The Archive of Accidents that once was photography. Les Walkling describes a truth that is often forgotten in our pursuit of perfection. Editing our images to only show our best is destroying a potential archive of wedding (and family) culture. Not only do we forget but we actively discard 'the accidental archive'. In making albums we look for the best-ofs, often overlooking the incidental truths. When we are editing we discard photographs that are imperfect or that don't suit our story (this is the inevitable outcome of editing). It's a fact that vanity rules over truth, but there is something in the accidental evidence created in the course of a day that would tell a different but interesting story, and maybe has more relevance than the fictions from the creative expertise of the photographer. The accidental photographs that never make the selection are sometimes more significant than we, the authors of 'truth' may ever understand. The only photograph of a favourite uncle talking to his grandniece is rejected because it is not quite sharp. Is it because the money shots are the ones that appeal to vanity? As we focus on making successful businesses and keeping up with technology, are we becoming insensitive to the subtleties and complexities of what we do, that are incidental to the immediate and obvious task of making the bride and groom look amazing. So the archive of accidents is a special thing ... and there will always be people in denial of their unphotoshopped selves. But are we denying the memory of an alternative past by making the record of somebody's wedding (their album or prints) as perfect as possible?