The traditional ways of showcasing your engagement photos are to include them on save the dates or in newspaper announcements. However, there are so many other fun things you can do with them — here are a few suggestions.
If you’re crafty, make these little magnets–they make good favors, too. There is a great step-by-step tutorial on how to create these on your own, which is a lot easier than you’d think!
Oftentimes, venues will have an LCD screen you can have a slideshow of your photos shown on, which is fun for your guests to watch and allows you show off your cool shots. Just check with your venue coordinator ahead of time to see what form of media (CD, DVD, flash drive, etc.) works best for them, and put one of your bridesmaids or groomsmen in charge of delivering the goods on the day of.
It may sound a little old fashioned, but making a guestbook that incorporates your photographs is always a good move, as is having a large print where your guests sign the matte. Afterwards, you’ll have a nice, personal memento of the big day which can easily be showcased instead of taking up room in a closet somewhere and your guests can flip through the pics and leave notes near the photos.
Make a slideshow on a wedding website (which provides a handy way of telling your out-of-town guests more about the city you live in, as well as providing them with ideas for things they can do prior to and after the wedding). There are lots of places to get a free wedding site; this one provides unlimited photos.
A really unique idea is to incorporate your images into commemorative photographic tickets. It can double for a creative invitation and your guests get to keep a special memenot from the day. This company also produces a number of other fun items including buttons and puzzles.
Incorporate them into your wedding favors. Candy wrappers and and key chains are ones that come to mind first, but I think the more personalized you can make them, the more memorable they will become. In this example below, one couple I worked with actually had their image imprinted onto the M&Ms. (Delicious!)
And even if it is the most common way to use them, your save the dates don’t need to be boring. Below are the save the dates Danny and I made for our wedding in 2008, which we made into magnets. A year and a half later, our friends still have them up on their refrigerators, so I like to think they turned out pretty sweet and were well-received.
Incorporate them into your centerpiece display or table numbers, either at the wedding or engagement party. Or else, just put them directly on the cake! That one is probably more suited to an engagement party or bridal shower. =)
There are plenty of other ways to incorporate your engagement photos, from working them into your centerpiece displays or showcasing them elsewhere at your reception venue–I’d love to know what you did or are thinking about doing with yours in the comments below.
Of course, having some awesome photos to show off isn’t the only reason to take engagement photos. For a lot of people, this occasion may represent their first real photo shoot. (Sorry–your parents forcing you go to a mall studio with forced smiles and a backdrop doesn’t count.) It’s good to get comfortable in front of the camera, especially while being affectionate. An engagement session will help you get to know your wedding photographer and the way they work while allowing them to get better acquainted with your leanings as a couple.
The one place you should hope your photos will never wind up? How about this site–it’s a hilarious read so long as you’re not part of the content!
You may also enjoy these posts...
Creative Engagement Photo Ideas
Signature Save the Dates
Wedding Favors Revisited
Friday, February 19th 
4 Comments
Author information:
Nina Barry
Cori Cook
Lockerpartners
Julie Sandusky
Leah M. Charney
Katelyn Simkins
Continental "Divine"
Danny de Zayas
we still have your magnet on our frig, too!
I’ve always wondered how those little button magnets were made. Sweet!