It’s been a couple of months since your picture-perfect wedding
day, and you get an email from your wedding photographer. Your photos are
ready! Your photographer sends you a link and a USB key of 100s of images from
that magical day. The question now – what do with all these photos!?

Back them up!

Number one on your priority list should be ensuring that you
have sufficient copies. Download the photos you’re sent, as your photographer
will likely take the down gallery eventually. While most wedding photographers
keep their images in perpetuity, it’s best to keep their backups as a plan C. Remember
that hard drives and USB keys can fail. Best practices for professional-level
backups are three copies in at least two different locations. Having the photos
stored on a portable hard drive (kept at a family member’s house), your
computer and the cloud should make you feel confident that you’ll never lose
those precious moments.

Share

Send that handy digital link to all your weddings guests.
They’ll love seeing the photos of you as well as any photos of themselves. This
way, you won’t get a slow trickle of image requests as all your guests recall
that one photo they’d like a copy of.  This
is an easy cross-it-off-the-to-do-list and makes everyone happy at once!

Don’t want to share ALL your photos? You can also pick and
choose. Share via social media or file transfer services such as WeTransfer or
DropBox. Keep in mind that photos posted on social media will be downsized
and can’t be used for larger prints.

Thank You Cards

Thank your guests with custom cards printed with a photo
from your wedding. They’re more likely to earn a spot on the mantle or fridge
door instead of the recycle bin.

Frame

Obviously, a classic choice! But actually do it! Print and
frame smaller photos for display on your desk or dresser. Hang a larger
showstopper on the wall in your home. Or, my personal favourite, incorporate
your wedding photo in a salon-style display. Consider placing yours along with
the wedding photos of your parents, grandparents, and other treasured family
memories.

Album – Professional or DIY Scrapbook

A wedding album is a great choice to preserve many photos
and memories from your big day. The album lends itself well to a storytelling
format, and you can put together everything from your engagement photos to the
cake cut in one place. Most wedding photographers offer beautiful, modern books
that have been professionally designed and printed. However, if you’re a
DIY’er, or have a scrap-booker in the family, you can also go for a more family
album vibe.

Gifts

Parents and grandparents will love photos from your wedding.
Maybe a framed print of mom and dad walking the bride down the aisle? Or a
monthly calendar filled with family members for the grandparents.

Video Slideshow or other digital display

Display your wedding photos on a digital frame, or as the
screensaver on your tv through your media streaming unit. You can also have a
video slide show made of your wedding photos. Nothing pulls the heartstrings
like music overlaid on photos with some nice transitions.

Shoebox

Ahh, the most economical, nostalgic, and no-fuss option.
Print off all your photos, stick them in a shoebox, and take a flip through
whenever you want to take a trip down memory lane. It’s not glamorous but
there’s something about actual prints. Flipping through those loose photos makes
you feel like you’re combing through a chest of buried treasure. 

While there are plenty of online businesses that do photo
printing if you’re looking for outstanding quality and to support local,
here’s what we suggest.

Our go-to shop for wedding photo printing in London ON:

Camera Canada 217 Dundas St, London, ON N6A 1H1

Henry’s

Our go-to shops for wedding photo printing in Toronto:

Toronto Image Works 80 Spadina Ave., Toronto, ON M5V 2J4

Down Town Camera 89 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M5C 1S1

Read more wedding tips here on our blog.