Event Photo Delivery: When WeTransfer Links Expire
You delivered a beautiful set of event photos. You sent a WeTransfer link. The client downloaded some, missed others, and the link expired a week later. Now they are emailing asking for the rest.
This is the most common failure in event photography delivery — and it is entirely preventable. The photos exist. The client wants them. The method of delivery is the only problem.
The issue with expiring links:
- Clients are busy — they do not always download files immediately
- A seven-day window is not enough for a wedding couple to organise a family download session
- Re-uploading and resending the same files costs time that should not be spent twice
- There is no record of what was delivered and when
What event clients actually need
Event clients — whether wedding couples, corporate event coordinators, or private party organisers — need:
Permanent access. The link should work a year from now, not just this week. A couple who wants to share their wedding gallery with family at Christmas should not have to ask you to resend.
Easy access. No account to create, no Dropbox permission to navigate. They click a link, verify once, and their photos are there.
All photos together. Not a mix of WeTransfer links from different dates, a Dropbox folder, and an email attachment from the day of. One place, all photos.
High-resolution originals. No compressed previews. The client should be able to print from what you deliver.
For photographers delivering event galleries
Dedicated proofing platforms (Cloudspot, Pic-Time, ShootProof, Pixieset) are purpose-built for gallery delivery and selection. If the client needs to select favourites, rate images, or view a full visual gallery, these are the right tools.
A client portal works well for the supporting layer: the final high-resolution download folder, the contract, the release form, any behind-the-scenes or second-shooter images that do not belong in the main gallery. One permanent link per client, everything there.
The two tools complement each other — a proofing platform for the selection experience, a portal for permanent access to everything. (For the raw video and full-resolution side, see how to send large video files to clients.)
For event planners sharing recap content
Event planners who share a highlight photo set, a recap presentation, or event documentation with their client need a simpler solution than a full proofing platform.
Upload the photos and any other post-event documents (seating chart as-delivered, final timeline, vendor list) to the client's portal. The client has one permanent link to access everything from their event — from the first planning document to the last photo.
For corporate event coordinators
Corporate clients often need to share event photos with multiple stakeholders — communications team, executives, partner organisations. A portal link they can share with their team is more practical than re-requesting files each time.
Upload the photos to the client's portal. The primary contact shares the link with whoever needs access on their side. You do not manage individual access for each stakeholder.
The delivery message
When you share event photos, a simple framing helps:
"Your event photos are in your portal. The link is permanent — you can come back to it any time. Let me know if you have any questions about specific photos."
This tells the client two things: the photos are there now, and they will still be there later. This removes the anxiety of "I have to download these before the link expires."
Where Droplana fits
Droplana gives every client a permanent private portal. Photos uploaded there do not expire. The client opens their link — the same link they have always used — and their files are there.
For a broader look at permanent file delivery for photographers, see Droplana for photographers.
Start for free at droplana.com.