A wedding photographer should ask every couple for a review two or three days after the gallery is delivered, when they are looking at their photos, and send a second, shorter reminder a week later. A workflow in GoHighLevel can send both from a gallery delivered tag. The bottom line: ask everyone, never filter by how happy they seem, and offer nothing in exchange, because both Google and the FTC have rules about reviews.
Why gallery delivery is the moment
A wedding photography company's guide says most professional photographers deliver a full edited gallery within 4 to 8 weeks of the wedding, with sneak peeks within days, and busy season galleries taking 8 to 12 weeks. A magazine guide says albums add another 4 to 8 weeks after the gallery. A couple cannot review the photos until they have seen them, so the gallery is the trigger, and a request before it goes out is premature.
The rules
Google's contributed content policy, as quoted by review management vendors, prohibits businesses from discouraging or prohibiting negative reviews or selectively soliciting positive reviews, and it bans incentives such as discounts or free goods in exchange for reviews, even for honest ones. The FTC's Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule took effect October 21, 2024 and targets fake reviews, incentives conditioned on sentiment, and certain suppression. Commentary is not uniform on how the federal rule applies to each gating scenario, so read the FTC's own guidance and ask counsel. The practical rule is the same: send the request to every client, do not screen by a satisfaction survey first, and do not offer prints or discounts for a review.
The schedule
| When | Step |
|---|---|
| Gallery delivered | You tag the couple Gallery delivered |
| 2 days later | Text and email with a link to leave a review |
| 9 days later | One reminder, only to couples who have not clicked |
| After that | Stop |
Build it in GoHighLevel
- Create a trigger link that points to your Google review page. GoHighLevel's trigger links record each click on the contact's activity timeline.
- Build a workflow that starts when you add the tag Gallery delivered.
- Add a Wait of 2 days, then Send Email and Send SMS with the trigger link in the message body. GoHighLevel's help page says the trigger link itself must be in the message, not a custom value.
- Add a Wait of 7 days and an If/Else on whether the link was clicked. If not, send one short reminder.
- Turn on Stop on Response, and read every reply, good or bad.
- Do not add a satisfaction question that decides who receives the link.
GoHighLevel's trigger link pages say a click is recorded on the contact's timeline and can start a workflow, and that a workflow Wait step can wait for a click. A click shows the link was opened, not that a review was posted.
What the workload looks like
For example, a photographer with 30 weddings a year sends 30 requests and about 15 reminders (30 times 0.5 if half click). At even a 40 percent review rate, that is 12 new reviews a year (30 times 0.4).
Mistakes to avoid
- Asking before the gallery arrives. Couples cannot review yet.
- Screening for happy couples. Google names that gating.
- Offering a discount for a review. Google bans incentives for any review.
- Ignoring negative replies. Answer them.
How this was handled before
Photographers asked for reviews in a delivery email and hoped couples would follow through. Review platforms and regulators have since set rules against filtering and incentives, so the process needs to ask everyone, at the right time, without conditions.
What to measure after launch
Track requests sent, links clicked, and reviews posted, all counted by hand from your Google profile. If clicks are high and reviews are low, make the review page simpler to reach, and never change who receives the request.
Check before you switch it on
US text messages sent from a standard 10 digit number need A2P 10DLC registration. The HighLevel support portal says registration is required for texts to US recipients from 10 digit long code numbers and that toll free numbers do not require it. HighLevel's opt in guidelines also say a person cannot be forced to agree to text messages in order to submit a form, so keep the consent box optional. One compliance guide separates informational texts, which need documented consent, from marketing texts, which need prior express written consent. Ask your attorney which category your reminders fall into. Couples often share a phone and an email, so send the request to both partners' contacts. This is general information, not legal advice.
Questions people ask
When do wedding photographers deliver galleries?
One company's guide says 4 to 8 weeks is common, with sneak peeks within days.
Can I ask only happy couples?
No. Google's policy prohibits selectively soliciting positive reviews.
Can I offer a discount for a review?
Google bans incentives in exchange for reviews, and the FTC rule targets incentives tied to sentiment.
Ready to try it yourself? Start a GoHighLevel account here.
You can also see this in action in our GoHighLevel capabilities demo.