3 min readThere’s a fine line between tacky and tasteful when it comes to displaying personal photos in the home—and yes, we see the irony in that. Though your house is a completely personal space, having too many family photos can read as cheesy, and the same goes for your wedding pictures.
However, as with most design preferences, there’s a way to incorporate these meaningful elements into your interior that doesn’t feel like you’re obsessed with your spouse (even if you are!).
“Displaying wedding photos is not inherently tacky,” designer Cathleen Gruver of Gruver Cooley tells House Beautiful. “Like most things in design, it comes down to scale, placement, and intention.”
Keep reading to find out how Gruver, along with other seasoned designers, ensures these romantic mementos remain stylish and elevated in their clients’ homes and their own.
Keep Consistent Frame Styles
Designer Nicole Forina of Forina Design & Co is a proud supporter of displaying wedding photos in the home.
“We put so much care, pride, and joy into planning it, so why wouldn’t we want to celebrate that and share it with anyone who walks through our door?” she says.
She suggests approaching the styling of these photos with a “less is more” approach, specifically when it comes to framing. “I like to keep frames cohesive in style and select one standout wedding photo rather than multiple competing images,” she explains. A simple metal frame is timeless and clean, and it doesn’t take away from the content of the photo it’s holding. She adds that one should limit oneself to only displaying two frames per table and only three to five per room.
Incorporate Them Into a Gallery Wall
Adding a wedding photo or two to a gallery wall in your home is an easy way to display these special moments without drawing too much attention to them. This is one of Forina’s favorite ways to put up wedding photos, specifically if the gallery wall is in a hallway, so it really doesn’t feel overdone.
It’s best to have up other artwork and photos in the mix as well, according to designer Leah Hook of Gray Oak Studio, as the wedding photos become less of a focal point and more of a way to tell a larger family story.
Choose Candid Snapshots
Overly posed photographs can definitely contribute to the cheesiness factor, which is why designer Ali Henrie tends to gravitate toward more meaningful, candid moments between the happy couple. Doing so can make these images feel more like artwork and less like a photo album.
In the same vein, designer Maggie Griesbeck of MNG Design suggests steering clear of group shots as you pick out which photos to feature in your home. These can come off a bit stock photo-esque.
Add That Black-and-White Filter
Many designers will explain that black-and-white wedding photos are more elevated in the home than color ones. Griesbeck thinks these look especially lovely when grouped on a table and suggests five-by-seven-inch and eight-by-10-inch frames over anything smaller, as those can look diminutive. Henrie echoes this thought, adding that printing these photos in black-and-white feels softer.
Avoid Canvas Prints
Sorry to say it, but many designers will tell you to skip buying a large canvas print of your favorite wedding photo.
“Oversized canvas prints and large-scale, highly posed portraits can feel a bit dated and overwhelming,” Gruver explains. No matter how these are styled, they tend to feel very bold, and not necessarily in a good way.
Don’t Make a “Shrine”
While Hook loves a romantic vignette, you should avoid displaying so many wedding photos and mementos in one place, as it can easily turn into a shrine.
“A single, well-placed photo that captures the joy of that day is what home is all about,” she says. “It claims the space for the unique couple who lives there, it brings an instant smile to someone who randomly stops to admire how joyful they look, it sparks conversation with guests about the couple, their magical day, and other personal, related moments.”
