When I first started my photography business after I had finished editing my couples’ wedding photos I would put them in their online gallery. From there they could download their images and take them anywhere they want and have them printed or not. I thought to myself this is awesome I am helping my couples receive amazing photos and allowing them to print where ever they wanted. There was no limit to where they could print that is awesome service, or so I thought.

I have since come to my senses. And here is how!

The album building session. I invite my couples over to see their wedding images for the first time. I provide beverages and snacks, and I create a slide show for them to view.

Now, I do this for two reasons.

1. I love seeing my couples reactions to their images. I get to see them relive their day in a way that I never got to before. Prior to the building sessions, I would send them their gallery and say how did you like them, everyone would always come back and say “they are so great we loved them so much”, but I didn’t get to see their reactions and I didn’t get to relive this amazing time with these people that I have come to know and have spent time with on one of the most important parts of their lives. So somewhat selfishly I love having my couples over to show them their images for the first time.
2. To present. I love to show my couples possibilities. Different things that can be done with their images, on a pro level. I also display some of my favorite images so they can buy them if they want, but more importantly so they can see, touch, even hold there images they are framed and matted at a professional level by myself. I love the ability to print my own images and I love that my couples can see their images on the wall as soon as they come in. I hope this helps them to choose different ways to bring their images to life.

I feel like this is more of a service to my couples.

I am never ever salesy when it comes to what I am showing. Do I want my couples to get their images printed? Yes! If they don’t what will they do with them? But, I would rather my couples walk away with their memories and an incredible product they love than spend a bunch of money and feel nothing but regret. I never want their wedding moments tied to a negative feeling, they should love their album, print, or etc as much as they love each other. Because that is what they are looking at each other.