A photographer and BOLI Preferred Vendor explains what brides can expect when receiving their photos.
(Photo courtesy of Ken Hild Photography)
Working with so many vendors throughout your planning process, it’s easy for expectations to get mixed up – before, during and after your wedding day.
That’s why we’re launching a new Brides of Long Island series designed to help couples understand what each vendor actually does, how their process works and what you can expect from start to finish.
First up? Photographers — the one vendor you’ll continue working with long after the last song plays. Ken Hild, of BOLI Preferred Vendor Ken Hild Photography, puts it this way: “Your wedding photos are one of the only things that actually increase in value over time.”
Below, we break down a few key things to expect when hiring your wedding photographer, so you feel confident, informed,and excited about the memories they’ll capture.
Difference Between Raw Images, Standard Edits and Advanced Retouching
A common point of confusion for brides is what they’ll actually receive when their wedding photos are delivered. While some expect raw images, Hild explains that raw files aren’t meant to be shared. “Think of a raw file as all of the ingredients before a meal is cooked,” he says. “It’s a file for me to work with, but it’s not meant to be delivered to our couples.”
What you should expect is a full gallery of professionally edited images. These edits are the foundation of every photographer’s workflow. “I’m always adjusting color, exposure, contrast, making sure skin tones look natural,” Hild says. “I want to make sure the entire gallery feels consistent from beginning to end.”
Advanced retouching, however, is a different level of work. This is where photographers remove objects from the background, fix distractions or make more detailed adjustments. And while it may seem like a quick fix, it often isn’t. “Sometimes one photo can take 30 minutes to an hour to work on,” Hild explains. “It’s Photoshop work, not regular editing.”
When your wedding day is over, you can expect a curated gallery of fully edited images that tell the story of your day — all those “blink‑and‑you‑miss‑them” moments preserved beautifully and intentionally.
Realistic Turnaround Times
We get it! Waiting for your wedding photos can feel torturous. Most photographers know couples are eager to relive the day, which is why many send sneak peeks as soon as they can. “I know couples are excited,” says Hild. “That’s why I always try to get those sneak peeks out as quickly as we can.”
But when it comes to your full gallery, the process is much more involved. Between two photographers, there can easily be more than 5,000 images captured throughout the day. “I go through every single one,” Hild explains. “I pick the strongest moments, remove duplicates and individually edit every image that makes it into your final gallery.”
That level of care takes time, and it’s meant to. Your photographer can give you a general estimate of when your gallery will be ready, but quality always comes first. As Hild explains, “I’d much rather deliver something you’re going to love for the rest of your life than rush it out just to hit a specific date.”
The Human Touch Behind the Technology
AI has become a helpful tool for many photographers, streamlining parts of the workflow like organizing images or speeding up basic edits. And while those efficiencies matter, they’re only one small piece of the process. “Technology has made our jobs easier in a lot of ways. We use tools that help us work more efficiently,” says Hild.
But the heart of wedding photography will always be human. “The best photographs aren’t created by software,” Hild says. “They’re created because someone knows when dad is about to tear up walking his daughter down the aisle … or notices grandma quietly holding your hand during dinner … or knows when to step back and let a real moment happen.” That intuition — the ability to read people, anticipate emotion and make couples feel comfortable — is something no computer can replicate.
“You’re not hiring me because I own a nice camera,” Hild adds. “You’re hiring me because I know people.” AI can assist with the technical side, but the connection, the presence and the storytelling are what make your wedding photos feel alive. Without that human element, something essential is missing.
Hiring your wedding photographer is so much more than choosing someone with a great portfolio. It’s choosing the person who will preserve the moments you’ll treasure for a lifetime. From understanding what goes into editing, to knowing why turnaround times vary, to appreciating the human intuition behind every image, the process is built on care, experience, and connection.
Technology can help streamline the process, but it’s the photographer’s experience, intuition and connection with you that brings those moments to life. When you hire your photographer, you’re investing in someone who sees your story unfolding in real time and knows exactly how to capture it. And that’s something no software can replicate.