A shared photo album or a QR code gallery?
Shared albums in Google Photos or iCloud are free, keep photos in one place, and can take photos from guests through a link. A gallery made for a wedding is built around the day, with every photo checked before it appears, the couple's rules about posting, and the most loved photos the morning after.
Updated
| Topic | Our gallery | A shared album |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free for our first weddings | Free, within your storage plan |
| Getting photos in | Guests scan the QR code on their table | Guests open the album's link, once the owner lets others add photos |
| Checking photos | Every photo checked for explicit images before it appears, and a report takes one down at once unless the couple has kept it | Photos appear when they're added, and the owner removes any they don't want |
| Posting on social media | The couple chooses when guests may post | Up to each guest |
| The morning after | The most loved photos, and a reel for every guest who shared | The album as it is |
| How long it lasts | A year, then deleted, apart from the couple's favourites and the photographer's photos | As long as the owner keeps it |
When each is the better choice
A shared album
- It's free, and your family may already use it.
- You want to keep everything for good, in your own account.
Our gallery
- One code on every table, and nothing for guests to set up.
- Every photo checked before it appears, and your say over posting.
- The most loved photos, and a reel for every guest who shared, the morning after.
The short version
A shared album is a good free choice if your guests already use the same service and you’re happy to look after it. A wedding gallery does the jobs around the day for you: one code on every table, a check on every photo, your rules about posting, and the mornings after.
Questions
- Can we keep the photos for good?
- Yes. Download everything before the gallery closes, a year after the wedding.
Sources
- Google Photos Help, Share photos and videos, checked 20 October 2026
- Google Photos Help, Stop sharing an album and manage settings, checked 20 October 2026
- Apple Support, How to use Shared Albums in Photos on your iPhone, checked 20 October 2026
- Apple Support, Shared Albums limits, checked 20 October 2026