As a wedding photographer, one of the things I'm asked often by my couples - either during our consultation meeting or even a week before the wedding - is if I offer sneak peeks, and when they should expect them.
(And by the way - you SHOULD ask your photographer this question! As well as any other question you might have, even if it feels silly. Your wedding photos are a huge investment and your photographer WANTS you to feel comfortable and taken care of!)
It's pretty self explanatory - sneak peeks are just photos your photographer sends you ahead of time, generally within a week after your wedding day. Some photographers like to do 24 hour sneaks, some prefer to send them a week later - it really depends on your specific photographer's work style!
Nope! There are some photographers who do not offer sneak peeks. They may feel like it causes extra stress to their workflow, or that sending sneak peeks might have the opposite effect as intended; rather than hyping up a couple, it might make them nervous. All valid reasons!
So why do I like sending sneak peeks?
- Because I'm the type of person to be so excited about a wedding that I'll bounce through the RAW files before I've even culled them and start editing ones I already know are my favs - and if I'm doing that anyway, I might as well share them!
- Because 4-6 weeks is a LOOOONG time to wait! And I love to keep the momentum going while the couple is still in their wedding hype!
- Because couples can use these photos for thank you cards, emails, and social media announcements. (And as a bonus for me, the photos are shared while the wedding is still fresh, allowing for exposure to a new audience)
My wedding turnaround time is 4-6 weeks, and I always promise sneak peeks within a week of your wedding day - usually I aim to deliver them within 48 hours, but that's not always possible and I'd rather make sure I'm well rested and giving your gallery the love and care it deserves than rush sneaks out that aren't up to snuff!
I usually send your sneak peeks through text, and they are always high quality photos ready to be shared any way you want! I usually deliver a variety of 15-30 photos from all throughout a wedding day and one GIF in .mp4 format, looped a few times so that Instagram will allow it.
Below is just an idea of what your sneaks might look like - this was a STUNNING little rustic barn wedding at the 228 in Sterling, MA. I absolutely CAN'T get over the way Maxim looks at Arianna in these photos (or how absolutely magical that golden light was, oh my goodness!)
