An illustration of a bride and groom looking at a clock.

Latest Wedding Photographer Survey Reveals Photo Delivery Times

We surveyed 1,850 professional wedding photographers from around the world to discover the average turnaround time of photos delivered to newly weds.

Learn | Wedding Photography | By Mark Condon | Last Updated: November 7, 2023

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We recently surveyed 1,850 professional wedding photographers to answer the question:

How long does it take to deliver wedding photos to clients?

We also wanted to know whether the expected delivery time was usually communicated to the client.

…and more importantly, how often the time was exceeded!

(On a personal level, as a wedding photographer with a decade’s experience, I was especially interested in the comparison.)

What we uncovered in the survey surprised us, and today, I’ll share our findings with you.

📸 Summary of Our Key Findings 📸

Most wedding photographers surveyed take 2 to 4 weeks to deliver photos to clients
11% of photographers take over 8 weeks
The main reason for the time taken to deliver the photos is an existing editing workload
The majority of photographers do not outsource the editing of wedding photos
The majority of photographers always communicate an expected delivery time to their clients
Most photographers do not exceed the delivery date
11% of photographers do exceed it
Most photographers deliver between 500 ~ 800 photos to clients

How long does it take to deliver wedding to classic infographic.

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The Time Frame: When Can Clients Expect Their Photos?

The General Consensus

The overwhelming majority of wedding photographers in our survey said they take between 2 to 4 weeks to deliver photos to clients.

This seems to be the wedding photography industry standard and offers a balance between providing quality work and ensuring timely delivery.

Delays Do Happen: What’s Causing Them?

Interestingly, 11% of photographers reported taking over eight weeks to deliver.

The primary reason why it takes so long to deliver wedding photos? An existing editing workload.

It seems that many photographers prefer to take the time to perfect each image rather than rush the process or do more than one editing job concurrently.

To Outsource or Not: Editing Practices Among Photographers

A significant revelation from the survey was that the majority of photographers choose not to outsource the editing of wedding photos.

Most wedding photographers surveyed believe in maintaining the authenticity of the images, ensuring that the final product genuinely reflects the couple’s unique day.

Setting Expectations: Communication Is Key

The majority of photographers always communicate an expected delivery time to their clients.

This clear line of communication helps set realistic expectations and prevent potential disappointments.

Meeting Deadlines: Do Photographers Deliver on Time?

While most photographers in the survey reported not exceeding the delivery date, about 11% did admit to crossing it.

On a personal note, my average delivery time is between 1 to 2 weeks, and I make it a priority to always meet or beat this deadline.

Quantity vs Quality: How Many Photos Do Clients Receive?

The survey indicated that most photographers deliver between 500 to 800 photos to clients.

Drawing from my personal experience, I usually deliver around 600 meticulously edited photos per wedding.

While the number might seem extensive, I believe in giving couples a comprehensive visual narrative of their special day.

How the Survey Data Was Collected

JotForm Survey to discover average wedding photography delivery times.

After creating the survey using JotForm, we shared the link in various places:

Facebook Groups
Shotkit email subscribers
Shotkit Facebook followers

Among other questions asked in the survey to pre-qualify the respondent as a professional wedding photographer, here are the questions related to the delivery of the photos:

On average, how many wedding photos do you deliver to clients?
How long does it take you, on average, to deliver the edited photos after the wedding day?
What factors can influence your delivery time?
Do you usually outsource the editing of your photos?
Do you use AI to assist in the post-production process?
What software/tools do you use to speed up the post-production process?
Do you communicate the expected delivery time to clients before the wedding?
How often do you exceed the communicated delivery time?

Final Thoughts

The world of wedding photography is vast and diverse.

But whether it’s the time taken for photo delivery, the number of photos delivered, or the editing practices, it’s clear that the industry leans towards quality and authenticity.

As I reflect on these findings, I’m reminded once again of the immense responsibility and privilege of capturing one of the most important days in a couple’s life.