Seth Cartwright Photography and Video

Recently got two 0% interest credit cards so I could feed my habit 😂 it’s not my fault, at least it’s not drugs or something!

Some couples think they hired a dream team when they really hired a middleman.

You’re not just hiring a portfolio. You’re hiring the person who has to show up, communicate clearly, handle pressure, and protect moments that can’t be repeated.

The problem is that some wedding companies look polished on the front end, but outsource the actual wedding day to photographers or videographers you’ve never built a relationship with. And when that happens, the biggest risk isn’t style. It’s lack of connection, communication, care, and accountability.

I know this because I’ve worked for these companies and worked with the other shooters who work in these companies. For some of those outsourced shooters, it’s within the first ten weddings they’ve ever shot.

The pursuit for most couples is simple: they want beautiful photos, yes—but they also want trust, clarity, and the confidence that the person documenting their day is fully invested in them.

That’s why hiring directly matters.

When you work with a wedding photographer who owns their own business, you know who you’re talking to, who’s planning with you, who understands your priorities, and who is responsible when the timeline shifts or the pressure is on.

Not to mention someone who has backups and safety nets established for even the simplest things:
Extra Batteries
Extra memory cards
BACKUP CAMERAS
Safe storage systems for memory cards and backups for your photos AFTER the wedding
Backup plans in case of emergency like illnesses
Second shooters they work with regularly who know the expectations
Proper lighting equipment and backups
This stuff doesn’t seem to matter until something goes wrong and there’s no backup plan

Your wedding deserves more than great branding.
It deserves real care.

If you’re planning your wedding, ask this before you book:
Who is actually showing up on the day?

Send this to someone choosing their wedding photographer.

Recently a friend of mine started planning their wedding and told me “I really want to invite more people, but then it won’t feel intimate right?”

And I thought for a second to the intimate weddings I’ve shot. It’s true some of them were 40 people or less, but I’ve seen some with 75-100 people that felt like an entire community and family of people coming together. And it felt just as intimate as the 20 person wedding.

One couple I asked said “we were very intentional about our guest list and vendors. We wanted to make sure everyone was picked very specifically to make this day blend together seamlessly”

Several other weddings I’ve noticed this one thing that made them feel like they had double the time with their guests, which was to have a welcome dinner.

You quite literally are doubling your time with people.

And the best part? This time is LOW PRESSURE.

You don’t have to put a wedding dress on.
You don’t have to have the fanciest meal.
You don’t have to have every guest there.
You get to dictate this time to be exactly what you want it to be.

The next day on the wedding, you’ve already gotten to spend time with all those special people at the welcome dinner, now you get to see and talk with the other guests who showed up for the wedding day.

It’s a win-win for everyone.

It can be a dinner at someone’s home, or out at a nice restaurant. Your choice on budget and atmosphere.

It’s one of the easiest and best things you could do for yourself if you want more time spent with the people coming to celebrate your wedding with you.

Save this to a friend who is getting married soon and hasn’t thought of this yet.

Insane transformation from raw to final edit. A good photo doesn’t need much editing, but there is so much you can do with stars to bring them out.

It’s actually mind blowing 🤯 🌌

Save this post if you need photos like this

Taken in Yosemite National Park
Canon R6
RF15-35 2.8
15sec
F2.8
ISO 5000
Original photo taken at 15mm and cropped vertically