Boston · Planning Guide
13 Ways to Use Your Wedding Photos
Documentary Wedding Photography · Boston & New England
TL;DR, Ways To Use Wedding Photos
- Don't just archive them: display and share your photos instead of leaving them backed up on a hard drive.
- Print and decorate: photo books, canvas or metal wall art, custom pillows, and coasters bring the day home.
- Turn photos into gifts: calendars, puzzles, phone cases, and framed prints make meaningful keepsakes for family.
- Share widely: online albums, social posts, thank-you and holiday cards spread the memories to loved ones.
- Get creative: slideshow videos, recipe books, a marriage blog, or a written photo journal.
Your wedding day is one of the most memorable moments; your photos are the perfect way to relive those memories. Instead of just backing up your wedding photos on a hard drive, why not display them and share them with the people in the photos? Here are 13 creative and unique ways to use your wedding photos in various aspects of your life, along with suggestions on where to source these ideas from some fantastic companies.
1. Create a Photo Book
Creating a photo book is one of the most popular ways to showcase your wedding photos. This allows you to tell the story of your big day beautifully and artistically, featuring the stunning work of your photographer. Some popular online services for creating photo books include Artifact Uprising, MILK Books, and Mpix. Photo books can range in price from $20 to $200, depending on the size, number of pages, and cover material.
2. Decorate Your Home
A. Wall Art
Transform your favorite wedding photos into stunning wall art for your home. Consider canvas prints, metal prints, or even a gallery wall showcasing several of your favorite images captured by your wedding photographer. Companies like CanvasChamp, Bumblejax, and Artmill offer various options for creating wall art. Prices can range from $30 to $500, depending on the size and type of print.
B. Custom Pillows
Create custom pillows featuring your favorite wedding photos for a unique and personal touch to your home décor. Websites like Collage.com, Society6, and Redbubble offer custom pillow options. Depending on the size and material, expect to pay between $20 and $60 per pillow.
C. Photo Coasters
Turn your favorite wedding photos into custom photo coasters to protect your furniture while adding a touch of personalization to your living space. Services like PictaBlox, Printerpix, and Coastermatic provide options for creating photo coasters. Prices generally range from $15 to $50 for a set of coasters.
3. Use Photos for Your Thank You Cards
Thank your guests for attending your wedding and supporting you on your big day using a beautiful photo on your thank-you cards. Companies like Minted, Paper Culture, and Greenvelope offer various customizable thank-you card designs. Prices vary depending on the quantity and quality of the cards, but expect to pay around $1 to $4 per card.
4. Create a Wedding Video
Compile your wedding photos into a slideshow or video accompanied by music from your wedding day. This is a great way to relive and share your special day with others. Services like Animoto, ProShow, and Smilebox allow you to create professional-looking wedding videos easily. Prices for these services range from free to $200, depending on the features and level of customization you desire.
5. Share with Family and Friends
A. Gift Prints
Gift your loved ones with framed prints of your favorite wedding photos as a meaningful and lasting keepsake. Companies like Framebridge, Framed, and Level Frames offer custom framing services, with prices ranging from $30 to $200, depending on the size and materials used.
B. Online Albums
Create an online album to easily share your wedding photos with family and friends, allowing them to download and enjoy the memories. Websites like **Pixieset, SmugMug, and ShootProof** offer secure and user-friendly platforms for hosting online photo albums. Prices for these services range from free to $30 per month, depending on the storage capacity and features you require.
6. Turn Your Photos into Unique Gifts
A. Custom Calendars
Create a custom calendar featuring your wedding photos for a daily reminder of your special day. These make great gifts for family members, too! Websites like Papier, Pinhole Press, and Vistaprint offer custom calendar options. Prices generally range from $15 to $40, depending on the size and format of the calendar.
B. Custom Puzzle
Turn one of your favorite wedding photos into a custom puzzle for a fun and unique gift or keepsake you and your spouse can enjoy together. Companies like Ravensburger, PuzzleYou, and Piczzle specialize in creating high-quality custom puzzles. Prices vary depending on the size and complexity of the puzzle, but expect to pay between $30 and $80.
7. Design Custom Phone Cases
Show off your favorite wedding photo by designing a custom phone case. This way, you’ll always be reminded of your big day at your fingertips. Websites like Casetify, CaseApp, and Skinit offer customizable phone case options. Prices typically range from $20 to $60, depending on the case type and customization level.
8. Use Photos for Anniversaries
Celebrate your anniversaries by framing a special wedding photo from that year. You can create a tradition of adding a new photo to your collection each year to cherish the memories. Consider using the custom framing services mentioned earlier, like Framebridge, Framed, and Level Frames.
9. Create Social Media Posts
Share your wedding photos on social media to update your friends and followers on your journey as a married couple. Create fun and engaging posts to celebrate milestones or reminisce about your special day.
10. Start a Blog
Consider starting a blog that documents your journey as a married couple. Use your wedding photos to tell the story of your big day and share your experiences with others. Platforms like WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace make creating and customizing your blog easy. Prices for these platforms range from free to $50 per month, depending on the features you desire.
11. Use Photos for Holiday Cards
Incorporate your wedding photos into your holiday cards to share the joy of your marriage with friends and family. Companies like Tiny Prints, Paperless Post, and Basic Invite offer customizable holiday card options. Prices vary depending on the quantity and quality of the cards, but expect to pay around $1 to $4 per card.
12. Use Photos in a Recipe Book
If you’re a foodie couple, consider creating a personalized recipe book incorporating your wedding photos. This is a fun and unique way to remember your special day and share your favorite recipes with loved ones. Services like Blurb, Bookemon, and CreateMyCookbook allow you to design your custom recipe book. Prices range from $20 to $100, depending on the size and number of pages.
13. Create a Wedding Photo Journal
Write a journal documenting your wedding day, including your thoughts, feelings, and memories. Add your favorite wedding photos throughout the journal to create a beautiful keepsake of your special day. Websites like Moleskine, Lulu, and BookFactory offer customizable journal options. Prices generally range from $10 to $50, depending on the size and type of journal.
Conclusion
Your wedding photos are more than just images – they testify to the love you and your spouse share. By finding creative and meaningful ways to use your wedding photos, you can keep the memories of your special day alive and share them with your loved ones. From home décor to unique gifts, there are countless ways to showcase your day through your wedding photos taken by a Boston wedding photographer.
FAQs
1. How can I create a photo book with my wedding photos?
Numerous online services allow you to create a custom photo book with your wedding photos. Simply upload your images, choose a layout, and add captions or text to tell the story of your big day. Some popular options include Artifact Uprising, MILK Books, and Mpix.
2. What wall art can I create with my wedding photos?
Options for wall art include canvas prints, metal prints, and framed prints. Consider creating a gallery wall with multiple images, or choose one large statement piece to showcase your favorite wedding photo. Some excellent companies that offer wall art options are CanvasChamp, Bumblejax, and Artmill.
3. How can I share my wedding photos with family and friends?
Create an online album or use a photo-sharing platform like Pixieset, SmugMug, or ShootProof to share your wedding photos with loved ones easily. You can also gift prints or create custom photo products, like calendars or puzzles, as keepsakes.
4. How can I use my wedding photos on social media?
Create engaging posts featuring your wedding photos to celebrate anniversaries and milestones or reminisce about your special day. Be sure to use relevant hashtags to reach a wider audience.
5. What are some unique gift ideas using wedding photos?
Some unique gift ideas include custom calendars, puzzles, phone cases, and recipe books. Personalize these items with your favorite wedding photos for a one-of-a-kind keepsake. Check out companies like Papier, Pinhole Press, and Vistaprint for calendars; Ravensburger, PuzzleYou, and Piczzle for puzzles; and Casetify, CaseApp, and Skinit for phone cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best thing to do with my wedding photos after the wedding?
My honest answer is to get them off the hard drive and into the world. A wedding album is the one keepsake I always push couples toward, it tells the story of the day in order, and it's the thing you'll actually pull off the shelf with your kids years from now. After that, a small gallery wall or a few framed prints in your home does more for you than 2,000 files sitting in the cloud you never open.
How do I pick which photos to print or put in an album?
Lead with the moments, not just the pretty portraits. The frames that hold up over the years are the unscripted ones, your dad's face during the toast, the two of you laughing on the dance floor, because that's the day you actually lived. I build albums to read like a story from morning to last dance, so I'd start there and let the standout single images become your wall prints.
Should I make a wedding photo book or order one through my photographer?
Both work, and it depends on how hands-on you want to be. Services like Artifact Uprising, MILK, or Mpix are great if you enjoy laying it out yourself. If you'd rather not stare at a thousand files, I design albums for my couples so the sequencing and edit are handled, you just approve it. Either way, get one made within the first year while the day is still fresh.
Can I use my wedding photos for thank-you cards and holiday cards?
Absolutely, and I'd encourage it. A photo thank-you card lets your guests relive a moment they were part of, and your first married holiday card is a fun excuse to share a favorite frame with everyone you love. You own your gallery, so you're free to send your favorites off to Minted, Paper Culture, or any printer you like.
What can I do with my wedding photos besides framing them?
Plenty. Couples turn their favorites into custom calendars, puzzles, phone cases, even recipe books, anything that puts the day back in front of you day to day. My only nudge is to make at least one thing permanent, like a printed album or a wall piece, so the memories live somewhere beyond a screen.
Do I get a wedding video too, or just photos?
You can have both from one vendor. I shoot photo and film together as a hybrid, so a couple I covered can relive the day as still images in an album and as motion with the actual sound of their vows and toasts. Having both come from one person means the coverage is consistent and nothing competes for the moment.
What kind of wall art can we make from our wedding photos?
Canvas prints, metal prints, framed prints, or a gallery wall built from several favorites. You can also go the other way and choose one large statement piece. CanvasChamp, Bumblejax, and Artmill all offer options. Whichever you pick, get them on the wall. A photo you walk past every day does more for you than a folder you open twice a year.
Can we turn our wedding photos into home decor besides prints?
You can. Custom pillows are a nice, low-key way to work a photo into a room, Collage.com, Society6, and Redbubble all do them. Photo coasters are another one; PictaBlox, Printerpix, and Coastermatic make those. They're small touches rather than statement pieces, but they put the day into ordinary corners of your house, which I like.
Can we make a video out of our wedding photos?
Yes. Compile them into a slideshow or video set to music from your wedding day. It's an easy way to relive the day and to share it with people who couldn't be there. Animoto, ProShow, and Smilebox make it straightforward, upload, pick a layout, done. Good thing to have on hand for an anniversary.
What's the easiest way to share our wedding photos with family and friends?
An online album. Platforms like Pixieset, SmugMug, and ShootProof are secure, easy to use, and let your people browse and download the photos themselves rather than asking you to text them one at a time. Send the link once and you're done. Gift prints to the people who'd rather hold something.
What are some gift ideas using our wedding photos?
Custom calendars are a favorite, a daily reminder of the day, and family loves them. Papier, Pinhole Press, and Vistaprint do those. A custom puzzle is fun for you and your spouse together; Ravensburger, PuzzleYou, and Piczzle make good ones. Custom phone cases work too, through Casetify, CaseApp, or Skinit. Small, personal, and better than another gift card.
Is there a good anniversary tradition we can start with our photos?
Frame a special wedding photo each anniversary and add it to a growing collection. One a year. Over time you end up with a wall that's a record of your marriage, not just your wedding day. Framebridge, Framed, and Level Frames do custom framing. It's a small ritual, and it gives you a reason to go back through the gallery.
Should we post our wedding photos on social media?
If you want to. It's a natural way to let friends and followers in on your first stretch of married life. Beyond the initial post, the photos are good for celebrating milestones or just reminiscing later. Use hashtags if you want a wider reach. Just don't let the posting be the whole point of having them.
We love to cook, is there something fun we can do with our photos?
Make a personalized recipe book with your wedding photos worked through it. Blurb, Bookemon, and CreateMyCookbook let you design your own. It's an unusual keepsake and it doubles as something you actually use, which most wedding mementos don't. Nice thing to pass on to family too.
What's a wedding photo journal?
You write out your wedding day, your thoughts, how it felt, what you remember, and add your favorite photos throughout. The pictures hold what you saw; the writing holds what you were thinking. Together they're a much fuller record than either alone. Moleskine, Lulu, and BookFactory all do customizable journals. Do it soon, while the details are sharp.
