As an addition to professional photography, snaps taken by wedding guests can help add to the album to tell the story of your wedding day. With most people now owning a smartphone, there are lots of ways to encourage guests to get snapping and, most importantly, gather all the pictures from the day in one place.
QHotels’ wedding coordinator, Andrew Foster and social media manager, Jemma Turner have come together to share their top tips and creative ways to engage and involve the wedding party in the photography, from traditional techniques to modern technology.

Create A Wedding Hashtag
Personalised hashtags are a great way to share information, memories and photographs from the special day. You should create a hashtag that is both unique and memorable; you could get creative with a play on surnames or go with a simple ‘TomandSueGetWed’ style. You should include the hashtag on invites and wedding stationery to encourage guests to tag their photographs. Hashtags are a fun way for newlyweds, and other guests, to browse and save photos and memories after the event.
Design A Snapchat Filter
You can create custom stories and personalised filters on Snapchat that are location specific for guests to personalise their photos. These are really fun and interactive ways for the wedding party to create a visual story of their day. You could even use the same wedding stationery designs for the Snapchat filters!

Create An Instagram Frame
It’s becoming more and more popular for people to create their own Instagram-branded frames for guests to take photos in, which are personalised with the wedding hashtag, date and even a message for guests. They’re a simple, physical way to get people to take and share their photographs on social media and you can either design and print your own or order from one of readily available online templates.
Use An App To Share Photos
Apps such as Wed Pics and Wedding Snap are great ways to privately share photos with the entire wedding party. Guests just need to register with the app and upload their photos and then everyone can download, print and share photos from the app. Apps like this are a great way to make sure not a single picture is lost.

Disposable Cameras
Disposable cameras are a classic wedding accessory, and make it easy for guests to take lots of pictures on their table. In a world full of photo editing, people glued to their screens and picking the best of multiple shots, disposable cameras are great for capturing authentic, unique photographs. The novelty of waiting for photos to be developed is very exciting and these days they can easily be transferred into digital files with a retro style.
Photo Challenges
Photo challenges are great for getting guests to think of creative shots, and get to know the other people on their table. Challenges also help to ensure you get some of the candid pictures on your wish list. Depending on the personalities of the guests, these can be anything from getting a group shot of the table, or taking a picture of the bride laughing to snapping the best mover on the dance floor and getting photos of guys wearing a fascinator!

Polaroid Guest Books
Similar to disposable cameras, Polaroids have seen a resurgence in the last couple of years and are perfect for capturing un-edited, natural shots with a vintage feel. Couples can either buy or hire a Polaroid camera and pop it next to the guest book, where guests can snap a photo of themselves to stick alongside their message. The photos can help to capture the personality of your guests and create a sentimental keepsake.
Photo Booths
There’s no doubt that everyone loves a photo booth and they are a worthwhile addition to any party. The choice of photo booths has grown rapidly, with everything from ‘Magic Mirror’ booths to converted VW camper vans, so there will be something to suit every bride and groom and wedding theme. Most booths print out physical copies for guests and will also upload digital versions on social media for guests to save and share.