How To Store Your Wedding Photos To Keep Them Looking Great Forever

So, you’ve just got your photos back of your wedding day – time to celebrate! With a timeless mix of embarrassing (in the best way), romantic, emotional and heartwarming photos in your package, these are memories you’ll want to keep forever – but do you know how to store your wedding photos?

Whether you want to bring them out on your anniversary every year, or just have them as a visual time capsule of your day, it’s imperative that you store your photos correctly. Not only will this ensure the longevity of the prints, but also keep those memories alive for years to come.

Reputable Lab or Budget Prints?

Before thinking about how to keep your wedding photos safe, you first need to consider how they’re printed. We’ll discuss this in a little more detail further on in the article, but for now the long and short of it is this: poorly printed wedding photos have a shorter life span.

Perhaps you could discuss this with your wedding photographer beforehand because it’s absolutely worth getting them printed from a reputable lab rather than a chain store that happens to have a photo printing department. Trust me, it’s money well spent! We use only the best photo printers for our Mornington Peninsula wedding photos, so you can rest easy knowing they’ll last a long time. If you care for them correctly, that is!

What Is The Best Way To Store Your Wedding Photographs?

Getting your photographs printed at a quality photo lab, like the one we use, is the best first step in learning how to save your wedding pictures forever.  It will ensure you give those precious memories the long lives they deserve. However, this is only the first step in ensuring they last. Now you need to learn how to properly store them.

Keep Out of Direct Sunlight

The first, and perhaps the most important thing to remember when asking “where can I store my wedding photos” is that sunlight is your enemy. Sure, your Mornington Peninsula wedding albums do come in a box or covered up, but you still shouldn’t be leaving them in direct sunlight.

One of the main reasons for this is that sunlight fades the ink in your photos over time. We can counter this effect slightly by using high-quality inks (by using a good photo lab!) but it never hurts to be cautious. These are some pretty important photos after all!

Ok great, so then how do I store my wedding album properly? We’d recommend keeping your photos in a cool, dry and dark place. That way it won’t be susceptible to moisture, faded colours or any kind of mould.

Handle Your Photos With Care

So you’ve got your photographs from a great lab, you know how to store them correctly, which means all that’s left is understanding how to handle them with care.

The photo lab we use – Atkins Lab (established in 1936, making them the oldest lab in Australia, how cool!) – delivers each photo album in a box and includes a pair of white museum gloves. If you’re truly intent on keeping your photos in the best condition possible, use gloves when you’re handling them.

The main reason it’s beneficial to use gloves when handling photographs is because of oil. Throughout the day your hands will become dirty, and even something as simple as running your hand through your hair can pick up enough oil to damage the photos.

Once again, picking a photo lab that uses high-quality ink and paper can help lower this risk to some extent, but the best option is to wear gloves. If you chose not to wear gloves, at the very least make sure you wash your hands to get any dirt and oil off.

Remember To Enjoy Them!

While it’s crucial to treat your photographs well – especially if you’re wondering “what is the best way to store photos forever” – the most important thing of all is to remember to enjoy them. It’s no good having this fantastic set of photos stuck in your cupboard for years at a time. Take time to enjoy them, they’re yours! Of course, digital photos do have their place in this area, but sitting down with your other half and flicking through actual tactile photographs of your wedding is a romantic experience in itself.

If you’re interested in learning more about the prints we’ll supply for your big day, or want to discuss any bespoke arrangements, I’m just a quick email away. Send me a message, and let’s create something special together!

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