Four to eight weeks: that's the most common turnaround among wedding photographers for a full high-resolution delivery. Some offer a quick selection first (7 to 10 days) and the rest later. The exact number matters less than what you do with it: a timeline you keep and announce clearly reassures more than a short one left vague.
Announce the timeline before anyone asks
A couple's stress rarely comes from the wait itself, it comes from the silence. Give a clear window on the wedding day or in the contract, along with an approximate delivery date. A couple who knows they're waiting until September 15th waits calmly; a couple who knows nothing starts asking the following week.
If you're running behind, say so before they ask. A proactive message like "I'm in the middle of retouching, plan for late this month instead" costs you far less trust than a silence that drags on.
Two-stage delivery: keep them happy without rushing
Many photographers deliver a small first selection (30 to 50 photos) a week after the wedding, then the full retouched gallery a few weeks later. It eases the wait and gives the couple something to share right away.
On xFer, you can set up two separate deliveries, the teaser and then the full gallery, on two pages in your brand, each with its own expiry date and its own open-tracking.
A wedding gallery isn't a folder of files
After months of waiting, a couple deserves better than an anonymous WeTransfer link. A delivery page with your name on it, photos presented cleanly, and a real moment of discovery turns the handoff into a memory in its own right, not just a download.
It's also the exact moment couples share the most, with family, on social media. A page in your brand is free visibility for your studio every time it's shown.
In short
Announce a clear timeline before anyone asks, hit it or give a heads-up in advance, and deliver in two stages if you can. The real driver of peace of mind isn't speed, it's communication.