What to Expect From Your Wedding Photographer (Before, During & After the Big Day)

Joshua Pyram • April 20, 2025

What to Expect From Your Wedding Photographer
(...So you can relax and actually enjoy this whole thing.)

Most couples think hiring a photographer is about photos. It’s not.


It’s about who you trust to be closest to you on one of the most emotional days of your life — and what kind of experience they create around that.


Here’s what working with a great wedding photographer should really feel like.

Before the Wedding: Planning, Not Just Posing

Long before I ever pick up a camera, we’re already building your day together.

We talk about your story, your personalities, your priorities, your venue, your timeline.
We troubleshoot problems before they happen.


We shape the flow of the day so it feels calm instead of chaotic.

  • Timeline guidance & pacing advice
  • Location and lighting planning
  • Understanding your relationship dynamic
  • Communication with planners & vendors
  • Setting expectations early
  • Making sure nothing feels rushed


You should feel supported before the wedding ever arrives.

During the Wedding: Calm in the Chaos

On the wedding day, your photographer becomes part storyteller, part emotional anchor, part air-traffic controller.


My job is to move quietly, notice everything, and keep you grounded when emotions start flying.

  • Guiding without interrupting
  • Protecting your space and time
  • Watching for light and moments
  • Adjusting to anything that changes
  • Keeping the energy calm
  • Making sure you feel seen


If you feel relaxed, your photos will show it.

How Posing Actually Works

You never have to “know what to do.”


I’ll guide you with simple prompts, movement, and small adjustments that feel natural, not robotic.

  • No stiff modeling poses
  • No awkward hands
  • No forced smiles
  • Lots of movement
  • Lots of laughter
  • Lots of real moments


The best photos happen when you forget the camera is even there.

Handling the Emotional Stuff

This day hits harder than most people expect.

Tears, nerves, excitement, overwhelm — it’s all part of it.


A good photographer doesn’t just document those moments… they protect them.

  • Giving you space when you need it
  • Stepping in when you need support
  • Slowing things down
  • Letting moments breathe
  • Staying fully present
  • Making sure you’re okay


Sometimes the most important part of the job doesn’t involve a camera.

After the Wedding: The Story Comes Together

Once the music stops and the dress is hung up, your story is just getting started.


Editing is where the emotional memory of your day takes its final shape.

  • Careful curation of moments
  • Color and tone that feels timeless
  • Story-driven sequencing
  • Protecting the emotional arc
  • Delivering a gallery that feels like your day
  • Creating something you’ll want to revisit forever


These photos become your living memory.

My Final Thoughts

When you hire your wedding photographer, you’re not just hiring someone to take pictures.

You’re choosing who will walk with you through one of the biggest emotional days of your life.


Choose someone who makes you feel safe.
Who listens. Who moves with intention. Who treats your story with care.


That’s the experience I offer every couple I work with.

The Complete Posing Guide for Newly Engaged Couples that "Can't Pose"

By Joshua Pyram • January 6, 2026
If there's one thing I'm always talking with clients about during consultation calls or engagement shoots, its the fear of posing. Instagram, social media, and editorial models can makes us feel like making our bodies look good is a difficult thing. Wrong wrong wrong!! The more you try to create the "perfect pose", the more you lose YOUR MAGIC! So what's YOUR story? This guide is not a list of clunky, robotic, lifeless poses sold to "make your wedding day look perfect". This is for couples who want to be relaxed, and feel natural on their special day, while effortlessly remembering what brought them together... AND THEN AS A RESULT! Drawing us into you. Below are 12 posing principles you can actually use during your engagement session or wedding day .

How to Create a Wedding Timeline That Feels Calm, Not Rushed

By Joshua Pyram • August 20, 2025
Welcome to a photographer’s guide to building a wedding day that actually feels like an awesome vibe, and not a crazy frenzy. So lemme say this now: no one remembers the exact minute the cake was cut. They remember how they felt when they saw each other for the first time. Bing. They remember the deep breath before walking down the aisle. Bang. They remember laughing too hard during cocktail hour and losing track of time on the dance floor. Boom. And all of that starts with your timeline. After photographing many weddings, I’ve learned that the calmest, happiest couples aren’t the ones with the most rigid schedules — they’re the ones whose timeline gives them room to be human, and breathe. Let’s build you that kind of day now.

How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Venue (From a Photographer’s Point of View)

By Joshua Pyram • June 7, 2025
Location Location Location! What most couples overlook — and how it directly affects your wedding photos... After photographing weddings for over two decades, I’ve learned that your venue is more than just a backdrop. It shapes your timeline, your energy, your guest experience… and every single image you’ll take home. From the perspective of an event photographer that also works in concert venues, and Broadway shows, here's how to choose a venue that doesn’t just look beautiful — but works beautifully for your wedding day.