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. The photo side is the part of the final month that gets silently skipped, yet it's where a little effort pays back the most. 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 (the free Discover plan is enough for a trial), send the link 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.

The final 30 days, week by week

The last month is a logistical sprint — final headcounts, seating charts, vendor confirmations. Here is what to lock in on the photo side.

T-30: gallery and photographers

  • Open the real gallery. Move to the plan that fits your headcount, store the admin password somewhere safe, and connect Google Drive (Soirée plan) so the very first photo already gets a second copy.
  • Re-confirm your photographer. Arrival time, hours of coverage, shot list, deliverables and delivery date in writing — so you know which moments guests need to cover.
  • Brief the friendographers. If friends are complementing (or replacing) a pro, a written brief now gives them time to think about gear, framing and must-have shots.

T-28: design and order the printed assets

  • Download the QR code from the admin area. The event code is built in: guests who scan land straight on your gallery and only pick a nickname and a 6-digit PIN.
  • Lay out the signage. Business-card-sized table cards (QR + text code), an A3 entrance poster, a slot in the ceremony program or order of service.
  • Send to print. Most online printers need one to two weeks for standard shipping — factor that in now.

T-21: tell the guests

  • Add the gallery to the logistics message. Alongside ceremony time, directions and dress code: "Share your photos on labo.gallery/app with code WEDDING2026."
  • Appoint a "photo captain." A bridesmaid, groomsman, or tech-comfortable friend who can walk hesitant guests through the upload on the day.

T-14 to T-10: test everything

  • Scan the printed cards on several phones. A recent iPhone, a recent Android and an older one: the gallery should open and a full-size photo should upload without errors.
  • Plan a Plan B. If a stack of cards goes missing, the QR code shown on a tablet at the entrance does the job.

T-7: the final nudge

  • 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."
  • Gather the kit. Posters, table cards, and the main friendographer's batteries and power banks.

T-3: rehearsal and walk-through

  • Use the rehearsal dinner as a soft launch. The wedding party and family drop their first photos — it doubles as their tutorial for the big day.
  • Last check. Are all the table cards packed? Is the poster in the car going to the venue? Does the photo captain know the event code?

On the wedding day

  • Place the signage early. Entrance, cocktail hour, bar — up before the first guests arrive. Visibility drives participation more than anything else.
  • Short mic moment. Around dinner, have the MC or best man spend thirty seconds explaining the QR code and why it matters. The contribution spike is immediate.
  • Don't check the feed all night. Photos keep landing during the party and over the following days. 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, confirm the first uploads are in, nicknames are readable and the Drive backup is ticking over. A good share of the photos typically lands in the first couple of days.
  • 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 most contributions 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. A few hours of cumulative prep buys you a photo archive your family will keep for decades — and the gallery is the only part of the wedding that keeps working after you've gone to bed. For choosing the method and wording the ask, read how to collect wedding photos from guests. Ready to spin up a gallery? See the pricing page.