From I Do to I Remember: Ways to Showcase, Share, and Save Your Wedding Photos
This year, my husband and I will celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary, and my in-laws will celebrate their 50th. Next year, my parents will reach 55 years of marriage, my sister will celebrate 25 years, and my brother-in-law and sister-in-law will mark 20 years. So, I’ve been thinking a lot about wedding photos and the memories they hold and how to share and save them.
Showcase Your Wedding Photos
You didn’t spend thousands—or even hundreds (depending on when you got married)—to have a photographer capture your wedding, only to keep those photos hidden in a closet or buried on a computer.
Wedding Albums
The wedding book I made after our big day sits on the bottom shelf of a side table in our living room. Growing up, I remember flipping through my parents’ wedding album, which lived in a similar spot in our home.
It used to be standard for photographers to present wedding photos to the bride and groom in a white album. Sadly, this tradition began to fade even before the digital photography era. While more wedding photographers are starting to offer beautiful albums again, even if yours didn’t, that doesn’t mean you can’t create a stunning wedding album yourself.
If you have the digital images, you can make an album or photo book using your favorite site. I recommend choosing a layflat, higher-end style of book—something more elegant than what you might use for a vacation or family yearbook.
A few good options:
- FOREVER® – They offer several wedding-friendly styles with both traditional and modern aesthetics.
- Printique – Known for high-quality albums and books you can design yourself.
If DIY isn’t your thing, you can hire a professional—either your original photographer or a photo manager—to design the album for you.
Tip: If you don’t have digital images, consider using a traditional photo album instead. You might not have the copyright to scan or reproduce professional prints without permission.
Framed Photos
We have a wedding photo hanging in our bedroom and another in the hallway on the first floor. For many years, we also displayed several family group photos on our living room shelves.
A few ideas for framed prints:
- Black and white gives a timeless look.
- Candid, unposed moments often feel more special and show more personality.
- Include images with family or the wedding party for variety.
Digital Frames
We have three Nixplay frames, two Amazon Show devices, and a Google Hub—so there are very few places in our home where we can’t see our wedding photos. Our TVs (either Fire TVs or with Fire Sticks) also rotate through photos on repeat.
Share Your Wedding Photos
Do you want to share your professional photos—or gather and share candid shots taken by your guests?
Here are a few options to consider:
- Google Photos – Not my favorite, but it’s convenient for cross-platform sharing.
- Dropbox – Great for collecting photos, but not ideal for viewing or sharing.
- pCloud – I use this with clients, family, and friends. It’s great for sharing, but less so for collecting unless others have an account.
- SmugMug® – Excellent for both sharing and viewing. (Example: Bruce and Lisa’s Wedding!)
- Social media – Always an option for quick sharing.
- Print and share – The “old-school” method never goes out of style and is always appreciated.
There are so many more—what are your favorites?
Save Your Photos
It’s essential to back up your photos properly so you can enjoy them for years to come.
For digital photos: Use the 3-2-1 rule
- 3 copies of your photos
- 2 different types of storage media
- 1 copy stored offsite
For printed photos:
Use the 3-2-1 method too—but in this case, the printed copy can count as one of the three.
Note on copyright: This is especially important for wedding photos. I only scan professional prints as a backup copy in case of disaster. If you want to use scanned photos to create something new (like an album), contact the photographer for permission first.
Bonus Tips for Anyone Planning a Wedding
- Make a list of all the photos and groupings you want on your big day. A good photographer will ask, but go over it with them just to be sure. (I still regret that we missed one family photo—my sister, her husband, and their three kids were all in the wedding, but the only picture of just the five of them was from the photo booth at the end of the night!)
- Get candids. The more, the better!
- Consider video. Fifteen years later, I really wish we had one.
Looking to Do Something with Your Wedding Photos?
Schedule a free chat with Lisa to see how she can help you preserve, display, and share your wedding memories.
Great tips here! Love the emphasis on backing up with the 3-2-1 rule — essential for long-term peace of mind. ???? Have you found any favorite cloud services or digital frame options that work best for sharing with family? Also curious how you handle organizing candid shots from guests.