What Happens After Your Wedding? Here's How Long A Wedding Photographer Takes to Edit Photos

You’ve spent months planning every little detail, and now… it’s over. The dress is hanging in your closet, the leftover cake’s in your freezer, and your camera roll’s full of blurry dance-floor selfies. But where are the photos — the ones you actually hired me for?

If you’ve ever wondered what happens after your wedding day (and how long it takes for your gallery to land in your inbox), here’s a peek behind the scenes of what really goes down once I get home from a wedding.

Step One: Back That Thing Up

Before I even think about sleeping, I back up every single photo from your wedding. All of the images from my SD cards are copied to my external hard drives, and then those drives are backed up to the cloud (I use iDrive).

Your wedding photos immediately live in three separate places — the SD cards, the external drive, and the cloud — so there’s zero chance of them being lost. Even if a hard drive crashes or my computer bursts into flames (please no), your images are safe.

I keep the SD cards tucked away until your gallery is fully delivered — because if there’s one thing I’m not messing around with, it’s your photos.

Step Two: The Sneak Peek

Once everything’s backed up, I start my favorite part — choosing sneak peeks!

Within 48 hours, you’ll get a grid of about 9–12 images to share and relive the excitement. I love giving you a mix: those emotional, romantic moments and a few random candid gems you might not have even noticed in the moment.

After that, I’ll send a larger sneak peek gallery — anywhere from 50 to 100 photos — within a week of your wedding.

How do I choose them? Honestly, I usually remember the exact moments that made me think, “Oh yeah, that one’s freaking amazing,” right as I took it. Sometimes I’ll rate favorites in-camera during the day to make finding them easier later. The goal is to give you a little glimpse of the full story without spoiling all the best parts before the full release.

Step Three: The Dreaded (But Necessary!) Cull

Okay, let’s talk about culling. It's easily my least favorite part of the job, and the one that causes the most decision fatigue.

Culling means going through every single photo and deciding which ones make the final cut. It’s the process of choosing between two nearly identical images where someone’s blinked in one but the smile is better in the other. Multiply that by a few thousand, and you’ll understand why I do this while I’m still riding the high of your wedding.

I try to cull as soon as possible while the emotions, timeline, and energy of your day are still fresh. It’s faster, more intuitive, and helps me tell your story with intention.

Step Four: Import and Organize

Once I’ve culled, everything gets imported into Lightroom. I separate the photos into folders based on the different parts of your day — details, getting ready, first look, family photos, ceremony, cocktail hour, newlywed portraits, reception, and dance floor.

This isn’t just me being Type A (though, guilty). Having everything organized helps me edit more efficiently and it makes your final gallery so much easier to navigate. When you open your gallery, you’ll see your day unfold section by section ... just like it happened.

Step Five: The First Round of Edits

All of your photos go through a program called Aftershoot, which is an AI-powered editing software I’ve trained using thousands of my past images. It helps with things like correcting exposure, white balance, and cropping so that every photo starts from a solid base.

Even though it’s technically “editing,” it’s not replacing me. Think of it as the sous chef doing the prep work before I take over and season everything to taste.

Once Aftershoot does its thing, I go in and hand-edit every single image — adjusting tones, lighting, and colors until everything feels cohesive and true to the mood of your day. The sneak peek photos I already edited become my “anchors,” so the rest of the gallery matches the same tone and consistency.

Step Six: The Art of Editing (And Why It Takes So Long)

This is the part most people are curious about: how long does a wedding photographer take to edit photos, and why does it take so long?

Honestly, if I sat down and edited your entire gallery start to finish without breaks, it would take about ten hours. But editing isn’t just about speed; it’s about precision, care, and storytelling.

Each wedding usually includes thousands of photos from multiple cameras and lenses (mine and my second shooter’s). Each lens processes light a little differently, so I edit in batches — all the photos from one lens first, then the next — to keep everything consistent.

And because I’m human, I don’t always edit in a perfectly linear fashion. I bounce around. I might start with the dance floor photos (because they’re the most fun), then move to the ceremony, then hop over to portraits if I’m feeling inspired. It’s very “controlled chaos,” and somehow, it works.

Editing takes about two months — not because I’m slow, but because I’m typically working on multiple galleries at once and giving each one the attention it deserves. Every single image gets looked at, adjusted, and fine-tuned until I’m proud to deliver it.

Step Seven: Perfecting the Photos

While editing, I flag any photos that need extra touchups, like removing an exit sign, a random pole, or a patch of dead grass that’s stealing focus. (Btw, fuck an exit sign. They're my nemesis, and they're everywhere!)

Once I’ve gone through the entire gallery, I circle back to those flagged photos and handle the detailed edits. And my goal isn’t to make your wedding look unrealistic. It’s to make sure the focus stays where it should be: on you and the emotions of the day.

Step Eight: Export and Upload

Once everything’s complete, I export your gallery and upload it to Pic-Time, my online gallery host. This is your wedding photo home base where you can download, share, and relive your day.

Pic-Time organizes your gallery by the same sections I set up earlier, so you can easily find whatever you’re looking for (from family portraits to your late-night dance party).

This is also where you can order professional prints, albums, or wall art if you want to bring your photos to life outside the screen.

Step Nine: Gallery Delivery Day!!

Before sending your gallery, I always text my couple first to hype them up. I like to ask when a good time to send it would be, because that way, you and your partner can sit down together, open it up like a little date night, and enjoy reliving the day from start to finish.

I absolutely love hearing your reactions. Of course, the “I only opened one photo and I’m already crying” messages never get old.

For me, this isn’t just about sending a link and calling it done. It’s about giving you space to feel it, and to see your day from another perspective that feels really special.

Some Personal Touches

When I’m editing, I love to send couples a random photo here and there just to keep the excitement going while they wait for the full gallery. It’s like a little mid-process surprise that keeps the energy alive and the anticipation building.

And when their gallery’s ready, I like to include a small thank-you (like a discount code for prints) just because I genuinely appreciate the trust my couples have placed in me.

So ... How Long Does a Wedding Photographer Take to Edit Photos?

If you’ve made it this far, you’ve probably realized the answer is: it depends. But for me, here’s the breakdown:

• Sneak peeks: within 48 hours (or at the very most, always within one week)

• Full gallery: within 60 days

That might sound like a long time when you’re dying to see your full gallery, but behind every photo is a whole process designed to keep your memories safe, intentional, and beautifully edited.

Every image you receive has been backed up in multiple places, edited by hand, and fine-tuned with care because these aren’t just pictures; they’re heirlooms in the making.

Final Thoughts

If there’s one thing I hope couples take away from this, it’s that your photos are worth the wait. The hours spent backing up, organizing, culling, editing, and perfecting every single image are all part of the love and care that goes into your final gallery.

Your wedding day goes eeytby in a blur, but the photos? Those are forever. And I want them to feel exactly like it did (... or maybe even a *little* better).

---

If you don't know me yet, hi! I'm Tammy. I'm a Massachusetts wedding photographer and I would LOVE to capture all of the amazing moments you'll experience on your wedding day.

Learn more about my wedding photography packages. I offer packages for elopements, micro weddings, and larger, more traditional weddings. And no matter which package you choose, I'll make sure to provide you with my best resources and unwavering support from our initial meeting through your final gallery delivery.