Wedding Season: A Custom Gallery Wall
In our mind, there’s no better way to celebrate something as unique and personal as a wedding than with a totally custom, unique and personal framing project. That’s why we were happy to work with our friend @nathanmichael after his recent wedding to create a gallery wall that included photos and keepsakes from when he and his lovely wife Julia were dating, engaged and, of course, from their wedding.
Read on to hear more from Nathan on the inspiration for this project, how he and Julia selected the pieces and advice for anyone looking to create a custom gallery wall.
@nathanmichael’s custom gallery wall in the works at our #afsrivernorth location.
What gave you the idea for this project?
After Julia and I got married, we really wanted to find a way to make our home a reflection of both our styles. At that point, we hadn’t taken the time to hang many photos from our relationship and wanted to do it in a way that honored the seasons of our life together in a fun way.
How did you and Julia select the pieces you chose to frame?
Julia and I took time to find images and memoirs from our relationship that really brought us joy. Whether it was a polaroid from a trip we took together or something special from our wedding, we took all our favorite images and pieces and placed them on a table. From there, we tried to select pieces that looked good together as a collection. Focusing on colors, different sizes, and the overall style of things. For me, I liked the idea of having something from each phase of our relationship, so it didn’t just feel like a representation of the past. I wanted something from when we were dating, to when we got engaged, our wedding, etc.
Any particular favorite framed piece?
At our wedding, we had a vintage photo booth take images of all our guests. What they didn’t know, was it was also creating a digital duplicate of each photo being taken too. So we had a fun (and at times, hilarious) folder of images highlighting all our favorite people. We then took all of our favorite images and had them printed on a 18” x 24” sheet of photo paper. Artists Frame Service did an amazing job framing it and it now hangs adjacent to our dining table right next to another framed poster from our wedding that says, “Love and Tacos.” It’s a great reminder of all the amazing people in our life.
What advice would you give to someone looking to create their own custom gallery wall?
First, choose a framer with quality products and taste that matches your preferred aesthetic. That’s what initially drew us to working with Artists Frame Service. We knew their reputation for handling each product with care and their ability to collaborate in the process. Personally, we had a wonderful time working with Alex at the River North location. He really helped us pull together our final ideas to make the gallery wall feel cohesive and in tune with our style.
Second, be sure to make it your own. Find things that represent the memories and life that you want to see each day. And remember, you can frame more than just photos. We framed one of Julia’s dried flowers from our wedding, the handkerchief from my suit, old polaroids and tintype photos. All these things are what make a gallery wall come to life and become a personal reflection of who you are.
Voila - the finished product! From curation to selection to delivery and installation, we strive to make all custom projects inspiring and effortless.
And custom gallery walls aren’t just for weddings. We’re here and happy to help with any unique and personal project such as travel and family photos, vintage art, collectible treasures and more. Come on in and see us at any of our Chicagoland locations and let us help you create the gallery wall only you can dream.