The short version:

Pick the gallery 8 weeks out, not after the photographer delivers.

Brief the photographer on originals, deadlines, and the upload URL upfront.

Send guests the gallery 3 to 4 weeks after, with a one-line note about face search.

Most wedding photo regrets aren’t about what was photographed. They’re about what happened to the photos afterward. The Drive link that expired. The guests who never saw the album. The originals lost to phone storage.

This checklist keeps that from happening to you. Work through it in order. Skip nothing.

8 weeks before the wedding

Pick where the gallery will live.

Not after the event. Now. Before invites go out. The gallery URL belongs on save-the-dates, table cards, and the welcome bag note. (If you’re still deciding what to look for, our guide on sharing wedding photos with guests covers the criteria.)

Choose your gallery host (look for: branded URL, full-resolution downloads, no app required, guest uploads, face search)
Reserve a short, memorable URL. Something like yourname.eventimio.ai or name-and-name.com/photos
Confirm the platform supports the languages your guest list speaks
Check what happens if you cancel. Do you get a download archive, or do photos vanish?

Decide who can upload.

Photographer (mandatory)
Videographer (often forgotten)
Wedding party (yes. They have the best behind-the-scenes shots)
All guests (recommended. Opens up candid coverage)

4 weeks before

Set up the gallery shell.

Don’t wait until the photographer delivers. Build the empty structure now so day-of uploads go straight into the right buckets.

Create the gallery and customize branding (cover photo, colors, your names)
Pre-create albums: Getting Ready · Ceremony · Group Portraits · Reception · Speeches · First Dance · Dance Floor · Candids
Set privacy: public, password-protected, or invite-only
Decide whether face search is on (recommended) and write a one-sentence note explaining it to guests. Here’s what to tell them

Brief your photographer.

Send them the gallery URL and upload instructions
Confirm they’ll deliver originals (RAW or full-res JPG), not web previews
Agree on a delivery deadline. Two weeks after the wedding is reasonable
Ask whether they’ll deliver edited and unedited, or edited only

2 weeks before

Write the guest-facing copy.

Guests need to know three things. Where to find the gallery, how to upload, and that you want them to.

One-line on the welcome card: “Share your photos: yourgallery.com or scan the QR code on your table”
One-line in the wedding website: “Your photos are part of our story. Upload anything from the day.”
One-line in the post-event thank-you email: “The gallery is live. Tap your face to find your photos.”

Print the QR code.

Generate the QR for guest uploads (most platforms make this in one click)
Add it to a printed table card or a small sign at the welcome table
Test it. Open the camera, scan from across the room, confirm it opens to the upload page

Day of the wedding

Capture it. Don’t fuss with it.

You should not be checking the gallery during your own wedding. Assign someone.

Pick a “gallery point person.” A relative, planner, or coordinator
They confirm the QR code is visible and the upload URL works
They remind guests at golden hour: “Last chance to grab the sunset shot. Don’t forget to upload.”

That’s the entire day-of checklist. The gallery should run itself.

1 to 3 days after

Get the originals in.

Photographer sends a preview pack within 48 hours (request this in your contract)
Videographer sends a sneak-peek clip
Pull guest uploads off the platform. The first 72 hours are when most uploads happen

1 to 2 weeks after

Organize before you share.

The gallery feels overwhelming at full size. A little curation makes it useful.

Run face detection (your platform should do this automatically) and review the groups
Label the obvious people: bride, groom, parents, wedding party
Hide or delete duplicates and obviously bad shots
Set a featured cover image. Your guests’ first impression

3 to 4 weeks after

Send the gallery to guests.

Email the gallery link to your full guest list
Subject line that actually opens: “Our photos are here. Find yourself in 30 seconds”
Include direct links to a few highlights for guests who’ll never scroll the full set
Mention the face-search feature so older guests don’t try to scroll through 1,800 photos
Post a public album to social if you want. Ask the wedding party first

2 months after

Print something.

Photos that live only on a screen tend to disappear. Pick three things to make physical.

A 12×12 album for yourselves
Smaller framed prints for parents and grandparents
One favorite, very large, somewhere in the house

6 months after

Back it up. Properly.

Every photo platform eventually changes pricing, gets acquired, or shuts down. Your photos should outlive any of that.

Download the full gallery archive (originals, not compressed)
Save to two places. A local hard drive AND cloud backup (iCloud, Google Photos, Dropbox)
Add the date to your calendar one year out. Repeat the backup

1 year after

Revisit. Curate. Re-share.

A year later you’ll see the photos differently. Some you loved feel less important. Others suddenly mean more.

Re-curate a “favorites” album. 50 to 100 photos, max
Send it to your parents on the anniversary. They’ll cry the right kind of tears
Confirm your gallery URL still works. If your platform discontinued the host, restore from your backup

Working through this checklist for your own wedding? Set up your gallery in under five minutes. Branded URL, face search, guest uploads, and a one-tap full-resolution download whenever you want it.

Wedding photo gallery checklist