Photo gallery delivery message: 5 templates to copy

The gallery is built, the cover is set, the link is copied. Then you stare at an empty email. What you write here is the first thing your client reads before they see a single photo, and a few plain sentences do more than a long one full of exclamation marks.

Below is what a delivery message needs to say, then five short templates you can copy: a wedding, a family session, a portrait session, a corporate client and a reminder before the gallery closes. Change the words in square brackets and make them sound like you.

What every delivery message needs

Their names, and one warm line about the day or the session. Personal, short, true.
The link, on its own line, so it is easy to tap on a phone.
The password, if the gallery has one.
What to do: look, download, choose favorites, and how many if there is a limit.
How long the gallery stays open, as a date.
A nudge to download and keep their own copy.
How to reach you if something does not work.

Keep it to what fits on one phone screen. Anything longer, such as print advice or album options, can go in a separate message a few days later.

Subject lines that get opened

Your wedding photos are here, [Names]
Your family photos are ready to see
[Name], your portraits are ready
[Company] headshots: your gallery is ready
Your gallery closes on [date]

Avoid words that look like spam ('FREE', lots of capitals, several exclamation marks), and send from the address the client already knows.

Template 1: a wedding

Hi [Names], your wedding photos are ready. It was such a joy to be part of your day, and I hope these bring it all back. Here is your gallery: [link] (password: [password]). You can look through everything on your phone and download single photos or the whole gallery at once. Please download your photos and keep a copy in two places. The gallery stays open until [date], so there is plenty of time to share it with family. Any questions, just reply to this email. [Your name]

Template 2: a family session

Hi [Name], your family photos are ready. Thank you for such a lovely session, the kids were wonderful. Here is your gallery: [link]. Have a look, and download any photo or all of them at once. If you would like prints or an album, tap the heart on your favorites and I will put together some options. The gallery stays open until [date], so please download your photos before then. [Your name]

Template 3: a portrait session

Hi [Name], your portraits are ready to see: [link]. Please tap the heart on the [number] photos you would like me to retouch, which is what your session includes, and leave a note on any photo if you have a request. When you are done, send your selection. If I have it by [date], your final photos will be with you by [date]. [Your name]

Template 4: a corporate client

Hello [Name], the photos from [event or headshot session] are ready: [link] (password: [password]). The gallery has [number] edited photos in full resolution, sorted into folders by [team, part of the event]. The files can be used as agreed in our contract: [usage]. The gallery will stay open until [date]; please save the files to your own systems before then. If you need different crops or sizes for your website, let me know which photos. Kind regards, [Your name]

Template 5: a reminder before the gallery closes

Hi [Name], a quick reminder: your gallery closes on [date]. If you have not downloaded your photos yet, now is a good time: [link]. After that date the gallery is removed, so please keep your own copies, ideally in two places. If you need a few more days, just reply. [Your name]

Small things that make a delivery message better

Send it at a time they can enjoy it, for example a weekday evening, not 2 a.m. after a long edit.
For a sensitive or corporate gallery, you can send the password in a separate message from the link.
Do not ask for a review in the first message. Let them enjoy the photos, and ask a week later.
If the gallery is in a language other than yours, write the message in the client's language too.

If you are not sure how long the gallery should stay open, we go through it in how long to keep client photos.

How Capturely sends the gallery for you

In Capturely, Send to client emails your client the gallery link in the gallery's language (galleries come in 13 languages), with the password included if the gallery has one. You can also copy the link and send one of the templates above your own way. With the client's email on the gallery, Capturely also sends the reminder: one email three days before the gallery closes. On Pro and Studio, galleries carry no Capturely branding. See how the gallery looks to your client on the client gallery page.

Questions photographers ask

Should I send the gallery by email or by text?

Email first, because it is easy to find again months later. If the client lives in a messaging app, send a short text as well, saying the gallery is in their inbox.

Should the password go in the same email as the link?

For most family and wedding galleries, yes, it saves a step. For corporate or sensitive work, sending the password separately adds a small layer of protection.

How long should the delivery message be?

Short enough to read on one phone screen. Everything else can wait for a second message.

When should I send the reminder?

A few days before the gallery closes. Earlier reminders are easy to ignore, and a reminder on the last day leaves no time to download a big gallery.

Send your next gallery with one click and an automatic reminder, free to start.

Try Capturely free

What to write when you send the gallery: 5 message templates for photographers