A strong wedding photo collection never happens by accident. It's a short chain of small actions — before, during, and after the day — that together nudge every guest to share what they shot. Below is the full wedding photo collection checklist, organised by phase, ready to drop into your planner.

Two months before the wedding

  • Pick the collection tool. A private gallery like Photobooth is the right call if you have more than twenty guests or you want the full-resolution originals. See the wedding photo app comparison for the options.
  • Test with three people. Create the gallery, send the code to your maid of honour and two friends, have them upload three photos each. Confirm everything works on both iPhone and Android.
  • Decide on retention. Six months is a good default — long enough to finish the album, short enough to stay on the right side of data-protection rules.

Four weeks out

  • Add the code to save-the-dates or reminder emails."Share your photos on labo.gallery/app with code WEDDING2026."
  • Design the printed signage. A3 QR poster at the venue entrance, business-card-sized QR + text-code cards for each table. Every QR should point at labo.gallery/app.
  • Connect Google Drive. Set up the automatic backup now so the very first photo already gets a second copy.

One week out

  • WhatsApp or SMS reminder."Don't forget to charge your phone Saturday — photos can be shared on labo.gallery/app with code WEDDING2026. Can't wait to see everyone's shots."
  • Print the signage. QR cards, entrance poster, VIP hand-outs.
  • Appoint a "photo captain." A bridesmaid, groomsman, or tech-comfortable friend who can walk hesitant guests through the upload on the day.

On the wedding day

  • Place the signage. Entrance, cocktail hour, bar. Visibility drives participation more than anything else.
  • Short mic moment. Around dinner, have the MC or best man spend thirty seconds explaining the code and why it matters. The contribution spike is immediate.
  • Don't check the feed all night.Photos won't all land in real time — that's normal. Enjoy your wedding; the gallery will still be there tomorrow.

The day after and the first week

  • Check what has arrived.In the admin view you should see 30 to 60 % of the eventual total within the first 48 hours.
  • Public thank-you.A short group message — "thanks to everyone who uploaded, the code is still open for the rest" — keeps momentum without nagging.

Day +15

  • Targeted nudges. In the admin view, spot guests who have not uploaded yet and send a personal message. Avoid repeated group blasts — they tire everyone and stop working after the second round.

Day +30

  • Announce the cut-off.A firm date ("the code closes May 15") rallies the last uploaders better than an open-ended ask.
  • Pull the full ZIP. Follow the guide to download every event photo as a ZIP.
  • Archive in three copies. Local disk + personal cloud (Drive is already synced) + external drive for long-term storage.

Day +60 and beyond

  • Start the album.With 80 % of photos already in hand, you avoid having to redo the book because a latecomer's phone finally surfaced.
  • Diary the delete date. If you promised guests a six-month retention, put the deletion on your calendar so you keep that promise.

Print this wedding photo collection checklist, tuck it into the planning binder, and move on. Under two hours of cumulative prep buys you a photo archive your family will keep for decades. Ready to spin up a gallery? See the pricing page.