Wedding proofs...how long?

[Scott_1469]

Question for the wedding photographers.....how long does it typically take for you to turn around proofs to your clients? I hired a photographer for my wedding last Saturday for just one hour. We're not doing an album, book, etc (both of us been there done that)....we were just looking for one or two quality shots to frame, and this was communicated to her. Anyways, I just want to see if I'm being unreasonable to expect to see some of the pictures in less than two months.

[cdifoto]

I'd have a one-hour wedding set of proofs up the same night. That's easy-peasy stuff. Anything longer, I tell people to start checking their url in 3-4 weeks.

[Photon Phil]

Album in their hands at the 2 week mark , online album up in 72 hours;)

[Scott_1469]

Thanks! I figured as much, and the thought never entered my mind to ask when we met with her beforehand. My bad for not reading that in the contract, but had she told me it would be 2 months before we saw the pictures, I would have never hired her.....live and learn.

[ssim]

As a good will gesture and to give the customer peace of mind, I put a time line in my contract. Varies by a day or two depending on bookings around that particular date. In most cases I have the proofs online with a week.

You said your wedding was just last Saturday so I would give them at least a week before you start to bug them. Two months is way too long and I would start to worry after 3 weeks.

[Yeoer]

I show a small preview slideshow(usually around 40 images with a bit of PP) in few days that way the couple can view them if they wish on honeymoon to remember the day. The main gallery is usually ready in 2 weeks. If they are having a storybook the draft design takes a little longer.

[SuzyView]

I get about 50 pictures up within 24 hours and about 250 by the end of the work week.

[CaityB]

Since I'm relatively new to all this I tell them 3 months max to give myself a buffer period. It's not a matter of how long it takes to get the photos done as it matters how long it takes to get the album back and to them. That takes a lot of layout planning, then shipping, printing, and then coming back.

I'm hoping to nail down a better timeline soon once I figure out exactly who to use for wedding albums.

The pictures can be done within two weeks for sure.

[dtrble95]

I ususally get 6-8 weeks, that is what my contract says, but I get them in 2 or 3. But for a small 1 hour wedding, I would say no more than 2 weeks.

[Zansho]

My advice would be to promise within a time that feels comfortable for you, but deliver earlier if you can. For example - your contract outlines 4-6 weeks for album, 2 weeks for online gallery. If you can deliver that in half the time, they'll rave about your service as being exemplary and quick.

Don't sacrifice quality for time though. Do it right the first time, will cut down on whatever headaches later on.

[Jayson Prentice]

I do very few weddings, mainly as I just started shooting them in this past year or two... The latest one I did was a nice, very small, wedding which was also very short (no reception dance, etc.) and I told them they should expect to see pictures in an online album in approximately two weeks. For a larger wedding with plenty more pictures I would at least get some of the 'best' ones up in that same two weeks time, and expect the remainder to be up within another 2-4 weeks time. This is all as I don't do photography full-time; I have another job and a 3-month old to take of too!

Two months, especially for only an hours of frames, is well beyond I would expect... But, waiting a while to receive them is going to be better then not receiving them at all.

[tim]

I usually have something on the blog within a few days. A full set of proof takes between 3 days and 6 weeks, depending on what else I have going on, two weeks is about average.

Album in their hands at the 2 week mark , online album up in 72 hours;)

That's just crazy! My album manufacturer (Queensberry) takes weeks to make an album. It usually takes my customers weeks to decide what they want in their album too. The fastest i've ever had an album done is a couple of months after the wedding, the slowest about a year - but they set the timeframe by being incredibly slow.