If you want to know how long does it take to get wedding photos back, expect six weeks for the deliverables. We will talk more about the expectations after your wedding regarding your photos.
Are you also looking for ways to display wedding photos once you receive them? Read about unique and fun ideas on how to display wedding photos after this blog.
When Will You Get Your Wedding Photos Back: How Long Will You Usually Wait?
During the initial interview and meetings with your prospective wedding photographer, you should’ve discussed with them the expected timeframe for the deliverables. However, it’s common for the photographer to deliver your edited and finished wedding photos within two to six weeks.
Remember that after the wedding, the photographer will take some time to check through the shots, select the best ones, process them, and edit them according to your request. Furthermore, please be familiar that it’s unlikely for the professional to give you your raw and unedited wedding photos in the wedding photography industry.
So if you’re thinking of requesting to get the raw files early as the photographer edits the final photos, your request might not be granted. Still, wedding photographers differ with their works, so it’s possible that you have an agreement with yours and that they’ll also give the raw photos.
How Long Does It Take A Photographer To Edit Wedding Photos?
It can take as long as six weeks for a wedding photographer to finish editing wedding photos. In the meantime, you might be given sneak peeks or teaser photos to keep you excited while waiting.
Why do wedding photographers take so long to edit? Remember that various factors can affect their timeframe.
Why does photo editing take so long?
For example, they might also be doing other weddings after yours, especially when it’s peak wedding season. As a result, they are away from the computer to edit yours, and they can only do so after shooting multiple events.
The number of photos taken on your wedding day and your special requests regarding how you want them to turn out will also affect the duration of editing them. Wedding photographers spend more time editing the shots rather than taking them.
Remember that using editing software is not as easy as using the ones on our phones. Nonetheless, be patient as the wait is worth it.
How Many Photos Should You Get From A Wedding Photographer?
When meeting up with your prospective wedding photographer, the contract will state the expected number of photos you’ll get. Typically, it can range from 400 photos or twice the amount, depending on how long the event is and other requests from the couple.
Understandably, some couples might want to get all of their photos, but this is not reasonable. A photographer can take as many as 4,000 shots in a wedding, and out of them, only a thousand or under will make the final gallery.
This is why editing wedding photos take so long. The photographer must remove unappealing shots, out-of-focus images, bad exposure, poor lighting, weird faces, and repetitive images from the raw files. And after culling, each print may need to be processed individually.
Do Wedding Photographers Give You Prints?
Wedding photographers offer various packages. For example, some will only give you digital copies, while others will also include printed photos.
However, remember that having printed photos will be more expensive than getting digital wedding photos. Therefore, only select the essential shots to get the most of your money.
What Should Be Included In Wedding Photo Package?
- Photography coverage during the wedding day/ selected number of hours
- Travel and accommodation
- Staff
- Editing
- Images
- Print release
- Printing and albums
- Additional shoots
Note that wedding photographers are different, so make sure to ask them about the packages and inclusions to avoid miscommunications.
Who Is Usually Included In Wedding Photos?
- Couple
- Wedding party / with the couple
- Bridesmaids and groomsmen / as a group / with the couple
- Maid of honor and best man / with the bride / with the groom
- Parents / with the couple
- Family / with the couple
- Close friends and family / with the couple
- Children / with the couple
- Guests / with the couple / candid shots
Are you doing a wedding without a wedding party? Read how to have a wedding without bridesmaids and groomsmen.
Do Wedding Photographers Own The Photos?
The wedding photographer owns the legal copyright to the wedding photos they take. Therefore, the photographer has the sole right to copy, distribute, sell, publish, or reproduce your wedding photos.
This is why you must check your contract with the photographer to know how to use your wedding photos in the future. Also, check if the photographer will grant you a license to reproduce or publish your photos or if you’ll get a copyright release.
What is a copyright release? A copyright release is essentially a statement or contract that grants you full permission on what to do with your wedding photos.
Conclusion
Was this article helpful? We just learned how long does it take to get wedding photos back: usually two to six weeks after the event.
Editing can take some time because the photographer has to select from many shots and edit each photo individually. In addition, the photographer might also be shooting other events, which limits their editing time.
Nonetheless, be patient, and you’ll eventually reminisce your wedding moments once you have the gallery.