Jesu S

My daughter, who lives in Texas, is planning her wedding for November 2021 and looking for photographers. She told me that the photographers she had talked with said that it would take up to 3 months for them to deliver the proofs; and after the couple had selected the photographs they wanted, it would take another 6 to 8 weeks to get the final photos and photo books. So, for her November 2021 wedding, she would expect to see the proofs in February 2022, and the final photos and photo books as late as April 2022. She said she had got the same approximate time frame from several photographers.

Is this typical? Would appreciate some insight from those of you who do wedding photography, or have recent dealings with wedding photographers. Thanks.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

That's embarrassing, especially for digital work. She should determine her 'buyer values' as in: does she want the formal bound book and large format prints with professional framing, or a quick turn around for social media sharing, any video, and / or some combination of all? A working professional should be able to turn around a quick set of highlights in the 10 to 20 image range by noon of the day after the wedding. She may have to put up half (or more) the total cost to keep her from just waking away with the first few images, but in this 2020 world, waiting more than a week for professional and social-media shareable images is a joke. The books, printing, framing, etc based on full-edits is time consuming, especially for someone popular with a busy workload. But still, why be forced to wait for all the physical work if a quick turnaround is also an important consideration?

The photographer should be able to work out arrangements that best fit your daughter's needs, while making money for the photographer, including:

How many total images delivered? What digital file formats? Duration of shooting and how many photographers? Images in book? Printed / framed? Printed and unframed? Digital frames, DVDs, etc?

If she's hearing consistent numbers, dates, wait-times, she might need to adjust her expectations or better explain her expectations and find a photographer better able to deliver to those expectations.

Jesu S

Thanks. Lots of useful information to follow up on. I do know that she’s not big on social media, so that’s not going to be critical. The videographer is a different person, so not part of this conversation. Video turnaround is 6 to 8 weeks after the wedding, but they have said it would likely be quicker.

She has not finalized what she wants, but the “package” she was talking about is for 50 prints (different sizes, but not all different images - I don’t have specifics) and 1 20x20 book. She wants 3 copies of the “package”, one for the bride and groom and one each for their families. The contract calls for 2 photographers to spend 8 hours each - 2pm to 10pm. They will photograph the First Look, the wedding, after wedding “formals”, reception and dancing. I do not believe any of the prints are to be framed. The photographer will also have images on his website where guests (or the bride) can buy prints at his standard rate.

My daughter has seen his portfolio, and actually seen him work at a girlfriends wedding where she was a bridesmaid. I’m not worried about the quality or professionalism of the photographer, but was blown away a bit by the delivery time line.

Thanks.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Assume in 8hours x 2 shooters, you could expect to have 3000 to 5000 total image files to begin working from. 50 prints sounds about right. I'd expect about 80 to 100 unique and relevant images, after culling, certainly nothing more than 150. Culling and hand-editing 100+ images is time consuming, even with efficient tools, easily 30+ man-hours of work, culling through near-final edits. If the photographer was doing nothing but working on this one wedding, a week turnaround is reasonable. But, if you have one+ weddings per week / weekend, you'd be hard-pressed to turn two complete weddings around in just 7-calendar days. If they're showing 'proofs' in a physical format, that's time too.

For me, the immediacy of usable / sharable digital images is important. Decorating a home with framed prints and the heirloom book are important too, where 4- to 6-months for final delivery of these more permanent products seems about right to keep the couple happy (rather than annoyed). I haven't shot a wedding, but have done event photography and have put some thinking into a contract and deliverables and pricing for my value proposition if I did contract a wedding.

Jesu S

I guess when you break it down, as you have done, the length of time seems reasonable. I believe Fall is the peak season for weddings in Texas, because many venues have outdoor ceremonies followed by an indoor reception and dinner; and it's too hot for an outdoor ceremony in summer.

I had not given much thought to getting digital images. You said "the immediacy of usable / sharable digital images is important." I agree. However, wouldn't the photographer need to go through all the culling/editing/PP processes before providing digital images? If so aren't we looking at the same time frame as with printed images? What am I missing? And do photographers typically provide only lo-res images in digital format ... suitable for social media sharing, but not for printing?

Thanks for sharing your insight.

BebuLamar

That reminds me a couple whom got divorced before their wedding pictures delivered. And yeah they too married in Texas, Houston to be exact....

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

No - not typical at all.

However, my workflow has certain enhancements, including some staging of lighting scenarios with a ColorChecker Passport, to be able to arrive at a pretty decent result out of the camera. Shooting raw, applying the correct profiles for each camera, excluding duds, applying simple adjustments to around 2000 images from multiple cameras - and still have a proof set on my website before I turn in for the night. The selected and finished images, as expected, would take a few weeks longer.

Peterfiore Loc: Where DR goes south

In a single word...YES!

jbk224 Loc: Long Island, NY

For the wedding pros here, from the perspective of the client; can you elaborate on the client's ability to 'own' the edited photos and quality provided? Also, the client's ability to own the raw or jpg photos taken and not edited?

agillot

Weddings are becoming a all day long photo shoot , not a celebration .the bride and groom are been chased the all day and eve for photo pose .would be better to have a discrete photo taker or takers that move around without interfering with the activity s , except for a few group shots ????

Richard Engelmann Loc: Boulder, Colorado

I have to laugh at this - we attended a wedding that had a three-hour wait between the ceremony and the reception, driven entirely by the photography plans. In contrast, both of my daughters had weddings where the ceremony was at the reception venue, with about 30 minutes for formal group shots, while the guests enjoyed cocktails. Both events had the same semi-pro photographer who gave us all the images she shot for a flat fee, letting us resolve all the choosing and printing on our own timeline.

fotoman150

If they are popular Photographers, It might take that long if there’s that much demand for their work. Otherwise, people these days in a digital world expect to have short wait times. I try to deliver my photographs in two weeks after the wedding. After that the brides get antsy. Of course an album will take much longer. Maybe up to six months Especially if it’s hand designed in Photoshop the way mine are

Gilkar

In my almost fifty years of doing weddings, Film B&W and color, and making the leap to digital almost 25 years ago, I have found the exact opposite to be true. I delivered my "proofs" or digital images within two weeks to 1 month after the wedding day. It usually would take a lot of hounding to get the bride's album selections within six months after delivery. I had one couple wait four years and two children before selecting their images. Yes, I believe the photographers you may be selecting are giving you an exaggerated timeline.