Brides get a lot of flak for being bridezillas when it comes to their wedding day. And while some of these judgements are totally justifiable (I’m looking at any bride that makes their bridesmaids drop their life savings on their big-day events), sometimes they have a bit of a point. Weddings are fucking expensive okay, even when you’re not getting Rihanna to perform at a marriage ceremony. And when you drop literally thousands of dollars for a wedding service, I understand wanting to be 100% happy with what you get. And that’s exactly what Alexandra Conder wanted from her wedding photographer. And because she decided to take to TikTok to air her grievances, she’s now being called the “Sepia bride.”
Who Is The Sepia Bride On TikTok?
@alexandrajaye5 Wedding photographer horror experience. Story time. #legal #weddinghorrorstory #weddingstories #weddingphotography #weddingphotos #weddingphotographer #greenscreen #storytime ♬ original sound – Alexandra Jaye Conder
Alexandra, or @alexandrajaye5 on TikTok, is the cosmetic artist turned TikTok sensation who’s shaking things up with her wedding photo drama. This queen did her own makeup for her big day (because, of course she did) and at first, she was over the moon about her $8,000 Instagram-discovered photographer’s work. But after 30 days of staring at her photos (we’ve all been there), Alexandra realized something was way off. Her radiant bride glow was MIA, replaced by a ghostly pale, sepia-toned version of herself. Even the ocean behind her in the pictures had been so filtered it looked like it was raining out. And she wasn’t having it. She reached out to the photographer and they had a quick back-and-forth and decided that they wouldn’t come to an agreement so the photographer decided to send her the RAW photos (aka before edits). That’s when Alexandra realized it looked like she threw the same sepia-preset filter on every single photos, basically drowning out the real radiance of her wedding photos.
Who Is The Sepia Bride Photographer?
@alexandrajaye5 Replying to @Sinke Floral #greenscreen needed to get these off my chest #weddingtiktok #weddingphotos #photographer #bride #bridal #destinationwedding #weddingdrama ♬ original sound – Alexandra Jaye Conder
Now, let’s talk about the mystery photographer who delivered these questionable edits. Well, not-so-mysterious anymore I guess — you know the power of the internet.
Alexandra found this photographer on Instagram, dropping a cool eight grand for their services. Initially, the shots were everything she dreamed of — until the honeymoon phase ended and reality set in. Her teeth, usually pearly white, looked yellow, and her makeup was a dull shadow of its former self. The photographer who is now being dubbed the “Sepia Bride Photographer” is allegedly photographer Hannah Ellis.
In her “story time,” Alexandra explained that as soon as she realized she didn’t like her photos, she got on the phone with her photographer and asked for all of the RAW photos she wanted so that she could edit them herself for a wedding album she wanted to put together for her family. Apparently the photographer refused, saying that Alexandra knew her style before booking her. When she became super frustrated, her new husband took the phone and tried to reason with the photographer, even offering another $1,000 for all the RAW images. The photographer then said it would be another four grand for all the photos.
Sepia Wedding Drama Explained
@alexandrajaye5 Replying to @Kacee Payne #greenscreen #weddingphotos #weddingphotography #storytime #bride ♬ original sound – Alexandra Jaye Conder
So here’s the big deal: Because Alexandra decided to spill the tea on Hannah on TikTok, it sparked a massive debate among brides and photographers alike. Some photogs jumped in, defending the edit as a matter of lighting and consistency, some even cited that RAW photos are usually very pricey. But others were quick to call out the need for stellar customer service — if your client’s not happy, you fix it, no questions asked… especially when that client dropped eight big ones. Brides from all corners shared their own tales of woe and redemption, proving that Alexandra wasn’t alone in her sepia struggle.
Including the original two videos explaining her issues with her wedding photos, Alexandra has made a total of 29 (!!!) TikTok videos that are related to the Sepia bride drama going on. She still clarified that she wasn’t trashing her photographer’s skills entirely. She said that the moments captured were beautiful — it was the post-production filter that turned her into a sepia stranger.
Everyone should speak up if they’re not happy about a service they paid for. Should they make 29 videos about said unhappiness? You be the judge of that, but one thing I do agree with: You paid for perfection and you deserve photos that reflect that — sans yellow teeth and sepia filters.
