Stop Doing It The Way Everyone Else Does - This One Thing Will Put Your Wedding Business Ahead of Everyone

[Read Time < 7 minutes]

Quick note before we get started.

This was one of the very first things I noticed many years ago that my fellow wedding photographers were NOT capitalizing on.

This was well over 20 years ago, and although I mentioned it to a few close colleagues, it seems they neglected to take this to heart and implement it.

This is a shame because if there's one thing I discovered about wedding photographers is that they are extremely competitive.

I know I sure was, and I used this knowledge to great advantage over my fellow photographers.

Now that I'm semi-retired from weddings, my competitive spirit moves in other ways. So, with that in mind, let's get to it!

Embracing "The Glow"

The wedding is over! The couple has left, and you've said your goodbyes to the families and thanked them for "allowing you to be a part of such a great day." Feel free to borrow this line - just say it like you mean it.

You're lugging your gear back to your car, a bit too dehydrated, a bit too hopped up on sweets, and thinking about nothing except getting home and getting your shoes off.

While you're driving, I want you to consider this.

The couple has just completed one of the most challenging parts of their relationship - The Wedding Day.

Now they are off (hopefully) to spend some much-earned downtime with each other and reminisce about this great day.

I call this The Glow.

Everything is nice during The Glow. Sure, they'll inevitably reflect on the hiccups and goof-ups, but The Glow is a time of relief and excitement. They did something great, and The Glow is a time to bask in that warmth.

What does this have to do with you?

It's your job to deliver their wedding photos WHILE your couple is still in The Glow.

The Glow lasts two weeks with a honeymoon and about nine days without one.

Your assessment on the drive home should be, "What do I need to do to get my photos edited and processed while they are still in The Glow?"

But what happens if you miss The Glow?

I get it, you might be a "part-time" professional at the moment and headed to your full-time job on Monday.

This is the reality of most wedding photographers starting out, but let's look at another reality.

I don't paint, but I can paint you a picture of a situation.

Your couple gets back, unpacks, gets themselves situated in the new place that belongs to both of them now, and are starting married life.

They've opened all the wedding gifts, got excited about all their new toys, returned some and found a home for the keepers in their newlywed abode.

Their vacation is over, and now it's time to go back to work.

In the evenings, they start on their thank-you notes. They finish those, finally decorate their new place, and now it's time to discover who owns the remote.

They start getting on a new series one weekend, and six episodes in (approximately four weeks from the day they exchanged vows), they get an email from you saying, "Hey, your photos are ready!"

Are they still in The Glow? Nope.

Are they still excited to see the photos? Of course, but LIFE has started for them.

Work is back, and they've already rolled the dice a few times, spun the wheel, and moved around the board (they're playing The Game of Life, if you didn't catch the reference).

Their wedding photos are a bonus at this point - a great bonus, but still a bonus.

For the last month, they've learned to live without them. Considering how much time, effort, blood, sweat, and possibly tears you've invested into these photos, that's not good for either of you.

These photos represent a day in their past. That's NOT the way to embrace The Glow.

A phrase comes to mind straight from the business world...Speed to Market.

It means the speed you can get something from concept into your customer's hands.

In this case, "the concept" is their wedding day photos.

Sure, they're tucked safely in your computer after downloading them from your media cards (before you go to bed on the night of the wedding, right? Right?!), but that's not where they belong.

Get your work to your customers as quickly as possible.

Back when I attended WPPI regularly, I asked dozens of photographers from coast to coast how long it took them to deliver their photos to their clients, and the vast majority of them said the same thing...four weeks.

FOUR WEEKS!

I'm sorry, but by that time, The Glow is long gone.

This is where you need to make some decisions about how you do business.

If it takes a month to process all of your wedding photos, you need to look into some photo processing outsourcing options. They're out there, and even AI options are in the mix.

If this is not an option because of finances, I get it. What can you do?

If you know you will exceed my personally stated, semi-standard two-week timeframe of The Glow, let's find a way to extend the time until you can get everything done.

Perhaps a slideshow with their photos put to a favorite song? Social media shareables? You bet!

Be creative, but don't ignore the importance of The Glow.

You have the power (and it's power, believe me) to extend The Glow for about 4-7 additional days.

But is The Glow really that important?

Yes, it is, and I'll tell you why - all business here.

When you extend this time, you keep your couple in a place of good decision-making about what comes next.

Planning on selling a Wedding Album?

The Glow will help make that purchase go SO much easier.

Trying to sell a sofa-sized photo of them you took during the Magic Hour with the waves crashing over the rocks behind them (even though they were married in a church miles from the nearest beach)?

The Glow is the time to pitch those lofty ideas and add the polished cherry on top of the magnificent sundae you created.

I've seen what it looks like when couples drift out of The Glow - it's not pretty.

I know a couple who hired someone else to shoot their wedding (I was not available), and it took four weeks before they saw their photos.

The couple drifted out of The Glow without seeing a single wedding photo. Yes, they loved their photos once they arrived, but they missed that magical period of experiencing what that day "felt" like shortly after the wedding.

My recommendation: Do whatever you can to embrace The Glow.

Like a nice hug, everyone will benefit from its warmth.

If you're struggling with your "processing process," please reach out to me. You can add a comment below or shoot me an email directly at [email protected].

I'm putting together some resources to help, but I'd happily share what I have with you before I unveil them.