What can you do with all those wedding pictures?

While my wedding's over, I'm always reminiscing. Part of it has to do with the fact that even when a wedding has passed, there's still a few bits and pieces left. One of those little details is deciding what to do with your wedding pictures. Robert and I were so lucky with our pictures. There are so many that we love and cherish that deciding which ones I wanted to showcase was quite a task (Robert was not as involved in this as I was). But even when you've decided which ones to use, deciding how to use them can be just as tough. Here's a few ways to make the best of your wedding photos.

A gallery

For months I was shopping for the right frames. Poor hubby was listening intently, even though secretly I know he was hoping I'd just pick some already! However, a gallery can allow you to get a true reflection of the day as you remember it, so the right frames are important.



The great thing about a gallery is you can incorporate little pieces of your day. For our American wedding gallery, I incorporated the "I Do" that we used on our cake table. Now I feel like it's more than just a gallery of our pictures, it also incorporates a little piece of the big day decor. If you hand-made your invites or have a copy of the speeches your bridal/groom's party gave, you could frame those too. Everyone is different, but as long as you incorporate a reflection of how you remember your day, I think you'll be pleased with the results.

Photobooks

I absolutely love photobooks. Maybe it's because I'm an English major and I love the stories they let you create or maybe it's how creative you can be with them. Either way, when Robert and I started planning our wedding, I knew I wanted us to have a photobook. Unlike a gallery, you're less limited in the amount of pictures you can choose. Granted, you could build an entire wall gallery, but who really has the room for that?
Your photographer should provide plenty of options; I know Fort Mill Photography and Sarah Vivienne had some breathtaking choices. If I could, I would definitely have ordered one of Sarah Vivienne's Queensberry albums. Unfortunately, we weren't able to afford one. However, if you're like us and budget is an issue, Shutterfly is a great alternative. You can build pages that emphasize certain elements of your wedding; such as the cake cutting or your bridal party. But my favorite part was that I was able to add the note Robert wrote to me on our wedding day (most photographers offer this customizable option as well). I've even seen examples that include menus alongside pictures of the food.

Cards and Stationary

Now that you have pictures you're proud of, show them off! Why not use one of your wedding photos on your address labels? It certainly adds a nice touch to your thank you cards. Robert and I actually used one of our engagement photos on the adress labels for our thank you cards. However, I will be adding a wedding picture to our Christmas cards. I love the photo cards you can make from Shutterfly or Wedding Paper Divas. I'll probably only do this our first year as newlyweds, but if you're like me and you're truly excited to be married, you should celebrate your new relationship to the fullest.

Submit photos to a magazine

This last option requires your photographer's permission, but if you're comfortable with hundreds of people seeing your pictures, you should consider submitting them to a magazine. Robert and I, courtesy of Fort Mill Photography, have submitted our photos to a few publications. I'm not holding out much hope of being chosen as the publications are very competitive, but I'm excited we even got the opportunity. However, there are options for paying for submissions (like the local newspaper).




(Image source: http://www.visualphotos.com/image/2x412853/young_woman_reading_a_magazine_in_a_coffee_shop)