Using a Google Photos shared album for your wedding.
A Google Photos shared album is free, and many guests already have the app. It works well for a small, tech-comfortable crowd. Here’s how to set one up, what guests need, and where it gets tricky at a wedding.
How to set it up
- In Google Photos, create a new album and name it, for example “Priya & Tom’s wedding”.
- Tap Share, then Create link (on iPhone: Get link).
- Open More › Options and turn on Collaborate, so guests can add photos, not just view them.
- Put the link somewhere guests will see it: a QR code on the tables, the order of service, or a message the morning after.
- Afterwards, download the photos you want to keep. Then turn Collaborate off so the album stops changing, or turn off More › Sharing › Link sharing to close it completely.
What guests have to do
- Open the link. Google says anyone with the link can view the album.
- To add photos, they sign in with a Google Account, tap Add photos and pick from their camera roll. When we tested on an iPhone (private Safari tab, signed out, October 5, 2026), Google asked us to sign in.
- On an iPhone without the Google Photos app: open the link in Safari, sign in to Google, then tap Add photos.
- That sign-in step is where we’d expect many guests to give up mid-reception.
Limits to know
- The sign-in step. Guests who want to add photos need a Google Account and must be signed in (we tested this). It’s a common reason fewer guests contribute than you’d hope.
- 20,000 items per album. That’s plenty for most weddings, but a big one with lots of video can get close.
- The link is the key. Anyone who has it can view. Removing a person from the album doesn’t stop someone with the link from viewing; to block it, turn link sharing off and on to make a new link.
When Google Photos is the right choice
Small weddings where most guests use Android or already have Google Photos, and you’re happy to send the link around yourself.
When a QR album is easier
When you have mixed iPhone and Android guests or older guests, or you don’t want anyone to sign in. Toast Roll’s table QR opens an upload page in any phone browser: no app, no account, original files, and you download everything in one go. It’s $39 once.
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Google Photos features checked October 5, 2026, from Google’s help pages.