WHEN AND HOW DO I GET MY WEDDING PHOTOS?
We’ve never had a bride who hasn’t asked. While delivery times vary between destination wedding photographers, your contract will clearly state when to expect your gallery. That being said, there’s a process involved in getting there. Here’s a rundown of what goes on behind the scenes.
IN THE BEGINNING
As with most vendors, the first step is signing on the dotted line. Photography contracts will include a delivery clause, which lets you know how and when you’ll receive your gallery.
This will vary from artist to artist. We can’t stress enough the importance of reviewing and accepting delivery times before signing your contract and submitting a deposit.
Before signing, we LOVE to schedule your digital consultation. It helps us to get to know you, understand your vision, and answer any questions you might have. It’ll put your mind at ease and make your final decision that much easier.
While every wedding is special to a photographer, we are always working on multiple galleries simultaneously and must respect the delivery times of the couples who came before you. When you’ve said “I do” and returned from the honeymoon, you’ll be anxious to relive your big day as soon as possible, but it’s important to allow your photographer time to properly edit and deliver. You can’t rush perfection!
DURING THE PLANNING PROCESS
A destination wedding photographer’s work begins well before the wedding. We chat, email, and correspond, as well as walk your location if we haven’t shot there previously. The goal is to have a flawless plan in place before we arrive, helping us to stick to timelines and operate seamlessly when shooting. Closer to the date we coordinate with you and your wedding planner to timeline the event, assign and brief our team members, and make any internal logistical changes that need to be made as a result. Advance planning is a huge part of the creative process.
ON THE WEDDING DAY
When the wedding day finally arrives, your photographer will be 100% focused on you and yours. Office work, personal problems, and editing weddings previously shot are forgotten and tunnel vision turned on. It’s the most physically and mentally demanding part of the process for any photographer, as we rush up hilltops, dash between event venues, and channel our creative Gods to guarantee aesthetic genius. Whether you have hired your photographer for six to eight hours, or splurged on all-day coverage, our wedding day responsibilities don’t end when our timeline does. We head right back to the studio to download equipment, back up raw files, and triple check that data loss is off the table.
DURING POST-PRODUCTION
Post-production is the industry term for the technical work that goes on after you return home. It’s when we lock ourselves in the studio, put on the headphones, and live on coffee! First up is image selection. We collect hundreds of raw images at each and every wedding. Some are test shots to check lighting and angles, others are gems, and many are duplicated images of the same moment taken in sequence. Not every image we snap is included in your wedding album, so your photographer spends many hours sorting through files, organizing data, and choosing what will and will not be worthy of making it to the finish line.
Next is the editing phase! Photographers spend hours examining every pixel. It’s a long and laborious process that is 100% necessary to ensure your final product is picture-perfect. Once we are happy with the results, the next phase is the upload. Gone are the days when photographers used snail mail to send dozens of USB drives all over the world. Your photos will almost always be delivered in a password-protected online gallery, which means we spend hours uploading the finished, HQ images to our online platform. Given internet speeds, the odd power outage, or storm, this can take far longer than you might expect!
On a side note, it’s important to keep in mind that we take breaks, shoot other weddings, and even have the occasional day off! This will always be factored into a photographer's final delivery time.
THE DELIVERY
At Raw Media Creative our delivery comes in two parts. First up is the sneak peek, which includes highlights of key moments and arrives to you 7 to 14 days after the wedding. We know you are anxious to share with family and friends, and this reduced gallery is exactly what will allow you to brag soon after the big day. Helpful tip - it’s also perfect for choosing that thank you card cover photo!
All photographers will vary, but we deliver your full gallery no later than 60 days after your event. You’ll have a revision round, so if there is anything you see missing or in need of a second look, we do our absolute best to accommodate.
HOW YOU GET IT
Come D-day, you’ll receive an email with a link to your gallery, a password, and a download pin. With the click of a button you’ll have access to your most treasured memories, carefully curated and archived in event phase folders. Can’t wait to see your first kiss? Click the ceremony file and it’s right there. You can highlight your favorites by clicking the heart icon next to each, download the full gallery, and share with family and friends. Remember, while we keep photos online for as long as possible, the internet changes and platforms come and go, so downloading your gallery to as many of your devices as possible is a must. Backup, backup, and backup again!
THE EXTRAS
It’s not so common these days, but we are still asked for the occasional coffee-table book, which is designed in-house and outsourced for printing. The design process begins when you declare your love for your final gallery, and printing completion depends on our vendor’s workload, not to mention the time it takes between our sending and you receiving the final album in the mail. Delivery times for printed albums are generally 4 to 6 months after the wedding.
If you have a custom contract, which includes items such as Super 8 film, videography, and content creation, delivery times for each may vary. It’ll all be disclosed in your contract :)
OUR PHILOSOPHY
It’s a balance between taking the time to ensure perfection and understanding how eager our brides and grooms are to relive the fun! At Raw Media Creative we are on time every time and can’t wait to share your special day with you.
One Love - Gary
Copywriting by @bloggingwithlove.mexico
