Wedding photo retouching requests tend to arrive about three weeks after delivery, in an email like this: "We love them! Could you just slim my arms in the group shots, remove my uncle's ex from the family photo, and take about ten years off my mum?"
Every wedding photographer gets some version of this. Most have no policy, so they answer case by case — which means saying yes to things they resent, no to things they could have charged for, and giving away hours either way.
Here is a policy you can actually use.
Split requests into three tiers
Tier 1 — Included as standard
Temporary, non-identity things the person would not have on an ordinary day:
- Spots, blemishes, a stray hair across the face
- Sensor dust and lens marks
- Shiny forehead from heat or dancing
- A price tag, a stray hanger, a rogue exit sign in a hero frame
- Colour cast from a nearby wall on skin
These are corrections, not alterations. Include them without discussion — they are part of delivering professional work.
Tier 2 — Chargeable, and you should say yes
Real work, technically legitimate, just beyond a standard gallery edit:
- Removing a bystander or a photobomber from a background
- Swapping a head from a nearby frame in a group shot so everyone's eyes are open
- Removing braces or whitening teeth mildly
- Tidying a complex background — bins, cables, road signs
- Extensive skin work for a large print or album cover
Price these per image. A common range is $5–25 per frame depending on complexity, with a minimum order so a single request is worth opening the file for. Give a quote before starting, always.
Tier 3 — Decline, or think hard first
- Body reshaping — slimming arms, waists, jawlines
- Removing an ex-partner or estranged family member from a group photograph
- Making someone look significantly younger
- Removing scars, birthmarks, vitiligo, or a disability aid
- Changing skin tone
Two reasons to be careful here, and only one of them is ethical.
The practical reason: these requests almost never end. Slimming one arm reveals that the shoulder now looks wrong, then the dress line, then the person standing next to them. You are not doing one edit, you are opening a negotiation with no defined finish.
The judgement reason: you are being asked to change how a real person looks on a day they will remember for fifty years. Sometimes the request comes from a genuine insecurity and a gentle no is the kind answer. Sometimes it is a mother asking you to alter her daughter, which is a different conversation entirely.
Where to put the line, and how to say it
Decide once, write it into your contract, and then you are never improvising:
"Retouching. Delivered images include standard colour correction and natural retouching — blemishes, stray hairs and temporary marks. Additional retouching, including object or person removal and extensive skin work, is available at [$X] per image and quoted before work begins. I do not offer body reshaping or alterations to permanent physical features."
Having it in writing changes the dynamic completely. You are not refusing them personally; you are describing a service you offer.
Wording for the awkward ones
For body reshaping: "I don't do body reshaping — I want you to look back at these and see yourself on your wedding day. What I can do is check the posing and angles across the set and pick the most flattering frames from each moment, which usually makes a bigger difference than editing does."
That works because it is honest and it offers something real instead of a flat no. Reselecting frames genuinely helps, and it is fast.
For removing a person: "I can do that as a retouching job — it's [$X] per image because it means rebuilding the background. Just confirm which images and I'll get started." Keep it neutral and transactional; the family politics are not yours.
For "can you just…" scope creep: "Happy to. That falls under additional retouching at [$X] per image — shall I send a quote for the four you've listed?" The word "just" usually disappears at this point, and the requests that remain are the ones they actually cared about.
Build it into your workflow
Set a window — say 30 days after delivery — for retouching requests, stated in your contract. Open-ended availability means a wedding from March resurfaces in November, when you have long since archived the files.
If retouching requests are frequent enough to eat your time, this is a strong candidate to hand off. It is per-image, well-defined work that does not require your creative judgement once the brief is set — which is exactly the kind of task that outsources cleanly. See our wedding retouching service, or how retouching is usually priced.
FAQ
Should wedding photo retouching be included in the price?
Natural retouching — blemishes, stray hairs, shiny skin, sensor dust — should be standard. Object removal, head swaps and extensive skin work are legitimately chargeable, typically $5–25 per image.
How do I say no to a body reshaping request?
State it as your standing policy rather than a personal refusal, and offer an alternative: reselecting the most flattering frames from each moment. Having the policy in your contract removes the awkwardness entirely.
How much should I charge for extra wedding photo retouching?
Commonly $5–25 per image depending on complexity, with a minimum order. Always quote before starting, and confirm exactly which images are included.
How long after delivery should I accept retouching requests?
Set a window of around 30 days in your contract. Open-ended availability means requests arriving months later, after the files have been archived.
Retouching requests piling up? It is well-defined, per-image work that hands off cleanly — start with a free Style-Match Trial and include a few retouching frames.