Engagement photos are one of my very favorite kinds of portrait sessions! But once you have those beautiful photos in your hands, what do you do with them next? Don’t just let those amazing photos languish on your hard drive, or live only in a quick social post. It’s my hope that every couple will use and enjoy their engagement photos throughout their wedding season, and for years to come! That said, here are my favorite ten answers to the question: “How can I use my engagement photos?”

1. Save the Date Cards

So many clients incorporate their engagement photos into their save the date cards, and I love seeing them in the mail! Using your photos in this way allows you to create beautiful and personal cards to announce your upcoming wedding to your guests.

2. Wedding website

A wedding website is more than just a place to celebrate your engagement — it’s a useful resource that your guests will visit again and again as they check details on where and when events will take place, and to find the links to your registry, hotel blocks, and more. But while it’s important that your wedding website be informative, you don’t want it to feel generic. Using your engagement photos can personalize your site while making it unique! 

3. Thank you cards

Just like your save the dates, thank you cards are a great choice for using your engagement images! You can work with a designer to incorporate your photos, or use one of the many online options to create a beautiful card yourselves. The combination of personal photos and a hand-written message will make your guests feel so touched and connected to you! If you want to use your wedding photos for your wedding gift thank you notes, you can use your engagement photos for thank you notes that you send prior to the wedding, like gifts from an engagement party, to your bridal party, after a bachelor/bachelorette party or for bridal shower hosting/gifts. 

4. Photo stamps

Photo stamps are super cool! And they’re such an easy and unique way to make the outside of any envelopes feel just as special as what they contain. Once you create and receive your own distinctive photo stamps, you can use them on your save the dates, wedding or shower invitations, thank you notes, holiday cards, even water and electric bills… anywhere you would use a regular stamp!

5. Guest book

This is one of my favorites! It’s so much fun to create a custom guest book for my clients with their engagement photos, and I always make sure to leave plenty of space for guests to write their messages and wishes. By using your engagement photos in a guest book, your guests will have so much more fun signing it when they arrive at your wedding than they would if it was just a traditional guest book with a bunch of lines. PLUS you get a beautiful keepsake with personal messages from your guests to look back at after the wedding. Some of my favorite places for ordering customized books are Artifact Uprising, Blurb and mPix. 

6. Holiday cards

Since your engagement portraits give you a chance to be yourselves, and take photos in something other than your wedding clothes, they’re not restricted to wedding-based uses! You can use them on holiday cards during your engagement, and even after you’ve been married. These photos can have a long shelf life! (My favorite place to order holiday cards is Paper Culture!)

7. Social media

Let’s face it, you will probably be sharing a LOT of wedding updates on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter in the weeks and months leading up to your wedding. Your engagement photos offer the perfect visual to accompany all of these posts! They’re a gorgeous way to draw attention to your updates, and they allow you to skip the process of meticulously posing for the perfect selfie. Plus, I have a saying… “If not now, when?” This is the time in your life to use your engagement photos and share them! I promise, people will be excited to see them. 

8. Personalized favors or wedding décor

Nowadays you can have a photo printed on practically anything, so you’re only limited by your own imagination. You can use them for a welcome sign or put a photo in a frame on your guest table. The options here are endless! 

9. Gifts for your parents & grandparents

Parents treasure photos of their children, and grandparents even more so! And if they love the awkward snapshots of you they have saved on their phones and in albums, think of how much they will appreciate a gift of your lovely engagement photos. A sweet shot of you printed and nicely framed will make an amazing gift for a birthday, Mother’s or Father’s Day.

10. Print them and hang them on the wall

There’s a special thrill to seeing your photos in print, and it really is a different experience than seeing them on a screen. Printing your photos and using them to decorate your home allows you to truly live with and enjoy them in your everyday life. Seeing your engagement photos as you get ready for the day or when you’re sitting on the couch will help to keep the joy of your relationship alive in your heart for years to come! (Did you know seeing photos printed in general, and hung on walls, boosts self-esteem?) 

I hope that you feel inspired to put your engagement photos to good use! After all, an engagement shoot is a once-in-a-lifetime portrait session, and it provides an array of stunning images. 

Those photos can (and should) do SO much more than sit on your computer! If you have additional suggestions on how you or other couples used your engagement images, please share them in the comments below!

For more helpful blogs on engagement photos read, The Checklist for Engagement Photos.

Questions on availability for engagement sessions and 2023 weddings? Visit my inquire page.  

Wedding photography is one of the most important components of your big day. After all, your wedding pictures are the biggest keepsakes! As you’ve researched all-things wedding in preparation, you’ve probably come across tons of info about photography, like do’s and don’ts and things you need to keep in mind when it comes to perfecting your wedding day photos. While there is a lot of truth out there, there’s also a lot of fiction that not only isn’t helpful, but ultimately won’t serve you at all. Need some help deciphering what’s what? Let’s dive in and debunk the top five myths out there about wedding photography!

Myth #1: My friend or family member can do my wedding photography

I know weddings cost a lot of money, so in an effort to cut costs, sometimes it seems like a good idea to consider asking a friend or relative who has dabbled in photography in exchange for experience and portfolio growth. While you might think that’s a good idea (after all, your iPhone photos look pretty good most of the time!), photography is not something you want to skimp on when it comes to your wedding. The talent and experience of a professional photographer is priceless. They know how to work angles and lighting in a way that will shine through beautifully with your photos, and they know how to capture the best moments without interrupting them. Your photos are meant to last a lifetime, so make sure they can stand the test of time.

Myth #2: The more expensive the photographer, the better

Sometimes you do get what you pay for, which means some qualified professional photographers might charge more than others and will be worth it. But that doesn’t mean they’re necessarily better or right for you and your wedding. Understanding the tone and style of what you desire for your wedding is key. You also want to look at the quality, consistency and editing of the photographer’s work. Use your judgment while knowing that what you pay can go a long way. 

Myth #3: The more photos you have, the better

No doubt you’ve heard this one before. After all, if you have a ton of photos to choose from, you’re sure to find more beautiful, social media-worthy shots, right? Not always. If you think about it, if you’re committing to a photography package that includes 1,000 photos, then your photographer will feel pressured to get as many shots as possible, which might mean you’ll be receiving extra photos of guests and centerpieces that you really don’t need or want. When it comes to wedding photography, it’s quality over quantity. By selecting the package of photos that you need, you allow your photographer to really focus on the shots that are truly important. Trust me, you will feel overwhelmed even with 500-600 images from your wedding day. Sometimes less is more!

Myth #4: I can direct the photographer to get the shots I want

While you’ll likely have a desired shot list, directing your photographer isn’t the best idea. Not only are you adding stress to your already full plate, you’re not allowing the photographer to do the job you’re paying them to do! Trust their ability. You chose to hire them for a reason! Miscommunications are bound to occur, not to mention feelings of frustration, and there could be a lot of time wasted when you should be focused on celebrating the love of your life.

Myth #5: Group shots won’t take that long

The group shots, whether it’s with the bride and groom and the wedding party, or posed family photos, might make meaningful memories, but they also will take up a chunk of your time. You might not think it’s necessary to have a schedule of who needs to be photographed and when, but it won’t hurt. Plan out the group shots and include that within your wedding timeline so it can be as seamless as possible. You’d be surprised to see that some bridal party and/or family photos can take anywhere from 30-60 minutes depending on the size and number of shots you’re hoping to get. For large group shots, plan for 10 minutes per shot to ensure you get it just right. 

You can’t always believe what you read or hear about wedding photography! When in doubt, ask the photographer yourself if you have any questions that need clarification. Go with your gut, and remember your wedding photos are probably the one keepsake from your wedding that will stand the test in time. Invest in them wisely!