You’ve tied the knot, danced the night away, and received your stunning wedding gallery. Now what? Your wedding photos deserve more than to sit in a digital folder, forgotten until an anniversary rolls around. From backing them up to showcasing them in your home, here’s everything you need to know about what to do with your wedding photos.
First: Back Up Your Wedding Photos!
First things first: protect those precious memories.
- Download your images from your Online Gallery: I deliver two download options for my clients: web-size (perfect for sharing on social media) & high resolution (perfect for printing). Please download the full gallery in both sizes.
- Use Cloud Storage: Platforms like Google Drive, Dropbox, or iCloud are perfect for storing high-resolution images securely.
- Invest in an External Hard Drive: Keep a physical backup in case of tech glitches.
- Create Multiple Copies: Save your photos in at least two separate places (e.g., cloud and hard drive).
- Ask Your Photographer for their backup policy: Most professional photographers, including myself, store backups of the original raw photos for a set period and then host the online gallery of edited photos for a set period. I inform my clients of my policy upon delivering their final gallery, but if you went with someone else then it’s worth double-checking their policy!
How to Share your Wedding Photos Online
Sharing your wedding photos online is a beautiful way to relive your day and let loved ones celebrate with you. Here are some tips for sharing on Instagram, Facebook, and beyond:
- Create a Highlights Reel: Post a carousel or a reel on Instagram with your favourite shots—start with a dramatic moment and end with the dancefloor party vibes!
- Use a Custom Hashtag: If you had a wedding hashtag, keep the magic alive by using it for your posts.
- Tell a Story: Caption your photos with heartfelt anecdotes or inside jokes that reflect your day.
- Update Your Profile Pictures: Refresh your social profiles with a stunning couple portrait or your first kiss. Personally, I can’t go past a petal toss after the ceremony!
- Share an Album: On Facebook, create a dedicated album with a curated selection of images.
- Use as your phone background: okay, I guess this isn’t truly online but it is a digital way to remember your day.
- Share your wedding day custom home-page: I create a custom home-page for each of my clients to deliver their sneak peaks and final galleries as well as many other features. Feel free to share this link with your friends and family or whoever you want!
Pro Tip: When posting online, tag your photographer (that’s me!) so your friends and family can explore more of your photos or find inspiration for their own events. Also keep in mind how the platform you are sharing on will display your images – Instagram, I’m looking at you! If you are downloading web-sized images from your gallery, please don’t zoom in/crop the images significantly when posting as they will appear pixelated.
How to Display Your Wedding Pics in Your Home
Your wedding photos should be celebrated, not hidden away as digital files on a usb on a shelf collecting dust, so here are some ideas to make them a part of your daily life:
- Gallery Wall: Choose a series of your favourite prints and create a statement gallery in your living room or hallway.
- Framed Prints: Go classic with fine-art framed prints. Available directly from your online gallery, these are a timeless way to showcase your memories.
- Acrylic or Canvas Prints: Add a modern twist with sleek acrylic or textured canvas prints for a clean, contemporary look.
- Desk Prints: Keep a small framed photo on your desk to brighten your workdays.
- Change the Screensaver on your Computer
Pro Tip: Order your prints through your gallery store for the best quality and longevity. As someone who’s been photographing weddings for years, I can promise professional prints are leagues ahead of standard photo labs – pleeeease no Officeworks/Kmart/Snapfish orders as these will simply not do your high resolution photos justice.
What to Do With Your Wedding Photos Beyond Displaying Them as Prints
Your wedding photos are more than just pictures—they’re a story waiting to be shared.
- Create a Fine-Art Wedding Album: My personal favourite! Wedding albums are the perfect way to relive your day from start to finish. Each album is custom-designed, featuring premium materials such as linen, velvet, leather and buckram, as well as personalised embossing. It’s more than a photo album; it’s a family heirloom.
- Starting at $972, my fine-art wedding albums are designed to last generations.
- Learn more about the process here.
- Gift Prints to Family: Surprise your loved ones with prints or smaller albums of their favourite moments from your big day. You can also replicate your wedding album in mini versions, called parent albums, for any family members that would like a copy. Find out more about parent albums here.
- Holiday Cards: Use your wedding photos to create personalised thank-you notes or Christmas cards. You can order these directly from your online gallery store.
How to Store Your Wedding Photos Safely, in any Format
Storage goes beyond backups; it’s about ensuring your photos stand the test of time.
- Print Your Favourites: Digital files are great, but printed photos are tangible and lasting. In your online gallery you can create a favourites list from which you can order prints directly, or I can use to design your wedding album.
- Store Albums Properly: Keep your wedding album in a dry, temperature-controlled space. Essentially, keep out of damp spaces and out of direct sunlight. You can also order a dust sleeve to protect your album, or store it in an album box.
- Digital Best Practices: Periodically check your digital files to ensure they’re accessible and uncorrupted. Update storage devices every 5-7 years (let’s keep with the times!)
About Emma
Hi, I’m Emma Hawkins, a Melbourne-based wedding photographer passionate about documenting love stories with elegance and authenticity. My style blends candid moments with editorial finesse, ensuring every photo reflects the magic of your day. I’ve been fortunate to photograph weddings across breathtaking destinations like Patagonia, New Zealand, and the Whitsundays.
Ready to Bring Your Wedding Photos to Life?
Whether you’re ordering prints, designing a fine-art album, or creating a gallery wall, I’m here to help. Browse your online gallery and store options to start creating something beautiful today and always get in touch should you need a helping hand.
Interested in ordering a wedding album but would like to find out more first? Head on over here to see why you should create a wedding album and here for more specific info on design options and the ordering process.
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