Personalised Valentine's Day gift: your couple photo engraved on slate

Flowers, chocolates, a restaurant: Valentine’s Day has its classics, and they last one evening. A photo of the two of you engraved on slate stays on a shelf for years. We engrave them to order in our workshop in Talais, in the Médoc, and here is how to make one that feels like yours.

The photo: the one with a story

The most beautiful photo isn’t always the best idea. The one that works is the one you both remember: your first trip, the proposal, the night you met, the failed selfie that still makes you laugh.

A few rules so it comes out well on slate:

• both your faces should be large enough in the picture, not two silhouettes in the distance against a sunset;
• a sharp, well-lit photo: a candlelit dinner photographed at night often gives dark faces once engraved;
• the engraving is black and white, so think about light rather than colours.

Our round sample slate shows a marriage proposal by a lake: the couple is small in the picture, but they stand out clearly against the bright water. It’s the contrast that saves the photo.

We cover all of this in detail in engraving a photo on slate, which photo to choose.

The photo in a heart, the date, and that’s it

In advanced mode, on the personalisation page, you can crop the photo into a heart shape. On the 28 cm round slate, it’s a layout that suits a couple very well: the heart in the centre, the black background around it, and a line of text underneath.

For the text, keep it short:

• the date you met or married, “14.06.2019”;
• your two first names, or your initials with the infinity symbol between them;
• “You and me”, “Since 2019”.

Handwriting fonts go well with a couple photo. We also have motifs (heart, infinity, ring, sparkles) and a frame of little hearts. Choose one or two: a slate covered in hearts in every corner quickly looks like a greetings card.

It works without a photo too

Don’t have a photo you really like? A slate can carry just text and motifs: your names in large letters, the date, a heart. It’s more understated, and it reads from the other side of the room.

The timetable

The slate is engraved and packed within 48 to 72 hours, then delivered in 3 to 5 working days, by Colissimo or to a pick-up point. For 14 February, order before 4 February. If you live near Talais, you can collect it free of charge from the workshop, which saves you several days.

To keep the surprise, there are two options: delivery to a pick-up point, which you collect yourself, or the “It’s a gift” option at checkout, which sends the parcel to another address (their workplace, for example), with no invoice inside and with a short note on a card.

After Valentine’s Day

The slate costs €49.90, engraving and support included. If you are already planning ahead, we have other ideas for a wedding anniversary. To get started, choose your size in the shop: the 28 cm round slate or the 30 × 30 cm square slate.

Frequently asked questions

What is the last date to order so the slate arrives before 14 February?

Order before 4 February for delivery. The slate is engraved within 48 to 72 hours, then delivered in 3 to 5 working days. Collection from the workshop in Talais is free and saves the shipping days.

Can the photo be cropped into a heart shape?

Yes. In advanced mode, the photo can be shown in full, as a circle, with rounded corners, as an arch or as a heart. The rest of the slate stays black, and you can add a line of text underneath.

Which slate should I choose for a couple photo?

The 28 cm round slate suits two people close together very well, especially with a heart-shaped crop. The 30 × 30 cm square slate is a better fit if the photo also shows a place, a beach or a landscape.