Picture Wedding Gifts and Decorations

Pictures often are the most treasured wedding gifts. Here are some ways you can turn pictures you already have, or the pictures you take at the wedding, into unforgettable gifts:

• "Guestbook" picture. Start with a good, recent picture of the bride and groom together – one that clearly shows their happy faces, and that will remain crisp if enlarged. Get an 8x10" print made, and have this matted in a very wide (at least 4 inches on each side) white or light-colored mat. Then, at the wedding, set out the matted photo on a clean table with a good pen. Guests can sign the mat to offer their best wishes. Afterward, frame the signed picture and present it as a gift.

• Big pictures. Give a great snapshot of the bride or groom (or a loved one) the treatment it deserves. Enlarge it to portrait or poster size, then put it in a nice frame or laminate it. If the picture is old or worn, have a cleaned-up print made (from the original negative, if possible).

• "Through the years" album. In this collaborative project, friends and family from both sides of the wedding contribute snapshots and mementos of the bride and groom. Compile a photo album or scrapbook that traces their history from childhood up to the present. Include captions and commentary, and have fun! This album is more that just a keepsake – it can become a precious heirloom.

• Digital memories. When getting your wedding snapshots developed, request a KODAK Picture CD along with your prints and negatives. Order multiple copies of your KODAK Picture CD and give them to the newlyweds and fellow guests. Or use the software that comes free with KODAK Picture CD to edit, enhance, and organize your pictures. You also can use KODAK PhotoNet online for easy sharing over the Internet.

And If It's YOUR Wedding...

Pictures can be a great way for the bride and groom to share in the fun and show their gratitude. Here are some ideas:

• Camera party favors. Scatter one-time-use cameras around the reception room and encourage your guests to shoot up a storm. Set up a basket for collecting these cameras. Later, compile a special bound or digital album to savor and share these pictures. (Kodak offers a special wedding 5-pack of one-time-use cameras. Includes table cards with instructions for guests.)

• Picture decorations. Consider incorporating pictures of yourselves and your loved ones into your wedding decorations. Place small pictures in the table centerpieces, or festoon the walls with poster-sized prints of special pictures.

• Picture thank-you cards. Use digital versions of your wedding snapshots (from a digital camera, scanner, KODAK Picture CD, or KODAK Photonet online) and KODAK Inkjet Greeting Cards to create your own uniquely personal thank-you cards.

• Special gifts for special efforts. Give elegantly framed pictures to thank the members of your wedding party, your celebrant, your caterer, and others who played a key role in making your wedding a success.

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