An Easy Way to Get ALL the Photos from Your Wedding

I don't have to tell you that wedding photos are precious.  They're the kind of things that get passed down in families for generations.  They're the kind of thing we want to make sure we keep safe.  

Forever.

Wedding photos come in all shapes and sizes, from professional photos to the ones snapped by your grandma or your BFF.  Maybe your second cousin captures the perfect one-of-a-kind shot of the groom with that look in his eyes.

Wouldn't it be nice to get all the photos taken at your wedding?

Well, you can!  Here's how.

This brilliant idea comes from my dear friend and fellow memory-keeping consultant Carol who did this when her daughter got married.  It's a fun and easy way to encourage guests to take their own photos at the wedding/reception/dinner/luncheon and share them easily with the couple!

First I'll explain the general idea of how this awesome approach works, and then I'll tell you exactly how YOU can do it!

NOTE:  I am a Forever affiliate (a decision I made because I love it so much), so you will find affiliate links in this post, from which I earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you.

STORING YOUR WEDDING PHOTOS FOREVER ~ LITERALLY

We talked last time about how Forever is the best website to store your wedding photos and videos because it's guaranteed private, secure, and yours for your lifetime plus 100 years.  Many cloud storage options don't even have a short-term promise, let alone a long-term vision.

Not exactly what wedding photos deserve.

There's no monthly maintenance fee with Forever Storage, either.  You buy your storage and then you own it!  (And using the Photo-Themed Bridal Shower idea we went over last time means you might not even have to buy it!  Woot!) 

TWO THINGS TO DO BEFORE THE WEDDING

Carol's daughter and her husband came up with an adorable nickname for themselves, Hunny & the Bee, which I will use here in reference to them.  

#1 - Before the wedding, Hunny & the Bee opened a free Forever account.  Forever accounts include 2 GB of free storage for photos and videos.  Remember:  Forever Storage is forever!

Then, in their Forever Storage, they set up an album called Our Wedding and set it to Public visibility.  A Public setting is great for group events because multiple people can contribute to the album if you set it that way.   

Of course, you can set the wedding album to Private (or Friends & Family) view at any time you want after the wedding festivities.

You can see what that would look like by scanning this QR code:

#2 - Because Hunny & the Bee had a new account, Forever gave them a $20 welcome coupon (good for 60 days).  They used the $20 toward making a card using Forever's high-quality cards that would include the photo-sharing information for the guests at the event.  This could be done at a luncheon, reception, or practice dinner, or any good photo op where you can leave a card for guests at a table, or on a chair.

The cards are awesome, but that's our next section.  For now you just need to know:

That's all they had to do before the wedding.

AT THE WEDDING (OR RECEPTION/LUNCHEON/DINNER)

On their special day, they placed the cards they had created and ordered (see an example below) at each table at the reception, asking guests to take photos of the couple and of themselves during the festivities, and then upload them to this Public album. 

On the card was a QR code that linked right to the Our Wedding album, so guests could upload right from there.  (Forever albums can be shared using a QR code or a simple link.)  

You should know that all of this is impressive but really convenient, too--the album already creates its own QR code to share, etc.  Plus, I'm here to help!  (P.S. Answering questions to get people started with Forever is always a free service I provide!)

Here's the back of the card, explaining this process to the guests.

How incredibly cool is it that your guests now get to make a journal or mug or cool tabletop panel or book (etc.) for themselves for free using their $20 coupon and their own personal photos in their own personal accounts!

A POSSIBLE BONUS

There may be an extra bonus here for you, too!  The QR code that links to your album in your Forever account acts as a referral link.   

Each guest who opens a new Forever account AND orders something where they spend at least 1 cent, you'll get a $20 coupon!  (Remember, they can use their $20 welcome coupon for something and pay the difference if there is one.)

You can certainly spend your coupons on any of the items shown above, or a blanket, wall canvas, etc., but don't forget the wedding photo-memory book and the permanent, secure digital photo and video storage I mentioned last time.  Those would be awesome uses for any $20 coupons that may come your way!  You can use multiple coupons on the same item, too.

HOW TO DO THIS YOURSELF

I recommend testing this out ahead of time with a friend so you can see how it works and make sure you've got it set up properly and be able to answer questions if needed.  I would love to help you do that!  My contact information is here.  

Here are the steps for what you need to do:

1. Set up your Forever account at this link.  Using this link connects you to me so that I'm your consultant and I can help you with any questions you have along the way.  Check your email so you can verify your email address and then get the $20 coupon.
2. Set up an album in your Forever account following these directions.  Your free Forever account includes 2 GB free photo storage.  At this point, only put a few photos of the couple in this album so that there is plenty of space for guest uploads.  You'll put photographer photos in later, too.  IMPORTANT:  When setting up your Our Wedding album (or whatever you want to call it), set the visibility to Public (you'll be prompted to choose a visibility), then click "share" above the album (shown below) to slide the "Allow others to upload?" toggle to allow other people to upload photos to the album.  A Public setting allows anyone to view, but you specifically have to allow others to upload to your album.                                                                  
   
   
   
3. Choose a card design.  Logged in to your Forever account, click "Create and Print" along the top, then select Cards under Design & Print.  Choose a thank you card (or another design if you like).  The back of the card is fully editable, and you can write a whole paragraph or two or three thanking guests for attending and instructions on how to upload photos to your Our Wedding album. (See instruction verbiage ideas in the image above.) Note:  If you prefer to design your own card, ask me about Artisan, Forever's digital scrapbooking software.  I also hire out to make personalized products using Artisan.
4. Create a card with these instructions for each person's table setting (or a few cards per table, if you prefer) following the instructions here.  This is very simple to do (and very elegant!) using Forever's free Design & Print software, which you can access right from your Forever account.   Don't forget to include the QR code to your Our Wedding album--that's the most important part!  I can help you if needed--don't hesitate to ask!

I recommend placing the cards on the table alternating, some with the card front showing and some with the card back showing.  This way, the guests are more likely to notice that the cards are double-sided.  We don't want them to miss the all-important information on the back!!  (If you do use the envelopes, I recommend stuffing them with the message side showing when opened.)

While this is a creative and fun way to get all the photos from different points of view during your wedding/reception/luncheon/dance (etc.), it is certainly likely that there may be some photos uploaded that you don't love.  Shhhh... don't tell, but deleting them later is easy!  :)  

Who do you know who would love this great idea my friend Carol did at her daughter's wedding?  Share this post using the share buttons at the left, or Pin this image below to Pinterest to save it for later.

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