WE LIVE IN USA
The most common regret isn't bad photos: it's the online gallery having expired a few years later
Issues with wedding photos rarely happen on the day of the shoot. They usually happen three years later: you want to show your child the photos, but opening the link shows "This gallery has expired," and the hard drive you downloaded them to back then has failed too.
Online galleries disappear
Online galleries are usually kept for only 6–12 months and then vanish 💵 (packages vary by photographer).
That is a reasonable cost decision on the photographer's part, as they cannot archive every client's files forever. But plenty of people assume that link is permanent.
Ask about the retention period when you sign. (See item 25 of the checklist.)
Back up the day you receive them
Download the originals immediately and make 3 backups:
- Locally (your computer)
- An external drive
- The cloud (Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox and so on)
The point of making three copies is simple: if one gets corrupted or has an account issue, you still have two left. Drives fail and cloud accounts get locked, but the chances of all three running into trouble at once are really low.
Don't put it off. "I'll download them when I have time" usually ends with the link already expired.
Delivery times
- Photography: typically 6–12 weeks, longer in peak season
- Videography: 3–6 months (see items 25 and 26 of the checklist)
They're far apart, so the photos arrive first and the film later, two separate rounds of backing up.
For relatives in Taiwan who couldn't come
This requires special attention at a Chinese wedding. There are always older relatives who cannot fly over in person due to health, visa issues, work schedules, or family duties.the photos and film are the only way they get to take part.
Some practical considerations:
- Don't send only a link that expiresIt may take months before someone helps them open a computer or click the link to view them.
- Consider a printed albumOlder relatives are far more inclined to look at physical photos than scroll on a phone, and they can also show them to neighbors and friends.
- The full film matters more than the highlight reelThey want to see the whole process, not a wedding video edited down to three minutes.
- The files have to open in TaiwanGoogle Drive works directly in Taiwan, but remember to check that the sharing permissions are set correctly.
Mailing an album to Taiwan usually means more to older relatives than you'd expect.
Do check the delivery
When the photos arrive, compare against the original shot list (see item 105 of the checklist):
- Are all the family groupings there
- Did the tea ceremony's key moments get captured
- Does the count match the contract
- Were the original files included (if the contract says so)
Raise problems now, not months later.
In one line
Make three backups the day they arrive; and for elders in Taiwan, consider mailing a printed album rather than sending a link.