'Sepia Bride' photography goes viral on social media, sparks debate about wedding industry

Alexandra Jaye Conder didn’t know her wedding story would go viral, or that within a week everyone on the internet would know her as “Sepia Bride.”

It all started when the newlywed took to TikTok to detail the “horrific” experience she had with her wedding photographer, who had been hired to document her nuptials in November 2023.

Conder was initially in love with the wedding gallery she received from the photographer couple weeks later, saying she was “beaming with excitement.” But after staring and analyzing the pictures a bit further, she realized something was off.

The bulk of the photographs, particularly her solo shots, had been edited in a way that she felt made her makeup look dull, her teeth yellow, and completely distorted any bright colors pictured.

And that it was the complete opposite of the the bright, airy and golden vibe she had seen on the wedding photographer’s Instagram page.

“Imagine paying almost 8,000 dollars for a wedding photographer and when you raise your concerns, they threaten to sue you for slander if you spoke your truth,” Conder says at the beginning of the video.

Conder’s initial story and the dozens of videos posted about the fiasco have become quite popular, garnering millions of videos in the last week and sparking a larger conversation about the wedding industry.

The conversation has even spilled onto other social media platforms like Reddit and Instagram, with users split between #TeamBride and #TeamPhotographer.

Conder shared her experience in the hopes of helping “other brides who have maybe gone through the same thing or future brides going through the process,” not expecting the “virality of it all.”

“I also wanted to share my frustrations as well over how sad I was and still am. You only have one wedding day, and you can’t re do that,” Conder said in an email interview with USA TODAY.

Here’s what to know.

‘Sepia Bride’ defined

Conder isn’t sure who was the first person to refer to her as  “Sepia Bride” but she’s going to stick it with it. At least for now.

“Someone on the internet came up with it,” Conder said.

The nickname “Sepia Bride” refers to the online discourse brought on by Conder sharing her wedding photographer "horror" story online. She has jokingly referred to it as “Sepia Gate” in her latest video.

“Sepia” is a toning technique used to help old photo prints, like the kind you’d see in an antique shop or museum, “hold up over time,” according to Adobe.

The “reddish-brown” tone used to create to create the spectrum of highlights and shadows is “now associated with the nostalgia of antique imagery.”

“Sepia is a softer manipulation of light,” giving photos a soft, warm and dream-like finish, according to Adobe.

Brides, photographers and others duke it out in the comments

Conder’s experience hit home with a lot of people, especially among photographers and former brides. One photographer even offered to re-do the photos for free, if they were ever in the same area.

Most, if not all of the thoughts, opinions and reactions shared in the comment section of Conder’s videos and posts have been filtered, if not completely turned off.

Comments that are still visible show an even split, with some agreeing with Conder and others saying that she should have done more research and considered the photographer’s style before booking.

“I will absolutely go the extra mile for my brides, but they will have chosen me based on my style so it’s minor tweaks, not an entire re-edit,” @mybelovedghostandme wrote.

“90% of wedding photographers are SO invested in their couples & will do whatever they can to make their couples happy. When people have unrealistic demands, sometimes there is only so much we can do,” another photographer wrote.

@ chrispy9579 was on #TeamBride, writing in the comments: “Yes girl! I work with photographers and videographers and they will alllllwaaays retouch/edit by request. That’s unprofessional.”

Jennifer Foreman echoed a similar sentiment, writing, “After watching all of your videos on this, I am very much on the fence on both sides, but more so on yours. Yes, checking the work to see if you like to first. But mainly, her editing on this is not.”

“I’m flabbergasted photographers are calling those edits art & a style. IT IS ORANGE. IT CHANGED THE COLOR OF HER HAIR. it’s ok to not be loyal to every person who happens to have the same job as you,” @ash.sch.life wrote.

‘Sepia Bride’ hopes to bring ‘change in the wedding industry’ after experience

Though Conder wasn’t able to come to an agreement with the photographer about the images. She was able obtain a handful of raw images that she edited to match her vision.

“Like I’ve also said so many times, I think my photographer captured beautiful moments, the editing I wasn’t happy about. Thats why I just wish we were able to come to an agreement without the added expense,” Conder said.

Conder does plan on re-shooting her wedding portraits with another photographer.

Conder says she shared her story with the hope that it “brings a change in the wedding industry for more communication between vendors and clients.” Especially, when it comes to reviewing contracts.

“Since so many of us are first time brides, we’ve never done this before… we’re trusting the photographers to bring things to life, and unfortunately we aren’t familiar with a lot of technical terms either,” Conder said. “So, a consult between photographer & client explaining all the details is really necessarily, which I felt I didn’t receive.”

Conder will continue to create more videos and content that will “further help people getting married or planning on getting married.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Sepia Bride' photography goes viral on social media, sparks debate about wedding industry