Jerry B Smith Photography – Houston Wedding Photography
I get asked by a lot of couples for a photo mounted with a signature mat that wedding guests can sign. The idea is to have a bridal, engagement or wedding photo displayed at the reception in a frame with a wide matte border that well wishers sign and leave personal notes for the couple. These look great displayed in the home and often fit better in a contemporary setting than a traditional bridal or engagement portrait.
There are many options and sizes available. Most of the professional labs offer products where they professionally print the chosen photo and mount it in a signature mat. They will also also add the couple’s name and wedding date at the bottom if desired for a finished look. I’ve order several from Bayphoto.com which offers them in 16×20 and 20×24 sizes and clients have been very pleased. I’m sure others offer them as well. A search of the web will also result in a number of mat frames that you can mount the picture yourself. If you go with the traditional paper mat, remember to have several Sharpie pens out for guests to sign the picture with and it is always a good idea to have someone sign it so other guests will know doing so is OK. I always bring a few myself in case whoever is in charge forgets or they get lost. The picture to the left is an example of how it looks.
I came across another idea at a wedding that I think makes an even better option. There is a company called Signature Keepsakes that offers the Engravable Signature Frame. This is an elegantly polished silver alloy (not cardboard) mat that your friends and family engrave their names and well wishes into using an engraving pen. This technique is done by using a specially designed engraving scribe which writes much like a regular ink pen. Once fully signed, the mat is finished and a photo can be inserted in the center thus creating a unique keepsake.
The Engravable Signature Mat comes in several sizes and will depend upon the retailer who carries the product. Their site lists local and online retailers where the mat can be ordered (ordering is necessary so they can engrave your information). Standard sizes are 11 x 14, 18 x 20, 16 x 20, 20 x 24. Custom sizes are available with certain minimums. The Signature Mat can be framed in any frame moulding and will depend on your taste, the event, and size of the mat. All Signature Mats include the Signature Engraving Scribe, guest instruction card (5 x 7), and micro-fiber polishing cloth to remove smudges.