Being a wedding photographer: what a fun gig, right? All you have to do is capture every wonderful moment of one of the most important days of your customers' lives...and there's no "do over" opportunity if something goes wrong. And the mom is telling you what to do. And the videographer keeps walking in front of the shots you set up. And Uncle Bob is a bit drunk and loud and wants to borrow the camera, just for a minute. And...

Yowie!

We sat down with Sherry Somers of ALS Photography. Sherry and her husband Andrew have been shooting weddings since 2004....

Carolina Weddings Show: Sherry, how would you describe what you do, as a wedding photographer? Well, we look at it like this: we’re here to document the couple’s wedding day from getting ready, to getting married, to getting their new life started!

CWS: What do you love most about your job, and why? That’s an easy one: it’s seeing a couple’s day go perfectly and knowing we had a part in helping to preserve that day’s memories.

CWS: Are there important things you do, perhaps behind the scenes, that couples don't even think about? We are all about being efficient and organized with the time we have. We not only want you to have great photos, but also to have a great day! So we do everything we can to keep stress out of the picture and help the couple enjoy every moment.

CWS: After you've met with the couple, probably several times, how do you make sure both parties are on the same page? Is there a "checklist" or formula so the couple will know what to expect from you? One of the things we do, is have someone to coordinate the photography. So everyone is where they need to be and that the entire process goes smoothly. This lets us get more shots in the time we have because the photographer is able to focus on what they do best - take great photos! The coordinator helps lay the dress out, watch for little things that need to be fixed like stray hair, crooked bowties, or wrinkled pant legs. We also don't have a particular photography style because this day isn't about us - it's about what they want. Family photo time is run in a very efficient manner. Because we create a list in advance, we aren't taking the couple away to decide which family groupings should be photographed.

CWS: Are there things you have to coordinate with other vendors? Knowing when the cake will be cut is the obvious one: what else? Not really, because while we are pretty "exact" with timing before the ceremony, we just go with the flow afterwards. We photograph everything that happens, and couples, knock on wood, love the results!