From “I Do” to “All Done” in 48 Hours – Ayanna & Jerry’s Wedding
Some weddings just have a magic about them — and Ayanna & Jerry’s day was exactly that.
The love, the laughter, the little looks they gave each other… it all had this easy flow that made the whole day feel like it was meant to be.
From the first click of the shutter to the last dance, the day was perfect.
And between me and my second shooter, Nina, we were in it.
By the end of the night? We had about 10,000 photos.
Yes. Ten thousand. And no, that’s not a typo.
A Wedding That Didn’t Wait for the Camera
The morning started like every great wedding day — a flurry of details, hair, makeup, ties, and “Where did I put my…?” moments.
Jerry was calm but focused. Ayanna? She had that glow that comes when you know the day you’ve been planning has finally arrived.
Nina and I were bouncing between rooms, covering both sides of the story. She’d call out, “Got it!” from the groomsmen’s side while I was in the bridal suite, catching the exact moment Ayanna’s daughter clasped her necklace.
At one point, I looked over and Nina just gave me that “Don’t worry, I’ve got it” look and kept going.
The Moment That Stuck with Me
The ceremony wasn’t just beautiful — it was alive.
Jerry’s eyes watered when he saw Ayanna walk down the aisle.
I’m telling you, those are the moments you can’t stage.
The Morning After
Most people might take a day to recover. I don’t.
I woke up, grabbed a big mug of coffee, and got to work — because momentum matters.
The fresher the story is in my head, the more natural the edits feel.
Step 1 – Photo Mechanic: Metadata & Tagging
My first stop was Photo Mechanic.
This is where I apply my metadata to every image — copyright info, keywords, and tagging so the entire set is organized before I even start culling or editing.
When you’re working on thousands of images, good metadata isn’t just neat — it’s essential for finding and sorting shots quickly.
Step 2 – AfterShoot: Smart Culling
Once everything was tagged, I moved to AfterShoot for AI-assisted culling.
This is where I let the software help me weed out blinks, near-duplicates, and shots that don’t quite hit the mark, while keeping the best versions of each moment.
It doesn’t replace my eye — I still review the selections — but it turns 10,000 images into a much more workable number in a fraction of the time it would take manually.
Step 3 – Capture One: The Real Creative Work
Once the selects were locked in, it was time for Capture One — the heart of my editing process.
This is where I bring the story to life:
Fine-tuning colors so they feel true to the day.
Perfecting skin tones for a natural, flattering look.
Balancing light and shadow so every detail is clear but still feels atmospheric.
By the time I was done, the 10,000 images had been culled down to a 2,500-images in a final gallery, fully polished and delivered in just 48 hours.
Fun Fact: The Same-Day Instax & Canvas Surprise
The reception was buzzing — glasses clinking, music flowing, and the kind of laughter that fills a room and lingers in the air. I slipped over to Ayanna and Jerry with something in my hand.
First, I pulled out a small stack of Fujifilm Instax prints — fresh, warm-from-the-camera moments from earlier in the day. Ayanna’s eyes lit up as she held them, her fingers tracing over the edges. Jerry leaned in, smiling, as they flipped through the little snapshots, pointing out details, reliving moments that had already started to feel like a blur. Family and friends leaned closer, curious, drawn into the tiny windows of their day.
Then I told them I had one more thing.
From behind my chair, I lifted out a large canvas print — a portrait I had taken of them just hours before. The room seemed to pause for a second as they realized what it was. Jerry’s eyes went wide, and his jaw dropped slightly. Ayanna’s mouth opened into that big, joyful laugh that seemed to pull everyone around her into the moment.
The guests erupted — clapping, cheering, phones up, capturing their reaction. They stood there together, side by side, holding that canvas, not just seeing a photograph, but feeling their day crystallized into something tangible.
Jerry asked how I did it? And I just said “It’s magic!”
And that’s the part I’ll always remember — the way a single photograph can stop time for just long enough to make you feel the whole day all over again.
10,000 photos → 2,500 final images → 48 hours.
Plus, a same-day Instax gift and a canvas reveal they’ll never forget.
If you’re getting married and want a photographer who captures everything and delivers it while the glow is still in the air — with a few surprises along the way — you know where to find me.