You've got photos. He's got photos. And now there are wedding photos to add to the mix. Your mother-in-law's been asking when you're going to get your pictures hung "properly" and your walls are a bunch of blank canvases.
Alright, already! Let's get those photos organized and displayed in a unique and artful way. Get centered. Grab a cup of tea. Crank up some great tunes. Now bone up on the four simple lessons of framing and displaying your pictures like a pro.
Illustrations by Brittany O'Neil
1. Set yourself up on a large flat surface. Gather up all the pictures you have and start grouping your snapshots by theme.
Old family photos go in one pile.
Travel shots in another.
Wedding shots go in another pile.
2. Now pull together your favorites from each group. Edit out crappy shots (the one where your bra strap is showing or his head is cropped out) and damaged prints (it may be possible to have these restored, but that's a project for later).
3. Play around with different groupings (generally stick to groups of three, five, or seven photos -- odd numbers are more pleasing to the eye) within each pile and see if you can develop a visual "story". Do you have three shots of you as a couple in a similar pose but in different locales? See how they work as a trio. Is there a photo of each of you when you were kids that shares the same visual scale and would look adorable side by side? Try it out (this is an exception to the 3-5-7 rule). Now when you're dealing with your wedding photos you might want to change your approach. Since you will have such a variety of images, instead of grouping like with like, blend candids and portraits to keep the overall feeling fun and lively. Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it (pun intended).
4. Great. You know what you've got to work with, so go scout out your "gallery" areas. Look for expanses of wall space: The empty spot above a sofa is an obvious choice, but consider hallways, the staircase walls, a dining room wall, the entryway, an interesting nook? Oh, the possibilities!
