30 engagement party photo ideas, from the yes to the last dance

The couple and the yes

The yes is over in seconds, and the two people in it see the least of it. These ideas are for everyone else in the room.

• The moment after the yes, from wherever you are standing.
• The face of whoever said yes.
• The ring, up close, on the hand.
• The two of them laughing.
• The couple from behind, looking out at the room.
• The first toast, glasses up.
• The couple with the person who introduced them.
• Their first photo together, recreated.
• The two of them in a quiet corner, away from the party.
• Their hands together, ring and all.

Family and friends

An engagement party is often the first time both families share a room. Take the family photos early, before the speeches, while everyone is still easy to find.

• Both families in one photo.
• The parents side by side, perhaps for the first time.
• Someone who knew all along.
• Each side's oldest friends, together.
• The grandparents with the couple.
• The friends who will stand next to them at the wedding.
• Your table, mid-story.
• The faces in the room during the speech.
• A phone held up so someone far away can see the party.
• The best hug of the night.

The party and the details

• The room before anyone arrives.
• The sign or banner with their names.
• The cake, before the knife.
• The empty ring box.
• The flowers on the tables.
• The cards and the gifts, piling up.
• The bottle opening for the toast.
• 10 seconds of the room at its loudest.
• The last dance.
• The couple leaving at the end of the night.

Set it up in secret, and hand out the card after the yes

If the question is being asked at the party, the roll has to be ready before anyone knows why. There is no public gallery and no search on papershot, so nobody finds the moment until you hand out the card, the link, or the code.

1. 01

   Make the moment days ahead

   Name it, and set it to start a little before the party and end after it. The printed card carries the moment's name, so pick one that keeps the secret.

2. 02

   Pick the size and the shots

   A free moment takes up to 4 guests. For the whole room, pick a paid size from 8 guests up: one payment, no subscription, and guests never pay. For one evening, 10 or 16 shots each is plenty.

3. 03

   Let two or three people in on it

   They join beforehand and have the camera open when the question comes, so the yes itself is on the roll from more than one side.

4. 04

   Hand out the card after the yes

   Pass the cards round, or post the link in the group chat, while every phone is already out. Guests need papershot on iPhone or Android, but not an account: they type a name and shoot.

5. 05

   Develop it the morning after

   Set the roll to develop the next morning, so the whole night arrives at once.

A memo question for the couple

Speeches at an engagement party come from two or three people. A memo can come from everyone: a few words in a guest's own voice, 5 to 60 seconds, answering the one question you ask. Each plays back as a voice message, with the speaker's face and the question they answered.

Ask one question, up to 120 characters. The simplest is “Say a few words for the two of them.” For stories, ask “When did you know they were right for each other?” For advice, ask “What should they know before the wedding?”

Keep the engagement roll separate from the wedding

Every moment is its own roll. That suits an engagement: the party stays the party, and the wedding gets a roll of its own, with its own guests, shot list, and reveal.

A paid moment is kept 30 days after the roll closes, and a free one 48 hours. Download the engagement roll before then: one photo at a time, or the whole moment as one .zip, at full resolution. Photos and videos save to your library, and memos save as files.

When the wedding comes, make a new moment. How to get photos from your wedding guests covers the day itself, and the wedding page and the engagement page cover the rest.