Engagement photos are gaining popularity, but don’t feel pressured in to them just because every one else is getting them done! Honestly, as a photographer, I absolutely love engagement photos, but of course they aren’t for everyone.

If you are on the fence, here are the 2 main reasons I suggest having an engagement photo session.

1.     It lets you get in front of the camera with your partner. If you have never been in front of the camera before or if one or both of you is nervous, it’s a great opportunity to calm the nerves or feel more relaxed before your wedding day.

2.     You can make and capture memories that you may normally only get in crappy, low resolution cell phone photos. Your engagement is something that happens only once, now is the time to ensure that you have worthy photos of these amazing memories.

Celebrating this time together is very important, and if you’re like me (waited 7 years to finally get engaged) it’s a long awaited event that is definitely very exciting!

“But they’re just engagement photos, what are we supposed to do with them after?”

Every day, one of you is probably taking a picture on your phone. It might be a confidence boosting selfie, a picture of an event or something you want to remember, or your delicious meal. But how often do those photos really get looked at again?

The chances are slim, but I want to guarantee that your engagement photos will not have the same fate.

Your photographer will likely provide you with the high-res files, that will indeed, just sit in storage on your phone. But there are so many other things that you can do with them, that will help keep those memories sitting forefront in your mind, to continuously bring happiness.

Wondering what Engagement Photos are used for? Here’s 9  Unique Ideas for Using Your Engagement Photos

1. For wedding invites and engagement announcements: if you are keeping your engagement a secret (perhaps you are eloping), or just want to spread the word through beautiful photos, these are something tangible you can share on social media or in prints with family and friends.

2. Have an heirloom album created that you can use for a guest signing book at your wedding: even if you are eloping, you can have your friends and family sign the pages of your album with messages of love before or after the wedding.

3. Put them on the wall in the form of wall art as beautiful home décor to remember these precious moments. You can do metal prints, wall collages, or canvases.

4. Create a Christmas ornament for your tree, or hang the ornament in your car or somewhere else in the house.

5. Use the photos to play at a wedding reception (if you have one) or send it out in the form of a slideshow with your elopement announcement.

6. Create a blanket: whether you quilt your own with the images printed on fabric, or order one, there are many options.

7. Print the photos in a matte and put in a personalized box. You can sit this on the counter or table to look through at any time, similar to an album.

8. Make jewelry out of it. You can have charms made with images, or put in a locket. If you loved one is a fan of Pandora, have them a custom charm made with your favorite image of the two of you.

9. Carry in your wallet. While this might seem like an outdated idea with the cellphone in the pocket all the time, you wouldn’t believe how nice it is to open up a wallet and see your love staring back at you. During a difficult day, it can be an unexpected boost of happiness.

 Now that you have some ideas for what to do with your pictures afterwards, get out there and create some beautiful memories for you to showcase!

Still need a photographer for an engagement session in Jasper National Park, or anywhere else? I would love to capture your love story.