He popped the question, you picked your date, started booking your vendors, and now are scheduling your engagement session!

What time of year you decide to have your session depends on how you are going to use the images afterwards. Whether they are going to be used as save the dates or simply to get some practice under your belts, we want you to get the most out of your images.

So we put together ideas that you can use with your engagement photos long after the session is over. There are some affiliate links in here that give you a sweet deal with the photo and card companies that we love (it’s a win-win for both you and us).

Save the Dates

Couples who want to send save the dates with images from their engagement session should schedule their session a minimum of eight months in advance to ensure you have enough time to get your gallery back, design the cards, order them, and mail them out by the six month mark. We’ve seen so many cute ideas through the years from incorporating the pictures into postcards, puzzles, and even magnets.

Your Wedding Website

Wedding websites help guests have all of the details in one spot. They’re also helpful for you! They allow you to collect digital RSVPs, track meal preferences, and share updates about your wedding. You can tell your love story and share your engagement pictures to bring all of your guests up to speed on the details!

Guest Book

We loved using our engagement photos to create a guestbook. It still sits on our coffee table and we go back each anniversary to read the well wishes and love notes from our friends and family. It’s a beautiful reminder of who we were close to in that season of life, to be grateful for the prayers that came true, and to see how far our relationship has grown through the years in marriage.

Holiday Cards

If you are already engaged before the holidays and your wedding is coming up in the next calendar year, why not use your engagement pictures for holiday cards? Send them out to friends and family. It is a fun way of getting a jumpstart on creating a new tradition together.

Personalized Wedding Favors & Decor

Let your imagination run wild (with maybe a little extra help from Pinterest). The latest trend we’ve seen is couples creating wine labels from their engagement photos. They pick an image to represent a style of wine (eg. merlot, chardonnay, etc.) and that helps guests visually distinguish which is which. You can also fill the room with your images incorporated into table centerpieces or along the dessert and gift tables. We’ve also seen couples put their engagement photos used on cocktail tables during the reception – they found a clear frame and put a photo on one side and fun facts about the couple on the other!

Bridal Shower & Bachelorette Games

Get creative with making the bridal shower and bachelorette games personalized to the couple. Pin the ring on the groom and photo booth props are a couple ideas we’ve seen that make the event festive and unique.

Slideshow

If you want to have a slideshow running during the bridal shower or cocktail hour, these images help fill in the gap of your current season paired with fun childhood memories from each of you.

Print & Frame

Whether you print them for the wedding day or just for your home, we are big advocates that your images are not meant to hide away on your computer’s hard drive. Print a handful of your favorite images that you feel capture the essence of you two as a couple. It’s a simple way to celebrate this exciting season before the two of you become one. They also make great gifts for your parents and other family members.