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The photos that are delivered are chosen by the photographer. That is how it usually works at a wedding. Between 4,000 and 6,000 photos are taken over the course of the day. Afterwards, someone has to go through them one by one, delete the duplicates and the ones that don't meet a minimum standard of quality, and keep the ones that tell the story of the day well. That work is done by the person who took them. Some photographers say it is the longest part of the whole job. The couple don't receive thousands of untouched photos. They receive the selection, already edited. Before the wedding, the couple do have plenty of say: which people and which moments must not be missed. And then there is the album, if there is one. Here, each photographer works in their own way. Some let the couple choose from all the photos delivered. Others choose them themselves, prepare the design and send a PDF so the couple can ask for changes: adding a photo, removing another or swapping one for a different one.
Why the number of photos varies so much
This question tends to come up when a couple are comparing photographers and see very different figures in each proposal. One mentions around 500 photos. Another, close to 1,000. Another offers a package with 1,500. Those figures have a lot to do with how the photos are selected. Some photographers count almost all of their photos as good, while others go over each one with a fine-tooth comb and discard quite a few. No figure is good or bad in itself. It depends on each photographer's style. Even so, one photographer puts it plainly: beyond around 500 photos, the collection can start to feel overwhelming. With more than 1,000, it's hard to sit down one afternoon and look through them all. And if the couple have to choose the album photos from more than 1,000, the task can be very stressful.
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Making sure no one important is missed
It also comes up with couples who worry that someone will be missing from the photos. It might be a grandmother, the friend travelling from far away or the cousins' table. That isn't fixed at the end, when the photos are already being chosen. It's fixed beforehand, by talking it through. A photographer who knows the couple knows who to look out for during the day. At a wedding of 150 guests or more, a second photographer is usually recommended, which means there are more photos of guests and family to choose from. If the couple are getting ready in different places, it also helps to have a photographer with each of them.
Who we are
Evan & Natalia Simon do photography and video in Gijón and across the rest of Asturias. They work with couples, at carefully chosen weddings, and with brands and companies. Whether at a wedding or an event, the underlying question is the same: who decides what stays and what doesn't.
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What to ask before signing
The next step is to ask before you sign anything. Who chooses the photos you will receive? Will you be able to give your opinion on the album photos, or does the photographer choose them and show you a proof? Roughly how many photos will you receive? Whatever they tell you, it's best to have it written into the contract, including the number of photos. In the meantime, it's worth making a short list of the people and moments that really matter to you. It doesn't need to be long. It just needs to be yours, so you can give it to the photographer a few weeks before the wedding.
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