Delivery is the last thing a couple experiences of your service, and the thing they talk about afterwards. A beautiful gallery delivered late, in a confusing format, with three photos of Aunt Linda's eyes half closed, undoes a lot of good work on the day.
Quick answer: deliver wedding photos in two stages: a sneak peek of 20–100 favourites within a few days, then the full gallery by the date in your contract, through an online client gallery (Pic-Time, Pixieset, ShootProof or similar) organised into sets, with downloads and a print store switched on. Run a pre-delivery check before you send it, and follow up a week later.
The delivery timeline
Sneak peek: within a few days
Couples are desperate to see something, and so are their friends. A small set of favourites within the first few days keeps the excitement high and buys you time for the full edit. Many photographers send somewhere between 20 and 100 images, depending on the size of the wedding.
Full gallery: the date in your contract
There's no universal standard. Turnarounds of several weeks are common, and peak season stretches them. What matters is that the date is in writing and you meet it. Our turnaround time guide covers realistic timelines and contract wording; if you are regularly late, that is the problem to fix first.
Albums and prints: after the gallery
Album design usually starts once the couple has chosen favourites from the full gallery. Put a deadline on their selections too, or the album can drag on for a year.
Choosing how to deliver
Online client gallery (the standard)
A dedicated gallery platform is what most professional photographers use, and for good reason: couples can view, share, favourite, download and order prints in one place, and you can see what they did. Pic-Time, Pixieset and ShootProof are the most common for weddings. Each handles uploads, downloads and print sales a little differently; our export settings guide covers the file settings for each.
What not to use on its own
- Generic file transfer links expire, look unprofessional and give the couple nothing to share.
- Cloud drive folders work as a backup download, not as the experience.
- USB drives can be a nice keepsake alongside an online gallery, but many newer laptops have no USB-A port, so don't make it the only copy.
Setting up the gallery
Organise into sets
Split the gallery into the order of the day: Getting Ready, First Look, Ceremony, Family, Portraits, Reception. A gallery of 700 images in one long scroll is hard to enjoy; sets make it a story.
Choose a strong cover
The cover image is what the couple sees first and what appears when they share the link. Use a portrait, not a detail shot.
Downloads
- Decide what's included: full-resolution downloads, web-size downloads, or both.
- Keep a download PIN on so only the couple can download everything, and consider separate guest access for viewing only.
- Set an expiry policy and tell the couple in writing so they back up their files.
Print store
Turn on the platform's print store with a professional lab. It earns you extra revenue and gives couples a quality option instead of a drugstore print. If you sell prints, upload high-quality JPEGs; low-resolution files limit print sizes.
Run through this before you send any gallery.The pre-delivery checklist
- Cull check. No closed eyes, no near-duplicates, no unflattering in-between frames. Our culling guide covers what to cut.
- Consistency pass. Scroll the whole gallery in Lightroom's Grid view. Any frame that is warmer, darker or greener than its neighbours gets fixed.
- Skin and exposure. Faces bright and natural in every set, especially the reception.
- Black and white. Grouped, consistent and not duplicating the whole gallery.
- Export. JPEG, sRGB, full size or 3600px, light sharpening, copyright metadata, simple file names without spaces.
- Gallery set-up. Sets in order, cover chosen, favourites and sharing on.
- Downloads and store. PIN on, sizes set, print store tested with a real order.
- Test it as the couple. Open the link on your phone, logged out. Check that it loads, looks right and downloads.
The delivery email
Keep it short and personal. Include:
- The gallery link and download PIN.
- How long the gallery stays online and a reminder to back up their files.
- How to order prints, and when album selections are due if an album is included.
- A line about one or two moments you loved photographing.
After delivery: the follow-up
About a week after delivery, check in. Ask if they've had a chance to look through, remind them about album selections, and ask for a review while the excitement is still there. A good delivery is the best time to ask; it's also when couples share galleries and refer friends.
When delivery keeps slipping
If galleries are routinely late, the bottleneck is almost always the edit, not the delivery. RawFixer takes the edit off your desk: a dedicated lead editor matches your style, a sneak peek comes back within 24 hours, and the full gallery within 3–5 business days, consistency-checked and ready to export and deliver. Collections start at $99 per wedding (see pricing).
Try us on a real wedding first: send 15 RAWs for a free trial edit.
Frequently asked questions
How do photographers deliver wedding photos?
Most professionals deliver through an online client gallery such as Pic-Time, Pixieset or ShootProof, with a sneak peek first and the full gallery by the contracted date. Downloads and a print store are usually included.
How long does it take to deliver wedding photos?
Sneak peeks often arrive within a few days. Full galleries commonly take several weeks and longer in peak season. The most important thing is to put the date in your contract and meet it.
Should I deliver wedding photos on a USB drive?
A USB drive can be a keepsake, but use an online gallery as the main delivery. Many newer computers have no USB-A port, and online galleries make sharing and printing easy.
What should I check before delivering a wedding gallery?
Culling, colour consistency across the whole gallery, skin and exposure, black and white sets, export settings, gallery organisation, download and print settings, and a test of the link on your phone as the couple would see it.