The five methods
| Feature | What guests do | When you see photos | Cost shape |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared album | Join the album, pick photos, upload | As they are added | Free |
| QR upload page | Scan, choose photos from their camera roll, upload | As they are added | Free tiers, or one-time fees |
| Disposable camera app | Scan, type a name, shoot with a set number of shots | When the roll develops | Free for small events, one-time by guest count |
| Film disposables | Pick up the camera on the table | After developing, days to weeks | Per camera, plus developing |
| Ask afterwards | Remember, find, and send them | Whenever they get round to it | Free |
Shared albums
iCloud Shared Albums and Google Photos albums cost nothing and every guest already understands them. The catch is that guests choose what to share, so you get the photos they were pleased with rather than the ones that were taken, and everything appears during the party, so people watch the album instead of the room. Mixed iPhone and Android crowds add friction. Best for a small wedding or the honeymoon. More on shared albums.
QR upload pages
A QR code at the table opens a page where guests upload photos and videos from their camera roll, usually with no app. Some services add a live slideshow at the reception. You get curated favourites, often including video, and you get them during the event. More on QR upload services.
Disposable camera apps
The QR code opens a camera instead of an upload form. Every guest gets a fixed number of shots, there is no preview, and nothing is visible until the roll develops after the wedding. You get what people actually shot rather than what they chose to send, and nobody spends dinner looking at a feed. With Kept every guest gets up to 36 shots, no guest installs anything, the host cannot see photos early either, and every guest gets the whole roll after. The best disposable camera apps.
Film disposable cameras
One camera on each table. Nothing beats the look, and a camera on the table needs no explaining. Someone has to collect them at the end of the night, a few will go home in a handbag, and the photos come back from the lab days or weeks later, to be scanned and shared. How many you need and what it costs.
Asking afterwards
A message in the group chat or a link in the thank-you email. It costs nothing and it collects the least: the photos are on a hundred phones, buried under the week that followed, and most people mean to send them and never do. Use it as a backstop, not a plan.
How to make sure guests take part
- 01
Pick one method before the day
Two QR codes on one table means neither gets scanned. Choose one place for guest photos and send everything there.
- 02
Put the code at every seat
A code on each place card or menu is in front of every guest when they sit down. Add a sign at the bar and one by the guest book. What to print and where.
- 03
Say it once, early
Ask the officiant, the MC or a parent to mention it before dinner. One sentence is enough.
- 04
Tell people when they will see the photos
“Everything develops tomorrow at 9” stops people checking, and gives everyone something to look forward to the next morning.
- 05
Share the result with everyone
Guests who get the photos back are the ones who take part next time. With a disposable camera app the roll goes to everyone automatically.
Questions
What is the easiest way to get photos from wedding guests?
How do I get wedding guests to share photos without downloading an app?
Should guest photos be visible during the wedding?
When should guest photos be revealed?
Can I collect photos from guests on both iPhone and Android?
Do guests need to download an app to use Kept?
Give everyone a camera. Take away the screen.
Free for your first 5 guests. Your first roll takes about a minute to set up, and nobody has to install anything.