Some Information On How Long Your Wedding Photos Will Take To Be Delivered
The short answer: you’ll receive your full wedding gallery within ten weeks of your wedding, with a sneak peek of 10–20 photos within the first week. Turnaround times vary between photographers, and where you land depends on how many hours of coverage you booked, the time of year, and whether your photographer edits their own photos.
How long does it take to get our wedding photos back? I get asked this question a lot, and there is no definitive answer. I tell my couples that they will have their wedding photos within ten weeks after their wedding, but this can vary. If you book me for a 10-hour wedding instead of an 8-hour wedding, then there will be more images for me to cull and edit. Same goes for if you’re having a destination wedding and you’ve booked me for multiple days. I will then have many more images to get through and edit. Another factor is the time of year. If you’re getting married during peak season (between May- September), I’ll have many weddings to edit and deliver to my couples. I wouldn’t say I like to rush when it comes to editing my images. I take pride in producing beautiful pictures, and this takes time. I always try my best to deliver images before the ten weeks is up, but this is not always possible.
How long does it take a photographer to edit wedding photos?
Editing a wedding takes days, not hours. Here’s what happens to your photos between the wedding and your gallery:
- Culling. I go through every frame from the day and pick the ones worth keeping: the real moments, the best expressions, the shots that tell the story.
- Editing. Each chosen photo is adjusted for colour, exposure and crop, so the whole gallery looks consistent from morning prep to the dance floor.
- Final check. I go back through the full gallery in order, as you’ll see it, before it’s uploaded and sent to you.
A 10-hour wedding or a multi-day destination wedding simply means more photos to go through, so it takes longer than a shorter day.
WHY DO SOME PHOTOGRAPHERS DELIVER WEDDING IMAGES FASTER?
Some wedding photographers deliver images between 2-4 weeks. This may be because these photographers shoot fewer weddings a year, resulting in more time on their hands to edit. Some photographers also choose to outsource their editing. This is where they have a company deal with the editing of the images resulting in faster delivery. I like to do all edits myself. It’s an essential part of the service to edit each image for couples to have photos delivered with my vision.
WILL WE GET A PREVIEW BEFORE THE FULL GALLERY IS READY?
For sure. After each wedding I shoot, I always send my couples a small selection of images within a week after their wedding. Usually something between 10-20 photos. Closer to when the full gallery is ready, I also send a slideshow preview with music. Seeing your wedding photos for the first time with music can be a powerful thing. I get many emails from my couples saying how much they loved the slideshow and that they have tears in their eyes. If I can make my couple cry with happiness, I know I’ve done an excellent job. It’s such a lovely feeling when receiving these kinds of messages.
Wedding photo delivery: quick answers
How long after the wedding do you get the photos?
Within ten weeks for the full gallery, with a sneak peek of 10–20 photos within a week.
Does the time of year make a difference?
Yes. Between May and September I’m editing several weddings at once, so peak-season galleries can take closer to the full ten weeks.
Will we see anything before the full gallery?
Yes. You’ll get the sneak peek in the first week, and a slideshow set to music just before the full gallery arrives.
I hope this helps give you some information on how I run my business and what to expect when you book with me as your wedding photographer. If you’re asking “How long does it take to receive your wedding photos” there is no set answer, but I promise you it will be worth the wait.
Please give me a follow on Instagram, or Facebook linked below to keep up to date with my latest work.