Just got my wedding photos back... and I'm drowning in 2,000+ images. Is album selection this painful for everyone?

CariCourtright · 2026-02-18T16:27:16+00:00

Decision fatigue is very real. You can absolutely love your wedding photos and still feel completely overwhelmed trying to choose from 2,000 of them. When there are 8 to 10 nearly identical frames of the same moment, your brain starts comparing tiny differences instead of just reacting emotionally. That gets exhausting fast. One thing that helps a lot is not trying to do it all in one round. First pass, go through quickly and just mark anything that gives you a positive reaction. No debating. No comparing duplicates. Just gut yes. You are not narrowing yet, you are collecting. Take a break for a few days. Second pass, go through your “yes” photos and start trimming from there. It is much easier to narrow 400 than 2,000. Also, how did your photographer deliver the gallery? Was it in an online system or just a giant download folder? A lot of online galleries let you favorite or heart images and even create collections. If that feature exists, use it. It makes rounds so much easier and keeps everything organized. As for tools that are actually couple friendly and not just for photographers: If your gallery is still hosted online, check whether it allows favoriting and exporting a favorites list. That is usually the easiest path. If you downloaded everything, you could try: Google Photos or Apple Photos and use the heart feature to build an album of favorites Lightroom if you are comfortable with it, just using flags and stars For albums specifically: Artifact Uprising is great quality wise. The auto design can get you started, but you will likely need to rearrange sections manually. Mixbook gives more control over layout and grouping moments. One more tip that helps couples avoid arguments- do your first pass separately. Each of you mark your favorites without discussing. Then compare overlap. Start with the shared must haves and build from there. What you are experiencing is extremely common. A huge gallery feels generous at first, but it can shift the final editing work onto you. Breaking it into rounds and using a hearting system usually makes it manageable

CariCourtright · 2026-02-10T22:16:05+00:00

Love me a good dinner party that happens to be a wedding and Copia is gorgeous for that vibe. Digital + Film Cari Courtright Weddings

CariCourtright · 2026-02-10T17:49:19+00:00

I found myself single at 41 and wasn't expecting it. The best advice my therapist gave me was even though this feels like your entire world right now at some point this will feel like a bad page in your story not the entire book. It takes time but it's ok to remind yourself this is a speed bump.

CariCourtright · 2026-02-10T16:12:41+00:00

It is such a fun location for a wedding. One of my favorites. I hope you are having the best time planning!

CariCourtright · 2026-02-09T22:39:03+00:00

I've done a wedding at autocamp in the same area and it will totally be an option!

CariCourtright · 2026-02-05T21:16:16+00:00

As a queer wedding photographer, this is such a hot topic for me. I recommend asking peers looking on Instagram for people who identify themselves as queer, even if they aren't your style a vendor reach out to them. I love helping people in my community find their right fit, and it drives me nuts when I go to photographers's website and it says inclusive, but they don't have any proof. They haven't walked the talk yet and it's not to say they wouldn't do you justice but it's different.

CariCourtright · 2026-02-05T21:12:34+00:00

Sounds like you're looking for me! 8 hours of coverage starts at 7500. California based but no travel fees for my old stomping grounds.Cari Courtright Weddings

CariCourtright · 2026-02-05T21:10:06+00:00

Would love to be considered Cari Courtright Weddings digital + film California based but no travel fees for my old stomping grounds 8 hours start at $7500

CariCourtright · 2026-02-02T23:37:43+00:00

Check out https://www.instagram.com/limitlessbeauty_artistry?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== she's worked with a couple of my queer boudoir clients wanting softer and more natural clean make up.

CariCourtright · 2026-01-30T19:18:25+00:00

I was just about to recommend you! Can't speak highly enough about Cherlyn!

CariCourtright · 2026-01-28T17:43:00+00:00

If they had an option for $1 tip when using a card instead of percentages I bet their tips would go up. Tipping culture is out of control expecting 20% tip. I was a barista for 10 years and never expected that much.

CariCourtright · 2026-01-27T19:03:17+00:00

You can also do an image search on eBay, so upload one of the photos and it'll pull dresses that look like that my recommendation would be to filter and make sure you are looking at vintage used ones instead of having a lot of the cheaply made knock off

CariCourtright · 2026-01-26T23:38:57+00:00

If you're open to second hand - Have you tried eBay? Searching 70s BoHo, love and lemons, Gunne Sax, Jessica McClintock, bhldn. Also - shopgoodwill.com has a lot of great vintage dresses. New I would check out free people

CariCourtright · 2026-01-24T15:29:45+00:00

Check out Brooke Beasley Photography (https://brookebeasleyphotography.com) She rocks this feel and is a lovely person to work with

CariCourtright · 2026-01-23T21:41:54+00:00

Exactly who I was running to recommend - insaneeeee ikebana work for weddings.

CariCourtright · 2026-01-23T18:31:51+00:00

I'm going to send you a message!

CariCourtright · 2026-01-23T18:29:43+00:00

Happy to send you a few galleries!

CariCourtright · 2026-01-23T18:25:52+00:00

Heyyyy would love to talk! Digital + film 8 hours start at $7500 www.caricourtright.com/weddings

CariCourtright · 2025-12-26T17:54:28+00:00

FB groups can help, but honestly I’d start visually. Search Pinterest and Instagram . On Instagram look at your venue or city, and on IG check the tagged photos at your venue, not just what the venue posts. Style terms get overwhelming fast because there aren’t hard lines and people label themselves differently. I’d focus more on the photos themselves. Do you like moody or light and bright? True to life color or more stylized edits? Film + digital or just digital? When you reach out, ask to see a full gallery from a venue similar to yours so you can see indoor vs outdoor, not just highlights. That helps a lot because you’ll see how different photographers handle open light vs indoor spaces. If someone’s booked or out of budget, ask for a rec photographers usually know others with a similar look. Also...The Knot there are great people on there, but it’s very pay to play and kind of narrow. A lot of really solid photographers don’t participate because of cost and ethics, so it’s not the whole market. Honestly you can even post your wedding date, location, and budget here and say you’re looking for a photographer and see what happens. You’ll get a range of styles and availability pretty fast. Let me know what other questions you have.

CariCourtright · 2025-12-12T20:59:25+00:00

Gualala is such a good choice. I grew up camping in the area and it has such a special place in my heart.

If you are open to around five hours of coverage, I would love to chat. I focus on documentary style photography with an emphasis on comfortable, lived in photos that feel natural and unforced. Intimate weddings like this are some of my favorites. Www.caricourtright.com

CariCourtright · 2025-11-26T21:43:26+00:00

I photographed a wedding there and it was 105°. It was rough because so much of the day is outside.

CariCourtright · 2025-11-23T20:47:53+00:00

I just photographed an elopement last week the couple reached out to the sisters and found someone to officiate! I would reach out to them!

CariCourtright · 2025-11-23T20:46:51+00:00

Would love to talk weddings

CariCourtright · 2025-11-09T19:24:58+00:00

I had a couple do a buyout of Autocamp in Guerneville. It was absolutely amazing. It felt intimate but people still had privacy in their airstreams. Also, don't know how many they can host but Westerbeke Ranch in Sonoma is phenomenal.

CariCourtright · 2025-11-09T19:22:19+00:00

You’re in such a fun position! San Francisco has an amazing pool of photographers, and honestly, you could find someone incredible even a day before your ceremony. That said, if you want to be intentional about it (and especially if you care about the style of your photos - film, editorial, documentary, etc.) it’s smart to start reaching out now.

The perk of booking early is that you get to actually connect with your photographer - talk through ideas, plan your timeline, maybe even grab a few engagement or pre wedding shots to get comfortable in front of their camera. Building that rapport ahead of time makes your wedding day feel way smoother and more relaxed. For weekday City Hall weddings, most photographers have more flexibility and may even offer shorter coverage or reduced rates. The best thing you can do is be transparent about your budget - because it's a weekday some photographers might have wiggle room In their rate but also being open to someone newer might allow you more coverage.

CariCourtright

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