diff --git a/backend/src/database/db.js b/backend/src/database/db.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0862445
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/src/database/db.js
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+const knex = require('knex');
+const path = require('path');
+
+const db = knex({
+  client: 'sqlite3',
+  connection: {
+    filename: path.join(__dirname, '../../data/photo_sharing.db')
+  },
+  useNullAsDefault: true
+});
+
+async function initializeDatabase() {
+  // Events table
+  await db.schema.createTableIfNotExists('events', (table) => {
+    table.increments('id').primary();
+    table.string('slug').unique().notNullable();
+    table.string('event_type').notNullable();
+    table.string('event_name').notNullable();
+    table.date('event_date').notNullable();
+    table.string('host_email').notNullable();
+    table.string('admin_email').notNullable();
+    table.string('password_hash').notNullable();
+    table.text('welcome_message');
+    table.string('color_theme');
+    table.string('share_link').unique().notNullable();
+    table.datetime('created_at').defaultTo(db.fn.now());
+    table.datetime('expires_at').notNullable();
+    table.boolean('is_active').defaultTo(true);
+    table.boolean('is_archived').defaultTo(false);
+    table.string('archive_path');
+    table.datetime('archived_at');
+  });
+
+  // Photo metadata table
+  await db.schema.createTableIfNotExists('photos', (table) => {
+    table.increments('id').primary();
+    table.integer('event_id').references('id').inTable('events').onDelete('CASCADE');
+    table.string('filename').notNullable();
+    table.string('path').notNullable();
+    table.string('thumbnail_path');
+    table.string('type').notNullable(); // 'collage' or 'individual'
+    table.integer('size_bytes');
+    table.datetime('uploaded_at').defaultTo(db.fn.now());
+    table.integer('view_count').defaultTo(0);
+    table.integer('download_count').defaultTo(0);
+  });
+
+  // Access logs table
+  await db.schema.createTableIfNotExists('access_logs', (table) => {
+    table.increments('id').primary();
+    table.integer('event_id').references('id').inTable('events');
+    table.string('ip_address');
+    table.string('user_agent');
+    table.string('action'); // 'view', 'download', 'login_success', 'login_fail'
+    table.string('photo_id');
+    table.datetime('timestamp').defaultTo(db.fn.now());
+  });
+
+  // Email queue table
+  await db.schema.createTableIfNotExists('email_queue', (table) => {
+    table.increments('id').primary();
+    table.integer('event_id').references('id').inTable('events');
+    table.string('recipient_email').notNullable();
+    table.string('email_type').notNullable(); // 'creation', 'warning', 'expiration', 'archive_complete'
+    table.json('email_data');
+    table.string('status').defaultTo('pending'); // 'pending', 'sent', 'failed'
+    table.datetime('scheduled_at').defaultTo(db.fn.now());
+    table.datetime('sent_at');
+    table.text('error_message');
+    table.integer('retry_count').defaultTo(0);
+  });
+
+  // Admin users table
+  await db.schema.createTableIfNotExists('admin_users', (table) => {
+    table.increments('id').primary();
+    table.string('username').unique().notNullable();
+    table.string('email').unique().notNullable();
+    table.string('password_hash').notNullable();
+    table.boolean('is_active').defaultTo(true);
+    table.datetime('created_at').defaultTo(db.fn.now());
+    table.datetime('last_login');
+  });
+}
+
+module.exports = { db, initializeDatabase };