So i was wondering after you guys do a wedding on similar event how long do you hold onto the tapes for?

I'm kind of a pack rat so I still have BETA and VHS tapes from many years ago. I keep everything related to that job in a ziploc bag and put them into bankers boxes. I'm lucky enough to have a lot of storage area in my garage so each years boxes go on the shelf there. I know, I know, no reason to keep them past a year or 2 but I can't help myself. ;-0
Don

If you are not going to keep them, you should at least send them to the client.

Well hmmm, that couple's wedding you shot when they were 25, become famous when they're 50 and you'll be happy you have the raw video . . . I still have 1" tapes of my earliest editing.

Some years back a client came to the facility I was working at with some home videos shot in a very ancient 1/2" reel to reel format, predated VHS. Wanted to know if we could bump them up to preserve them. Turns out they were Andy Warhol's home videos messing around with friends and playing in his art room.