Interior Designers Share How to Create a Gorgeous Wedding Picture Wall

Your wedding day is one of the most magical of your entire life, and there's no doubt visions of the celebration will swirl in your mind for months and years to come. Displaying some of your favorite images in a wedding picture wall is a beautiful way to relive the day.

Best of all, you can get super creative with a wedding gallery wall in terms of the frames you choose and the imagery you opt for—like candid snapshots of your loved ones, stunning posed imagery and all the little details you put so much thought into. You can even incorporate special mementos, such as pressed flowers from your bouquet or framed cocktail napkins. We spoke with two interior designers for their best pro tips on creating a gorgeous gallery wall featuring wedding photos.

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In this article:

• What is a Wedding Picture Wall?
• How to Create a Wedding Gallery Wall
• Our Favorite Wedding Gallery Wall Frames

What is a Wedding Picture Wall?

A wedding picture wall is a decorative display to showcase images and mementos from your wedding day. It's arranged in a cohesive way that makes the display feel like one cohesive unit.

"A gallery wall is storytelling at scale," says Nadia Watts, an interior designer based in Denver, Colorado. "It lets you show the whole arc of your wedding—getting ready, portraits and candid joy—plus vows, invites and small mementos in one narrative sweep." It allows you to showcase your day in a way that reads as art, and is a complement (or alternative) to a wedding photo album that is often stored out of sight.

How to Create a Wedding Gallery Wall

The beauty of a wedding photo gallery wall is that it's completely customizable. You're the art director, able to choose the type of frames, the imagery and the mementos you want to display. You can also consider it a living gallery. Watts says, "You can add anniversaries, babies, travel as time and life marches on without completely redoing the wall." Follow these steps to create a gallery wall in your first home as newlyweds.

1. Curate the Story

Your first step is to figure out the story you want to tell and the details you want to include. "Pick 12 to 20 pieces max, including a mix of portraits, candid moments and details, like the bouquet and cake," Watts says. For textural interest and more personalization, she also recommends selecting two to four physical items, such as preserved wedding florals, invitations, vows excerpts, place cards, cocktail napkins or the wedding program.

Pro tip: Be sure to include some architectural shots of the venue, as well. "This helps with context and sets the scene of what the event felt like," says Brittny Button, interior designer and founder of Button Atelier, located in Los Angeles. "For example, the arched entryway or the view from the altar."

2. Choose Your Palette

Next, choose your palette. This should align with your images, but also the aesthetic of your home. Watts says to limit yourself to two or three frame finishes—like black, warm brass or natural oak—and one or two mat colors—like white linen, black or classic white—for a more cohesive look.

"For me, it's about coordinating with the interior and the theme of the wedding," Button adds. "If it was a dramatic wedding and the interior is traditional, I opt for black frames and stark white mattes. Or, if the setting was outdoors and the interior space offers an organic, casual look, then a natural wood frame works best."

She says that metallics are always classically beautiful in a soft gold or silver and are a neutral that suits most spaces. And don't shy away from dark-colored mats if that's what you're inspired by; she says it draws attention to the image's subject.

3. Pick Your Frames

With your story nailed down and palette configured, you can start purchasing frames. A big key to a gorgeous wedding gallery wall layout is to choose various sizes. Watts says, "Combine two or three large anchor frames, like a 16x20 or 18x24, with supporting sizes, 11x14 and 8x10, and a few petites, 5x7 or 4x6. For physical mementos, Watts says to use float frames and shadowboxes. She adds, "You can also float invites with pressed petals or add lace under spacers for depth."

Pro tip: To protect physical items, Watts says to scan paper items at 300 to 600 dpi, print on archival paper, use acid-free mats and hinging tape, and opt for UV or museum glass.

4. Mock It Up

Before hanging anything on the wall, lay everything out on the ground and mock up your design. Start with the center focal piece, then build out from there. Watts says to balance the weight by distributing darker frames and the busiest images diagonally so one side doesn't tip. Have fun playing with the shapes and sizes until it feels cohesive and balanced, then take a picture so you can remember how your wedding gallery wall puzzle fits together.

Pro tip: Want to go the extra mile? Watts says you can even trace everything onto kraft paper, label the item, cut it out, and tape it to the wall.

5. Hang Everything

Finally, hang everything up. Start with the center anchor first. "Center it 57 to 60 inches from the floor—this is a museum eye-line—and build out from the center, keeping 1.5 to 3 inches between frames," Watts advises. Use sturdy hooks to ensure all your frames stay put and aren't at risk of falling. Using the included sawtooth is best for small frames, while D-rings and wire are best for everything else. If necessary, use wall anchors.

Our Favorite Wedding Gallery Wall Frames

For gallery wall inspiration, we're sharing some of our favorite picture frames. From beautiful float frames to a digital frame that even showcases video clips, these are some of the best wedding gallery wall frame options on the market.

Crate & Barrel Brushed Black Picture Frame Gallery

Photo: Crate & Barrel

Simplify the process by opting for a set of frames for a gallery wall. Crate & Barrel sells a variety of options, including this nine-piece set in brushed black. You can also opt for smaller sets if you want to add more variety to your wedding gallery wall.

Aura Walden Digital Frame

Photo: Aura

Digital frames have come a long way, and Aura is leading the game. The brand's minimalist frames boast a super-high-definition anti-glare display, come with matting, and come in various colors and sizes. Plus, if you can't narrow your selection down to just one perfect wedding photo, you can swap in pictures easily or even showcase 30 seconds of video. The 15" Walden frame is their largest.

Artifact Uprising Float Frame

Photo: Artifact Uprising

One of our favorite floating frames for a wedding gallery wall comes from Artifact Uprising. It's available in 10 sizes and three frame finishes, including brass, black and silver. Plus, it comes with a museum-quality giclée print in true-to-life color of your preferred image.

Minted Wood Frame With Foiling

Photo: Minted

If you want to add a bit of dimension to your gallery wall, consider this beautiful matted frame featuring hand-sketched foiling in rose gold, gold or silver. For the frame, choose between 8x10 or 11x14 sizes, and opt for wood frame colors in black, walnut, white, raw wood or light gray.

Magnolia Your Story Brass Display Cabinet

Photo: Magnolia

A shadow box is important for any larger physical items from your wedding day, such as a preserved boutonniere, flower clippings, matchboxes, handkerchiefs and beyond. It can also help preserve the texture of some items, like a handwritten note. This gorgeous cabinet option from Magnolia comes in two sizes (11x14 and 16x20).

Anthropologie Filigree Circle Frame

Photo: Anthropologie

Adding a circle frame to the mix is a great way to add balance and visual appeal. This one is perfect for showcasing pressed clippings from a wedding bouquet.