Guide
How to collect guest photos at your wedding (QR codes, shared albums and what actually works)
Shared albums, hashtags, disposable cameras and QR photo walls compared, plus how to make a QR sign guests actually scan.
October 5, 2026 · 3 min read
Guests take hundreds of photos and you see a few dozen. Pick one method, make it easy, and ask at the right moments.
The options compared
| Method | Best for | Catch |
|---|---|---|
| QR photo wall | Photos during and after; a live slideshow gets more uploads | Slideshow needs a screen |
| Shared album | Free full-size files afterwards | Awkward across iPhone and Android |
| Disposable cameras | A fun extra | About $400 for ten tables; a third come out blurry |
| WhatsApp group | 30 close friends | Heavy compression, buzzes for weeks |
| Hashtag | A bit of fun | Private accounts never show up |
Paper&Seal includes a guest photo wall: guests upload from their invitation link or one shared QR code, you approve photos before they show, and paid plans add a live venue slideshow.
A QR sign guests actually scan
- One codeNo hashtag and album link beside it.
- BigAt least 8cm across on a table card, larger at the bar.
- Say what happensScan to add your photos to our wall.
- Short URL underneathFor phones that will not read the code.
- EverywhereEvery table, the entrance, and the bar (most scans: people wait there).
- Test itAn older phone, in the venue's lighting. Dark code, light matte card.
Our free photo sharing QR sign turns any link, including a shared album, into a printable code.
When to ask
| Moment | What the MC says |
|---|---|
| Welcome | There are codes on your tables. Send what you take tonight to the wall and see it on the screen. |
| Before speeches (most uploads) | Before we start, add your ceremony photos to the wall. |
| Before the send-off | Last chance. Send us the photos you would not normally send. |
| Next morning | A reminder text. Guests scroll their camera roll on the way home. |
Privacy
- Approve before the screen. Give the job to someone outside the wedding party who watches their phone.
- One line on the sign: Photos are shared with the couple and shown on the screen tonight.
- Children: leave photos of other people's kids to their parents.
In the first two weeks
- Download and back upNever leave the only copy in a service you might stop paying for.
- CutDelete blurry, dark and duplicate shots. Over half go.
- Pick twentyA small album for both families.
- Share the linkGuests love seeing everyone else's photos.
- Print a bookMix guest shots with your photographer's.
Sending the invitation too? Digital wedding invitations