the way I want it to.
I take a lot of pride in the finished photographs I deliver, and I'm not interested in rushing through an entire wedding simply because everybody would understandably like to see their pictures as quickly as possible.
Your full gallery deserves the time and attention necessary to do it properly, and that's exactly what I give it.
The preview is something separate, intended to give you an early look at your photographs without compromising the care that goes into the finished collection.
In fact, I quite like the idea that couples can enjoy those first few images almost immediately and then have something else to look forward to when the complete gallery is ready.
It's Something I've Chosen to Make Part of My Wedding Photography Service
Over the years, I've changed quite a few things about how I run Discovery Photography, partly because technology has improved and partly because experience teaches you what works well for your clients.
Cameras have changed, editing software has improved enormously and the way people share photographs is very different from when I first started photographing weddings.
But one thing hasn't changed, and that's how much photographs mean to the people receiving them.
For me, providing an early preview isn't simply another opportunity to put some pictures on Facebook or Instagram, although naturally it's lovely when people enjoy seeing them there. It's about giving couples something back from a day they've spent so much time planning, while the memories and excitement are still fresh.
Of course, there are occasions when getting home from a wedding involves a particularly long journey, or when I've got another wedding to photograph shortly afterwards, and that's why I allow up to 24 hours rather than promising that every preview will appear before midnight.
Nevertheless, whenever it's practical, I prefer to get those first few photographs ready as soon as I can.
After all, I've just spent the day photographing two people celebrating one of the most important occasions of their lives, surrounded by the people who mean the most to them.
It seems only right that they should get to enjoy a little of what I've captured without having to wait too long.
Your Wedding Photography Should Be Something You Enjoy From the Very Beginning
When couples are choosing their wedding photographer, it's only natural that most of their attention goes towards the photographs themselves. They'll look through galleries, compare styles, explore different venues and hopefully find somebody whose approach feels right for their wedding.
But I think the experience surrounding the photography matters too, from those first conversations about your plans through to the wedding itself and eventually receiving your finished photographs.
That's something I've always tried to keep in mind with Discovery Photography, because I don't want wedding photography to feel complicated or unnecessarily formal.
I want couples to feel comfortable with me, enjoy having their photographs taken and know that everything is being looked after properly, both during their wedding and afterwards.
And if I can give them a little collection of lovely photographs to enjoy the very next day, then I think that's a pretty good way to begin the final part of that experience.
Your full wedding gallery might take a little longer to prepare, but those first few memories don't need to.
Looking for a Wedding Photographer in North Yorkshire or the North East?
My approach is relaxed and natural, allowing couples to enjoy their wedding day while I concentrate on capturing everything happening around them, from the important moments during the ceremony to the laughter, celebrations and unexpected little things that make every wedding different.
If you're planning your wedding at Rushpool Hall, Grinkle Park Hotel, Danby Castle Barn, Grand Villa Heights or another venue across the region, I'd love to hear what you've got planned.
You're always welcome to get in touch for a friendly conversation about your wedding photography, find out more about how I work or check whether I'm available for your date.
And hopefully, once your own wedding day arrives, you'll have your first few photographs to enjoy before you've even finished telling everybody what a wonderful time you had.
Check My Availability for Your Grand Villa Heights Wedding - Call | Text | WhatsApp - 07739121743 | Email
