A QR code is only as useful as your guests' willingness to scan it. This guide covers the tactical stuff, where to put it, what size to print, how to backup-plan for bad lighting or bad signage.
Get the QR code
From your event page, click QR code in the toolbar. You get a downloadable PNG at high resolution (~1000x1000px). You can print at any physical size, print quality holds up to 8 inches wide.
If you want more control, use a free QR generator (qr-code-generator.com, qrcode-monkey.com) with your guest URL. You can add your studio logo in the center, change color to match your brand, etc. As long as it scans to the right URL, we don't care what it looks like.
Best placement strategies (ranked by scan rate)
Based on what's actually worked at real weddings:
1. Table tents on every reception table
Put a table tent (folded cardstock) on every reception table. Include:
- A short label ("scan to share your photos with Emily & Marcus")
- The QR code, ~3 inches wide
- An Instagram hashtag for cross-post if the couple has one
Guests scan while waiting for food. Near-100% coverage.
Print-at-home: cardstock from Staples, fold in half. Or order from Vistaprint: "table tent, ~4×6", $20 for 50.
2. Welcome sign at the entrance
A vertical sign next to the guestbook or welcome table. Caption: "Share your photos from tonight." QR code ~5-6 inches wide so it's scannable from 3 feet away.
Venues with a welcome table already usually let you add a sign there. Ask the planner day-of.
3. Bathroom stalls (seriously)
The photographers' secret. Print a small 3x3" QR code, laminate, tape to the inside of each stall door. Caption: "Bored? Share your photos from tonight." Every wedding has 20 minutes of stall time across all guests. It's the highest scan rate we've ever seen.
4. Back of the program or wedding website
QR on the back of the printed program. Also put it on the couple's wedding website in the "day-of information" section. Catches the guests who check before the ceremony starts.
5. Projection during cocktail hour
If the venue has an AV system, project a big QR (filling most of a slide) during cocktail hour with copy "Your moments matter, share your photos." Works especially well at venues with TV screens.
Print sizes that actually work
| Location | QR code width | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Reception table tent | 2.5-3" | Scannable from arm's length across a table |
| Welcome/entrance sign | 5-6" | Scannable from standing 3 feet back |
| Bathroom stall | 3" | Arm's length, phone in hand |
| Wedding program | 1.5-2" | In hand, close to face |
| Projected on TV | Fill 60-70% of slide | Scannable from across a room |
Don't go smaller than 1.5", older phones can struggle, especially in dim lighting.
Day-of checklist
Morning of the wedding (or day before):
- Print at least 15 table tents (more if it's a big wedding)
- Print 1-2 welcome signs
- Print 4-6 bathroom signs (1 per stall typically)
- Confirm venue has AV for projection (optional)
- Do a test scan from each location with YOUR phone, make sure the gallery loads correctly
- Pre-load the gallery in incognito in your browser so it's primed
The day-of:
- Signs out 45 min before ceremony (during guest arrival)
- Table tents set up during venue prep
- Bathroom signs up at venue prep
- During cocktail hour, announce once on the mic: "Hey everyone, scan the QR code on your tables to share photos with the couple. Everyone's going to get to see the wedding through each other's eyes."
- Monitor the feed during the reception on your phone, if nobody's uploading, ask the officiant or MC to prompt again
When guests say "how do I scan a QR?"
~95% of guests just know how. For the 5% who don't:
- iPhone: "Open Camera app. Point at the code. Tap the notification that appears."
- Android: "Open your Camera app. Some phones auto-detect. If not, open Google Lens." Most Android phones newer than 2019 auto-detect.
- Really old phone: "There's a QR reader app in your app store, any free one works." Rare; usually older guests have kids helping them.
A 30-second announcement from the MC covers this for everyone.
What breaks the flow
Avoid these:
- Too many QR codes. One per table is plenty. Don't bury guests in 20 different codes for different things.
- Dark lighting at the signage. Venue is dim? Add battery-powered votive candles or string lights near the sign. Phones need some light to read the code.
- Sign too high or too low. Signs above eye level are hard to angle. Signs at floor level get ignored.
- Moving signs during the event. Bathroom signs fall off doors during a busy reception, bring extra tape.
- Color-on-color QR codes. If you're doing a branded code, keep high contrast (dark code on light background). Fancy gradients break scan reliability.
Testing before the event
Essential: scan each type of signage with your own phone before the wedding starts. Especially:
- Verify the gallery loads (sometimes a cached old gallery shows)
- Confirm the hero photo looks good (swap cover photo if not)
- Check your studio logo is on it (if white-label enabled on Pro)
- Try from a second device if you have one
If anything's off, you can adjust in Settings before guests arrive.
For photographers: a pitch for why QR beats "just send me pics"
At weddings we've seen, the QR code + gallery system gets 5-10x more guest contributions than the traditional "text me your photos" method. Why:
- Guests don't have to know the couple's phone number
- They don't pay per-text for MMS (international guests especially)
- They upload while they're already at the event, not a week later when they forget
- The couple gets everyone's photos in one gallery, not 40 different text threads
- Guests see each other's photos and it prompts them to add their own
Tell the couple the QR plan upfront. Most couples love it. Skip the guests who say "I'm too busy", they weren't going to share anyway.