The day started at Jennifer’s parents’ house, with a Vietnamese tea ceremony. Traditionally, these begin early in the morning at the groom’s house, with family and friends saying prayers over presents and food, which they then bring en masse to the bride’s house. I’ve photographed quite a few of these ceremonies and I’ve always been...
Sandor Welsh Photography
After graduating from Muhlenberg College in 1992 with a dual degree in art and psychology, I began working at various newspapers - photographing notable personalities, breaking news, professional sports, politicians and all the routines of small-town and big-city life. I loved being a newspaper photographer. I was doing what I'd always wanted to do - photojournalism - and assumed I'd be doing it for my entire life.
When my wife Laura and I got married, I cared so little for wedding photography, that I let my mother-in-law pick our photographer, a throwback to the old days who brought with him a marbled blue backdrop and stopped our reception every ten minutes to set up pictures. My friends started to get married shortly after. But by then, couples were becoming much more open minded about how their wedding photographs could look. So I began photographing my friends' weddings and then their friends' weddings and so on and so on. I now photograph about 40 weddings a year, love how wedding photography has become so much more exciting and more true than it ever was, and am still the photojournalist I'd always wanted to be.
My philosophy towards wedding photography is simple, guided not by a standard formula, but by each couples' unique desires and love for one another. And while I may offer suggestions, I do not impose my tastes. Color or black and white, formal portraits against a backdrop or relaxed, candid photos in a natural setting - this is your wedding, your choice. My job is to simply stay in the background and let the day unfold.
My work has received awards from the Associated Press, Brides Magazine and the WPJA. It has appeared in Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides, The Knot, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Magazine, and The Philadelphia City Paper.