Picture this: The sun is beginning to set on the horizon, you’re wrapped in the arms of your new spouse, and you’re taking in that surreal feeling: you’re officially married. You’ve been waiting for this day for so long, and you can’t believe it’s finally happened. The day has been filled with fun memories, laughter, happy tears, and the vows you’ve promised each other are finally sinking in. This is your person, and you get to spend the rest of your life with them.

As the two of you chat about your future together, you hear the shutter of a Polaroid camera click softly off in the distance followed by that classic sound of the motor pushing the film out of the camera. You smile, knowing this is a moment you’ll be glad to have captured. Even better, it’s a moment you’ll get to see, touch, and take home with you at the end of your elopement day.

Polaroids are a sweet and nostalgic way for you to remember some of the most special moments of your wedding day, and storing your Polaroids with care and attention will ensure your memories are preserved for many years.

Preserving Your Polaroids: A Guide to Making Your Memories Last

Polaroids have become increasingly popular in the last few years as a way to keep memorable moments unpolished and document feelings of romance and fun. There’s something nostalgic and “perfectly imperfect” about Polaroids. They’re a wonderful way to add a personal touch and a distinct perspective to your elopement experience, as well as give you something tangible to hold on to while you’re anxiously waiting for your gallery of digital photos to be delivered.

To give some context as to what it looks like to have Polaroids taken during your elopement, here’s my step-by-step process of how I shoot Polaroids for an elopement:

1. I’ll snap the photo

2. I wait a few seconds for the film’s opacification layer to spread (the chemical layer that spreads through the film to protect it from the first few seconds of light) before removing it from underneath my camera’s built-in film shield

3. I place the film into a dark bag to develop for the best color and detail retention (yes, it’s a myth that your film needs to be shaken and exposed to light for it to develop!)

4. I’ll send you home with all of your Polaroids at the end of your elopement day!

Common Questions About Storing Polaroids

How long will Polaroids last?

Your Polaroids can last as long as 10-20 years! Under the best of conditions, your film can certainly last longer than that. Because of the way Polaroid film is made, it’s unfortunately inevitable that the photos will fade over time, but you can absolutely slow down that process by taking care of them.

My best advice is to have your Polaroids digitized so they can last forever! You can even have an album made of your digitized Polaroids as a perfect addition to your heirloom album of your digital elopement photos.

How soon should you store your Polaroids?

A lot of people don’t realize that Polaroids need about 4 weeks to dry before they’re ready to be stored permanently. For the purpose of getting them home safe and sound from your elopement, keeping them flat and in a dark place will help them look their best. I suggest a shoebox! Once you make it home, keep them laying flat in a dark, dry location. After 30 days, you can place your Polaroids in whichever sealed medium you decide on.

Where is the best place to store Polaroids?

A photo album, protective sleeve, or a special moisture-resistant, acid-free photo box are a few of the best places to keep your Polaroids safe and sound.

Can you frame Polaroids?

Absolutely! If you want to relive your elopement memories when you pass by a certain wall in your home or each time you sit down at your desk, you can 100% frame them. Just get yourself a photo frame with UV protection and you’ll be good to go!

Where can you buy storage for Polaroids?

The Polaroid website sells photo boxes and albums specifically made for your photos.

For something more personalized, check out Etsy! There are all kinds of albums, photo boxes, and more that you can customize and make your own.

Best Practices to Ensure the Longevity of Your Polaroids

By now you probably get it: Polaroids are awesome and a surefire way to make your elopement even more personal. But, once your elopement is over, the film needs to be cared for in order for your memories to last a long time. So how do you permanently store Polaroids?

I’ll send you home with all your Polaroid film from your elopement when we part ways, but once you’re home and enjoying your time as newlyweds, your Polaroids will need a little TLC to ensure they remain of the best quality for years to come.

Tip 1. Keep your Polaroids away from extreme heat or cold

Polaroid film is made up of sensitive materials that will degrade faster over time if exposed to too much heat or cold. Moisture/humidity is also an enemy of Polaroid longevity, so don’t file them away in a cardboard box in a damp corner of your basement.

As much as the hopeless romantic in me loves the idea of a Polaroid sitting on the dashboard of your car, sunlight is also not good for Polaroids and will cause fading.

Tip 2. Store them in an album, photo sleeves, or photo box

I’m a major proponent of having physical copies of your elopement photos, which is one reason why I love including Polaroids so much. Unlike printed digital photos or an heirloom photo album, Polaroids are made up of fragile materials and are more subject to damage and wear over time if not handled properly.

If conditions aren’t ideal, your Polaroids will fade much quicker. Keeping them in an album, photo sleeves, or photo box (with the right temperature) will help them last a long, long time.

Tip 3. Embrace the imperfection

This tip has less to do with how to preserve the physical item of your Polaroid film and more to do with preserving the emotional aspect of it.

Imagine this: The sun has set at the end of your elopement day, and you’re standing among the quiet darkness of your elopement location about to go our separate ways, and I get to place these moments into your hands. Bodies tired, hair a little messy, dress dirty, sun below the horizon, you spend a few moments reminiscing over these moments under the light of a headlamp. Whatever the specifics of this little experience look like on your elopement day, there’s just something really special about that kind of moment.

Part of the appeal of Polaroids is the "as is”-ness. (Yes, I totally just made up that word). There are no adjustments to be made on the camera itself to make the photo look a certain way (other than a built-in flash), so when a moment happens and it’s captured with a Polaroid camera, that’s the moment you’re going to get. Polaroids are incredibly charming due to their lack of ability to be “fixed.”

Eloping is all about having a day that aligns with your values, and more often than not, I see couples seeking the dream of a wedding day that embraces a little bit of chaos instead of picture-perfect, curated moments. The in-between, organic, and natural interactions typically make for some of my couples’ favorite photos. The combination of the less-than-perfect Polaroids and the beautiful digitals make an incredible duo for memories you’ll be able to reminisce on for years to come.

Does this sound like the kind of wedding day you’re looking for? Inquire here to start planning your elopement!