Fix closed eyes in a wedding photo

Blinked in a wedding photo? Ask the photographer for the next frame, or open your own eyes in the photo you have. Everyone else and the moment stay exactly as they were.

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Before: Three friends at sunset, one mid-blink, then his eyes opened with Glowly. Not a wedding, but the same kind of dressed-up group photo; the two friends, the sky and the light are unchanged. — Three friends at sunset, one mid-blink, then his eyes opened with Glowly. Not a wedding, but the same kind of dressed-up group photo; the two friends, the sky and the light are unchanged.

After: Three friends at sunset, one mid-blink, then his eyes opened with Glowly. Not a wedding, but the same kind of dressed-up group photo; the two friends, the sky and the light are unchanged. — Three friends at sunset, one mid-blink, then his eyes opened with Glowly. Not a wedding, but the same kind of dressed-up group photo; the two friends, the sky and the light are unchanged.

If your eyes are closed in a wedding photo, first ask the photographer for the frames shot just before and after, because professionals shoot in bursts and usually have one with your eyes open. If there isn't one, or the photo came from a guest's phone, you can open your own eyes in that photo with a retouching tool such as Glowly, which leaves everyone else, the dress and the light untouched.

Free options first

Ask the photographer. They take several frames of every group and every moment. Ask for "the frames either side of" the photo you want, with its file name. Many will also retouch a blink for you, sometimes for free.
Live Photo. If a guest took it on an iPhone, open it, tap Edit, then the Live Photo button, and pick a frame where your eyes are open. Our guide to choosing a different Live Photo frame shows how.
Merge two frames. With two near-identical shots, an editor with layers can move your face from one to the other. It works when nobody moved between them.

How to fix it with Glowly

Open the web editor in any browser and choose the photo. There's nothing to install.
In a group photo, Glowly asks Which one is you? Tap your face and confirm.
Tap Eyes and turn the dial from As is toward Open. Stop where it still looks like you.
Press and hold to compare with the original, then save the full-size photo.

Only your face is retouched. The couple, the other guests, the dress, the flowers and the light stay pixel for pixel the same. Glowly is for photos of yourself: if someone else blinked, send them the photo so they can fix their own eyes.

Before you print it

Save full size. Wedding photos get printed. Use the full-size save, not a screenshot of the preview.
Check at 100%. Zoom in on the eyes, especially in soft evening light or with flash.
Keep the original. Glowly never overwrites it, so you can share both with the photographer.

On the day

Ask for a few shots of every group, not one. Before the shutter, everyone closes their eyes and opens them on "three". Our guide on how to stop blinking in photos has more ways.

Can a wedding photographer fix closed eyes?

Usually yes. Most shoot bursts and can swap in a frame with your eyes open, or retouch it. Ask early, while they still have the full set of files.

Can I fix it myself for free?

Yes, if a Live Photo or a burst has a better frame. Glowly is free to preview. In the web editor there's nothing to install and no account needed to try; 3 full-size saves cost $1.99. On iPhone your first 2 saves are free.

Can I open someone else's eyes in the photo?

No. Glowly retouches one face per edit, the one you choose as yours. Send the photo to the person who blinked; they can fix it in a minute from their phone.

What happens to my photo?

Your original is never changed. Originals and unsaved edits are deleted from our servers after 7 days. See the privacy policy.

How to stop blinking in photosWhy you always seem to blink in photos, what photographers do about it, and how to fix a blink in a photo you already have.
How to fix closed eyes in a photoSomeone blinked in the one photo where everything else is right. Here are the ways to fix closed eyes on iPhone, from Live Photos to AI retouching, and what to avoid.
How to pick a different frame from a Live Photo on iPhoneBlinked or looked away in a Live Photo? Choose a better frame as the key photo in a few taps, and know when that trick isn't enough.

Fix something else

Fix closed eyes in a photoBlinked in the one good photo? Open your eyes in the photo you already have. Only your eyes change; the light, the room and your expression stay as they were.
Fix closed eyes in a group photoBlinked in the group photo where everyone else looks great? Open your own eyes in that photo. Everyone else, and everything around you, stays exactly as it was.
Fix closed eyes in a photo on iPhoneThe iPhone Photos app can't open closed eyes, but there are three ways to fix a blink on iPhone, two of them free. Here's which to try first.
Fix a forced smile in a photoA stiff, held-too-long smile can make a good photo look awkward. Soften it into a natural one in the photo you already have, and keep everything else.
Fix half-closed eyes in a photoEyes caught halfway through a blink, or squinting in the sun? Open them a little in the photo you already have. Only your eyes change; the light, the place and your smile stay as they were.
Fix closed eyes in a graduation photoBlinked in your graduation photo? Open your eyes in the photo you already have, from the ceremony, the campus or the family shot. Only your eyes change.
Add a smile to a photoLooked serious in a photo you otherwise love? Add a natural, closed or open smile to your own face, and leave the rest of the photo untouched.
Fix squinting in a photoSquinted in the sun in a photo you otherwise like? Open your eyes a little in the photo you already have. The sunlight, the place and your smile stay as they were.
Fix looking tired in a photoLook tired in a photo taken late or in dim light? Open heavy eyes a little and lift the light on your face, in the photo you already have.
Make your dating profile photo betterYour best dating photo is often one you already have, minus a blink or a stiff smile. Fix the moment, keep the person, and put your best real photo first.