Unexpected Things to Do with Your Wedding Photos

Photo: Chung Li Photography
 

Couples pay tons of money to have photographers at their weddings, but what else can they do with the end result besides sticking a few pics in photo albums? A lot actually. We asked wedding professionals for their suggestions on what to do with your wedding photos after the wedding — and we love their cool, unexpected ideas.

Cheryl Clisby of Cheryl Clisby & Co. Event Design and Management has a "countdown to I do" checklist for all her clients. The list includes writing heartfelt notes to each other and taking selfies, then combining those pictures with the professional wedding photos to create a scavenger hunt for each milestone anniversary. This is a great way to look back on the images far into the future. Or, have your favorite snaps printed on marshmallows via Boomf and gift them to your family and friends as a thanks for participating in your wedding.

Your wedding day can be a personalized work of art, according to photographer Sarah Sloboda. "One of the coolest things I've seen lately is printing photos on wood, metal, or plexiglass. It turns the photos into an art object, and they can be made in a variety of sizes," she says. "Some people find it strange to have a poster-size photo of themselves, but a cool, 8 x 10 piece of wood would be really striking."

If big and bold is your preference though, Erin Supalo of Vow & Knot Events suggests turning a venue- or city-inclusive shot into a vintage-like poster. If you had a photo booth at your reception, group together individual strips in large frames as a reminder of your extended family and friends. She also notes that companies like Shutterfly can print pics on items like jewelry dishes — the perfect spot to store your rings at the end of the day. If you're giving parents and in-laws thank-you gifts for their support, then adorn a nice bottle of wine with a custom-printed label of a family photo from the wedding for a special touch.


For the boatload of thank-you notes you're going to write, Krystel Tien of Elle Bridal Boutique and Couture Events recommends having custom photo notecards printed. You can even use pictures of your bridal and groom's parties so friends can see themselves too. Use your more artsy shots — like a close-up of your dancing shoes or your interlocking bride-and-groom fingers— for canvas prints and have your vows painted across the bottom. And any gorgeous scenic photos can be simply framed and hung in your home as a landscape piece.

Aviva Samuels of Kiss the Planner thinks that fun-loving couples might consider printing 52 wedding photos on the back of a deck of cards, creating a custom Monopoly board, or picking some shots for a retro View-Master reel. You can also display the images around your house in a creative way. "Instead of framing the photos individually, consider putting them behind the panes of glass of an old door or window," she says. "Or incorporate them into a collage made with decoupage." If you have an appreciation for raw art, have an artist create a rendering in charcoal based upon one of your wedding photos. "The drawing will provide a beautiful piece of art that can be displayed in your home and become a cherished possession," Samuels adds.