Formerly, when film and processing were quite expensive and most wedding albums looked exactly the same, twenty good pictures of the occasion were enough, and that was all anyone expected. But this is a visually sophisticated society, and people expect to see pictures and videos of everything. Brides today see 120–4,000 images of their wedding day. If you start snapping before the bride is dressed and finish as the caterers are putting away the tables, you will go home with hundreds and hundreds of images — perhaps even thousands.

Bring a checklist of the shots you have agreed upon with you to the event. Anytime you set up a picture, regardless of its type, plan on taking at least two shots in case someone blinks or moves. Big groups sometimes require four, five, or six shots, sometimes with a change of flash, shutter, bracketing f-stop settings, or changing of focus, just in case. It is always better to get too many than to discover later that you didn't get enough. Film is cheap and digital shooting is even cheaper; just be sure to have enough battery power, film, and memory cards to cover any contingency.

If film shooters don't want double (or triple) prints from their lab, they can use the extras as duplicates. Digital shooters can simply delete unwanted files before having prints made.

Although the Internet and CDs make it easy to distribute images to friends and family members all over the world, many people want to handle actual prints.

When using film, the first step is getting proof sheets, which are the first set of prints made from the uncut film. You can order double or triple proof prints if you know you'll have many people wanting the same images. Each print must be labeled on the back with a roll and frame number that corresponds to the negatives from that event.

When shooting film, be sure that when the prints come back from the lab, you number them before you edit them or let anyone else get them out of sequence. Try using a three-digit system — 101 for the first frame on the first roll, 201 for the first frame on the second roll, and so on. After they're numbered and the negatives are marked to match, you can edit. Make it easy on the family by only showing them the best images. A box of prints is easier to sort and edit than an album of proofs, but the album is easier to browse through, so your choice of presentation will depend on you and your client's preferences.

If you have shot the event digitally, transfer your files to your computer and name the folders with the pertinent information immediately. Burn two CD copies of the files and put them in a safe place. These backups are essential. Digital photographers usually shoot many more images at events than their film counterparts. You will need to sort through these images and separate and classify them.

On your computer, open the folder or folders you have just uploaded and use an image browser to check through your shots. Within the original folder, create another folder titled “Best” or “Favorites.” As you browse your files, keep track of the best shots and then move them into these folders.

You must then consult your list of shots agreed upon before the event. If you find that you are missing a shot because it is not in the “Best” folder, go back to the original file and see if you can salvage one through image manipulation that you had assumed was unusable. Often you can find an image that can be cropped or worked on which will work after all.

What to do when people who attended an event ask for prints? Your approach on how to handle print requests is going to be contingent upon several factors. If you are being compensated for your time and or materials, you need to set a per print or print package price and clearly explain that you're a professional. If you shot the event as a favor to your host, not charging for a single print or two is probably the gracious thing to do. The exception would be to ask for reimbursement if you are supplying numerous copies, which you have spent a good bit of time and effort on. Even if you are not a professional photographer, it is reasonable to ask for enough reimbursement to cover your expenses. If people ask for copies, keep a written record of each person's request and label the back of the reprints with the correct numbers.

If you shot the event as a gift to the family, giving the negatives or digital files to them will allow them to make their own reprints, saving them money and you time and trouble. But if you keep the negatives or files and make the prints yourself, you can redo any that are poorly made and learn which images are the most popular.

In the case of digital shots, the pictures can be uploaded to an online album at a photo website you created specifically for the event. After the album is created, you can control who is invited to look at the photos, and if you wish, you can let participants order and pay for their own prints. Professional photographers often use sites where the prints can be ordered and they receive a percentage of the purchase price.