There is something incredibly special about photographing a couple’s wedding day. I get to document the nervous excitement before the ceremony, the giant hugs from family members, the dance floor chaos, and all the little moments you might not even realize are happening around you. But what makes me even giddier is when I get another message from that same couple a few years—or sometimes only a few months—later asking me to photograph the next part of their story. 

For example, I photographed Amber and Brandon’s wedding in 2024, and last fall, I had the opportunity to document their maternity photos as they prepared to welcome their baby into their family. Seeing them again, hearing everything that had happened since their wedding, and photographing them during an entirely new season of life was such a sweet full-circle moment for me.

And that is exactly why I believe that your wedding photographer does not necessarily have to disappear from your life once the wedding is over. Your wedding photographer can also become the person who photographs your anniversaries, pregnancy announcements, maternity sessions, newborn days, growing kiddos, and annual family photos.

3 Reasons Why You Should Hire an Atlanta Wedding and Family Photographer 

Here are three reasons hiring an Atlanta wedding and family photographer to document more than one season of your story can be such a meaningful choice.

1. You Already Feel Comfortable Around Each Other

Before your wedding day even arrives, you may have already worked together during your engagement session, communicated throughout the planning process, built your photography timeline together, and discussed some of the most important people and relationships in your life.

By the time your wedding is over, your photographer has probably also witnessed your family dynamics, learned how you interact as a couple, and figured out what helps you feel comfortable in front of the camera.

That familiarity can make stepping in front of the camera for a maternity or family session feel significantly less intimidating and a whole lot easier. 

Instead of meeting someone new and wondering whether your personality will click, you get to catch up with someone you already know, talk about the funniest parts of your wedding reception, everything that has changed since then, and what this next season has looked like for your family.

2. Your Photos Will Look Beautiful Together in Your Home

This might be one of the most underrated reasons to continue working with the same photographer.

Your wedding photos are probably displayed somewhere in your home, whether they are hanging above the couch, sitting in frames on your shelves, or preserved in an album you pull out whenever you want to relive the day.

When you hire the same photographer for your maternity and family photos, those images are more likely to have a similar visual style. The lighting, colors, editing, and overall feeling of the images will naturally work together even though they were taken during completely different seasons of your life.

That does not mean every session needs to look identical. Your wedding gallery and your family photos should reflect the season you were in when they were taken. However, having one photographer document those seasons creates a sense of connection between the images.

Your walls begin to tell one unfolding story rather than looking like a collection of completely unrelated photos or very different seasons of life..

3. Your Photographer Already Knows Part of Your Story

Your wedding photographer does not only know what poses photographed well or which side you preferred during your engagement session.

They also know pieces of your story. They remember the people who stood beside you during your ceremony, the family member who gave the emotional toast, the grandparent you made sure to take extra portraits with, or the song that immediately pulled everyone onto the dance floor.

When that photographer returns for a maternity, newborn, or family session, they understand where this chapter began. There is something meaningful about having the same person photograph you as a newly married couple and then return to document you preparing for a baby, holding your newborn, or chasing your toddlers around during family photos.

As a photographer, I do not take that trust lightly. Being invited back into someone’s life is one of the biggest compliments I can receive, and seriously, I do a happy dance everytime I get the chance to! 

What Types of Sessions Can Your Wedding Photographer Photograph Next?

Every photographer offers different services, but depending on their experience, your wedding photographer may also be available for:

• Anniversary photos
• Vow Renewals
• Pregnancy announcements
• Maternity sessions
• Newborn photos
• Family portraits
• Christmas card photos
• Mini sessions
• Studio family photos
• Motherhood Pictures

You also do not need to wait for a major milestone before booking another session. Sometimes realizing that everyone has grown and changed since the last session is reason enough.

Check out my lifestyle photography services here.

Make Sure Your Photographer Offers the Kind of Session You Need

Although I love documenting weddings and families here at Rachel Boyd Photography, not every wedding photographer offers lifestyle or family photography.

Wedding photography and family photography require overlapping skills, but they are not exactly the same. Photographing a couple on their wedding day is different from keeping a toddler engaged, working around a newborn’s needs, or coordinating a large extended family.

Before automatically booking your wedding photographer again, take a look through their work and ask a few questions:

• Do you photograph maternity, newborn, or family sessions?
• Can I see a full gallery from the type of session I am considering?
• How do you guide families or young children during a session?
• Do you offer full sessions, mini sessions, or both?
• Are sessions available throughout the year?
• Do you have experience photographing indoors or inside a studio?
• Will the editing style be similar to my wedding photographs?

One Photographer, Several Chapters of Your Story

I am a storyteller at heart, and your story does not stop when the wedding reception ends. Your wedding might be the first chapter I get to photograph, but it does not have to be the last.

Getting to document couples as they become parents, watching babies grow into rambunctious toddlers, and seeing families return year after year brings me more joy than I could ever explain. I already loved getting to be part of your wedding experience, and being invited back to photograph another meaningful season makes it even sweeter.

So, when you begin thinking about maternity photos, updated family portraits, or this year’s Christmas cards, consider reaching out to your wedding photographer, and if that happens to be, well, I cannot wait to hear from ya!

They might already be hoping they get to photograph what happens next. As an Atlanta wedding and family photographer, I would be honored to help you preserve more than one chapter of your story. Explore my family photography experience, take a look through the portfolio, or reach out to start planning your next session.