FOCL · Guides
Guides and templates for wedding photographers
Templates you can use tomorrow, answers to the questions you actually get, and straight comparisons for when you're choosing tools.
Free templates and checklists
Copy them, change the names, send them to the planner.
Wedding day timeline template for photographersA proven eight-hour wedding photography timeline with every photo moment marked, plus how to adjust it for a first look, sunset, and a late start.Family photo list template for wedding photographersThe standard family photo groupings for a wedding, in the order that gets them done in 25 minutes, with the questions to ask the couple first.Wedding photography shot list templateA 70-line wedding shot list in 6 sections: getting ready, details, ceremony, portraits, wedding party, reception. With the rules for cutting it and the questions to ask.10-hour wedding timeline template for photographersA 10-hour wedding photography timeline with a first look, a church ceremony, two travel legs and a sparkler exit, plus the rules that keep a two-location day on time.6-hour wedding timeline template for photographersA 6-hour wedding photography timeline for one location, with what to cut when coverage is short and the 6 things you never cut.Elopement timeline template for photographersA 4-hour elopement photography timeline built backward from sunset, with a drive, a walk in, a 20-minute ceremony and golden hour portraits, plus the questions to ask first.Engagement session timeline templateA 90-minute engagement session timeline that starts 90 minutes before sunset: two outfits, two locations, one light change, and the questions to ask the couple first.Wedding day emergency kit checklist for photographersWhat wedding photographers actually carry: a pouch for the couple (pins, tape, stain pen, tissues) and a bag for yourself (water, food, paper, rain cover).Wedding photography gear checklistA wedding photography gear checklist: bodies, lenses, lighting, cards, batteries and backups, plus the night-before checks that catch the failures before the day does.Second shooter brief template for wedding photographersWhat to send a second shooter the week before a wedding: call time, their assignments by block, gear, file naming, and how the cards come back to you. Copy and fill in.Wedding client questionnaire template for photographersThe pre-wedding questionnaire to send couples 4 to 6 weeks before the day: logistics, people, family situations, must-have moments, and who not to photograph.Vendor contact sheet template for wedding photographersA one-page vendor sheet for the wedding day: planner, venue, DJ, florist, officiant, hair and makeup, with phone numbers, arrival times, and what you need from each.Gallery delivery email templates for wedding photographersThree short emails to copy: the sneak peek, the full gallery delivery with password and download instructions, and the expiry reminder. Warm, plain, no filler.Wedding photo delivery checklistEverything to check before you send a wedding gallery: cull, edit, export size, sections, cover, privacy, downloads, favorites, and a test on a phone. Copy the list.Reception events checklist for wedding photographersEvery reception event in order, entrance to exit, with where to stand, what to shoot, and the exact questions to ask the DJ before the first dance.Must-have moments list template for wedding photographersA short list couples fill in with the moments and people that matter most, why to keep it to 10, and how to use the answers on the day and in the cull.Client gallery checklist: 25 things to check before you switchA 25-point checklist for choosing a client gallery platform: storage, downloads, video, privacy, favorites, store economics, branding, email, migration and pricing traps.
Guides
Straight answers to the questions wedding photographers ask.
How to choose which gallery photos clients can downloadKeep proofs visible, allow downloads from a Finals section, or change one photo at a time in FOCL Galleries.How to deliver wedding photos to clientsThe whole delivery flow for a wedding, in order: backup, sneak peek, cull and edit, gallery, the delivery email, downloads and prints, with timings you can promise.How long wedding photo delivery takesTypical turnaround for wedding photos by season, the number to write in the contract, and what to send the couple while they wait, with rules of thumb for each stage.How many photos to deliver for a weddingRules of thumb for how many finished photos to deliver per hour of wedding coverage, why a bigger gallery is not a better one, and how to explain the number to couples.Wedding gallery expiration policy: how long to keep galleries onlineWhether wedding galleries should expire, the windows photographers use, how to word the policy, what to charge to re-host, and what to do with the storage.How to price prints in your galleryPrice prints at lab cost plus a markup. The multipliers photographers use as rules of thumb, the sizes that sell, where the money goes, and when to give prints away.How to get couples to download their galleryWhy couples never download their wedding photos, the delivery email that gets them to, how to handle download PINs, when to remind, and how to bring family in.Can clients have the RAW files?How to answer a couple who asks for the RAW files, why most photographers say no, what to offer instead, and contract wording that settles it before the wedding.New in FOCL: watermarked previews, clean downloadsKeep your logo on gallery previews and let clients download clean photos. FOCL now gives you a separate download watermark switch.Should you watermark wedding photos?The honest trade-offs of watermarking wedding photos: what a watermark prevents, what it costs you, when it makes sense, and why it belongs on web-size copies only.Sneak peeks: when to send them and how manyWhen to send a wedding sneak peek, how many photos to include, which images to choose, and how to send them so the couple can share without spoiling the full gallery.Sharing wedding photos with vendors: what to send, credit and usageWhat to send a planner, florist or venue after a wedding, how to ask for credit, which uses to allow, and how to share a selection without handing over the whole gallery.How to run wedding family photos in 25 minutesThe on-the-day method for 20 family groupings in 25 minutes: the spot, the wrangler, the order, how to call names, and what to do when someone is missing.First look pros and cons: how to advise a couple as their photographerWhat a first look does to the wedding timeline, the light and the emotion of the day, when to recommend one and when not to, and how to put the choice to a couple honestly.Golden hour and sunset planning for wedding photographersHow to find the real sunset time for a venue, when to start couple portraits before it, how the season changes the plan, and what to tell the planner so the slot survives.Backup strategy for wedding photographersA backup plan for wedding photos in four stages: dual cards on the day, copies before you sleep, the 3-2-1 rule through the edit, and what to keep after delivery.Culling workflow for weddings: a repeatable three-pass methodA three-pass culling workflow for wedding photos, from 4,000 frames to a finished gallery, with keep ratios as rules of thumb, a time budget, and where software helps.How much storage do wedding galleries take?Typical wedding gallery sizes in GB for JPEG deliveries, what a highlight film and a full ceremony edit add, and how to estimate a year of galleries before you pick a plan.Delivering wedding video alongside photos in one galleryHow to put a highlight film and a full ceremony edit in the same gallery as the photos: file sizes, streaming versus download, export settings, and the videographer agreement.Pre-wedding questionnaire: what to ask and what to skipThe pre-wedding questionnaire questions that change how you shoot the day, the ones that only waste the couple's time, when to send it, and a link to a full template.Working with a second shooter at a weddingHow to hire, brief and pay a second shooter, who covers what in each block of the day, and how to handle their cards and the rights to their images.What to do when the wedding day runs lateWhat to cut first when a wedding runs behind schedule, how to re-sequence the afternoon, what to say to the planner, and how to protect the couple portraits.Unplugged ceremony announcement scripts and sign wordingThree short scripts an officiant can read before an unplugged wedding ceremony, sign wording that works, and what to tell couples about the trade-offs.Working with wedding planners as a photographerWhat a wedding planner needs from the photographer, who owns the timeline, how to send your photo blocks, and how to disagree with a planner without losing the day.Shooting a wedding venue with no cell signalHow to prepare for a wedding at a venue with no cell service: the night-before checklist, offline timelines and lists, radios for the second shooter, and what still needs signal.Guest photo search in wedding galleries: face search, keywords and privacyWhat face and keyword search do in a wedding gallery, who they help, the consent and privacy questions to settle with the couple, and when to turn search off.Email registration on wedding galleries: leads versus frictionWhether to ask guests for an email before they view a wedding gallery: the trade-off between lead capture and friction, when it is worth it, and what to do with the list.Password vs email protection for wedding galleriesWhat a gallery password protects against, what email registration protects against, what neither one does, and where download PINs and expiry dates fit.Designing a wedding album from the couple's favoritesHow to turn a couple's favorites into an album: photos per spread, how to fill the story gaps, what to say to the couple, revision rounds, and ordering.How to share wedding photos with parents and familyWhat to tell couples about sharing their wedding gallery with family: send the link not the files, which download to use, favorites lists for prints, and hiding private photos.Lightroom export settings for client galleriesThe Lightroom export settings that work for client galleries: full-resolution JPEG, sRGB, quality 80 to 85, screen sharpening, metadata and naming, and why 100 is a waste.How to organize a wedding gallery into sectionsWhich sections a wedding gallery needs, how many, what to call them, what order they go in, where black and white belongs, and what should never be left unsorted.How to choose a gallery cover photoHow to pick a gallery cover photo that still works at phone width: faces or scene, where the focal point goes, what the type sits on, and when a video cover is worth it.Web size vs full resolution: what to give your couplesWhat web-size and full-resolution files are each for, why 2048 pixels is the web standard, what prints need, what phones want, and why couples should get both.Online proofing for wedding photographers: how to run itHow to run online proofing as a wedding photographer: build the proof set, use favorites as selections, set the deadline, and hide proofs when the finals go up.How to protect wedding photos onlinePasswords, email registration, expiry dates, hidden and couple-only photos, download PINs and search engines: what each one protects against and what none of them stop.My couple says the gallery link doesn't work: a troubleshooting checklistA checklist for when a couple says the gallery link does not work: what to ask them first, then published, expired, password, PIN, email wall, wrong link and browser.How to send a gallery link by text messageHow to send a gallery link by text: a 3-sentence message, the link on its own line, the password sent separately, what the preview shows, and the email that follows.Client gallery branding: logo, type, color and what to leave aloneClient gallery branding for photographers: match your website, one logo, 1 or 2 typefaces, a neutral background, restrained cover type, and what to leave at the defaults.How to get more print sales from your wedding galleryHow to sell more prints from a wedding gallery: store on from day one, a short product list, parents as the buyers, well-timed emails, a print credit and favorites as a cue.Print release wording for digital downloadsWhat a print release is, plain example wording you can adapt, what to leave out of it, and where to put it so the couple and their lab can find it.Engagement session gallery delivery: fast, small and on purposeEngagement gallery delivery for wedding photographers: 7 to 14 days, 40 to 80 photos, its own gallery, timed for save-the-dates, and built to rehearse the wedding delivery.How to download wedding photos from an online galleryHow to download your wedding photos from any online gallery: the link, the password, the download PIN, high resolution or web size, and what to do when the ZIP never arrives.How to save wedding gallery photos to your phoneHow to save photos from an online wedding gallery to an iPhone or Android phone: the download icon, where the file lands, how to move it to Photos, and why not to screenshot.Wedding photo sharing etiquette for guests: what to post, when and how to creditThe rules for posting wedding photos as a guest: let the couple post first, credit the photographer, use the download not a screenshot, and never share the gallery password.How to charge for online galleries in your wedding packagesInclude the gallery in every package, itemize it on the quote, and sell extra hosting years, USBs and print credits as add-ons. With quote wording and 3 worked packages.What a client gallery costs per wedding: the real mathWhat hosting a wedding gallery costs you: storage per wedding, plan price divided by weddings kept online, expiry as the lever, and worked examples at 15 and 40 weddings a year.Digital delivery vs USB vs prints: how wedding photographers deliver in 2026Online galleries, USB drives and prints as wedding delivery methods: cost, time, what couples actually keep, how long each one lasts, and when a USB still makes sense.How to switch from Pixieset to another client gallery without losing anythingA migration plan for photographers leaving Pixieset: what to export, what does not transfer, how to move live galleries, and how to keep couples from noticing.
Comparisons
FOCL against the galleries you already know, prices dated, both sides given.
FOCL vs Pixieset for wedding photographersAn honest comparison of client galleries, pricing, video, downloads and the planning side. Where each one wins, with Pixieset's prices as of September 2026.FOCL vs Pic-Time for wedding photographersAn honest comparison of galleries, pricing, video, the print store and the wedding-day side. Where each one wins, with Pic-Time's prices as of September 2026.FOCL vs ShootProof for wedding photographersAn honest comparison of galleries, pricing, video, downloads, the print store and the wedding-day side. Where each one wins, with ShootProof's prices as of September 2026.FOCL vs CloudSpot for wedding photographersAn honest comparison of galleries, pricing, video, downloads, the print store and the wedding-day side. Where each one wins, with CloudSpot's prices as of September 2026.FOCL vs Zenfolio for wedding photographersAn honest comparison of galleries, pricing, video, the print store and the planning side. Where Zenfolio wins, where FOCL wins, with Zenfolio's prices as of September 2026.FOCL vs SmugMug for wedding photographersSmugMug gives every plan unlimited photo storage but has no free plan and keeps 15% of print markups. How it compares with FOCL on price, video, downloads and the wedding day.FOCL vs PASS Gallery for wedding photographersPASS is built around print sales and starts at $1 a month. How it compares with FOCL on storage, video, commissions, downloads and the wedding day, as of September 2026.Pixieset alternatives for wedding photographers (2026)Seven Pixieset alternatives for wedding photographers: Pic-Time, ShootProof, CloudSpot, Zenfolio, SmugMug, PASS and FOCL, with prices near 100 GB as of September 2026.The best client gallery for wedding photographers in 2026Eight client gallery platforms rated on what wedding work needs: storage per dollar, video, downloads for 200 guests, favorites, privacy, print economics and planning.Pixieset vs Pic-Time for wedding photographers (2026)Pixieset and Pic-Time compared plan by plan: storage, video limits, downloads, store commission, branding, business tools, and which one wins for each kind of wedding photographer.Pixieset vs ShootProof for wedding photographers (2026)Pixieset and ShootProof compared at matching prices: storage, video, downloads, commission, branding, contracts, and ShootProof's switch to GB plans on 23 September 2026.Pic-Time vs ShootProof for wedding photographers (2026)Pic-Time and ShootProof compared at matching prices: storage, video, downloads, commission, branding, business tools, and ShootProof's switch to GB plans on 23 September 2026.Pixieset pricing explained (2026): what each plan actually gets youEvery Pixieset gallery plan with monthly and annual prices, what changes between tiers, the hidden costs, and which plan a photographer shooting 20 to 40 weddings a year needs.Pic-Time pricing explained (2026): plans, video add-ons and commissionEvery Pic-Time plan with monthly and annual prices, what each tier unlocks, the commission rates, video add-ons and fair-use rules, and which plan 20 to 40 weddings a year needs.ShootProof pricing explained (2026): the switch from photo counts to GBEvery ShootProof plan before and after the 23 September 2026 switch to GB: monthly and annual prices, archiving and add-on costs, and the plan 20 to 40 weddings a year needs.The best free client gallery for photographers (2026)Every free client gallery plan compared on storage, caps, video, branding, downloads and store commission, plus who each one suits. Prices checked 12 September 2026.Client galleries that host video: how each platform meters it (2026)How eight client gallery platforms meter video: hours, gigabytes or embedded links, per-file caps, 4K, add-on prices, and what a highlight film plus a ceremony edit costs on each.Cheapest client gallery per GB (2026): the storage mathPrice per 100 GB at the nearest plan on eight client gallery platforms, monthly and annual, what unlimited really costs, and a worked example for 30 weddings a year.Client galleries with face recognition and photo search (2026)Which client gallery platforms let wedding guests find their photos by selfie or keyword, how the search works for guests, what it means for privacy, and when to switch it off.