diff --git a/contrib/src/lib.rs b/contrib/src/lib.rs
index 146f1982..ea80752e 100644
--- a/contrib/src/lib.rs
+++ b/contrib/src/lib.rs
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ pub use msgpack::{MsgPack, MsgPackError};
 mod templates;
 
 #[cfg(feature = "templates")]
-pub use templates::Template;
+pub use templates::{Template, Engines};
 
 #[cfg(feature = "uuid")]
 mod uuid;
diff --git a/contrib/src/templates/engine.rs b/contrib/src/templates/engine.rs
index 55f84a02..7fa83b78 100644
--- a/contrib/src/templates/engine.rs
+++ b/contrib/src/templates/engine.rs
@@ -13,20 +13,61 @@ pub trait Engine: Send + Sync + 'static {
     fn render<C: Serialize>(&self, name: &str, context: C) -> Option<String>;
 }
 
+/// A structure exposing access to templating engines.
+///
+/// Calling methods on the exposed template engine types may require importing
+/// types from the respective templating engine library. These types should be
+/// imported from the reexported crate at the root of `rocket_contrib` to avoid
+/// version mismatches. For instance, when registering a Tera filter, the
+/// [`tera::Value`] and [`tera::Result`] types are required. Import them from
+/// `rocket_contrib::tera`. The example below illustrates this:
+///
+/// ```rust
+/// use std::collections::HashMap;
+///
+/// use rocket_contrib::{Template, Engines};
+/// use rocket_contrib::tera::{self, Value};
+///
+/// fn my_filter(value: Value, _: HashMap<String, Value>) -> tera::Result<Value> {
+///     # /*
+///     ...
+///     # */ unimplemented!();
+/// }
+///
+/// Template::custom(|engines: &mut Engines| {
+///     engines.tera.register_filter("my_filter", my_filter);
+/// });
+/// ```
+///
+/// [`tera::Value`]: https://docs.rs/tera/0.10.10/tera/enum.Value.html
+/// [`tera::Result`]: https://docs.rs/tera/0.10.10/tera/type.Result.html
 pub struct Engines {
     #[cfg(feature = "tera_templates")]
+    /// A [`Tera`] structure. This field is only available when the
+    /// `tera_templates` feature is enabled. When calling methods on the `Tera`
+    /// instance, ensure you use types imported from `rocket_contrib::tera` to
+    /// avoid version mismatches.
+    ///
+    /// [`Tera`]: https://docs.rs/tera/0.10.10/tera/struct.Tera.html
     pub tera: Tera,
+    /// A [`Handlebars`] structure. This field is only available when the
+    /// `handlebars_templates` feature is enabled. When calling methods on the
+    /// `Tera` instance, ensure you use types
+    /// imported from `rocket_contrib::handlebars` to avoid version mismatches.
+    ///
+    /// [`Handlebars`]:
+    ///     https://docs.rs/handlebars/0.29.1/handlebars/struct.Handlebars.html
     #[cfg(feature = "handlebars_templates")]
     pub handlebars: Handlebars,
 }
 
 impl Engines {
-    pub const ENABLED_EXTENSIONS: &'static [&'static str] = &[
+    pub(crate) const ENABLED_EXTENSIONS: &'static [&'static str] = &[
         #[cfg(feature = "tera_templates")] Tera::EXT,
         #[cfg(feature = "handlebars_templates")] Handlebars::EXT,
     ];
 
-    pub fn init(templates: &HashMap<String, TemplateInfo>) -> Option<Engines> {
+    pub(crate) fn init(templates: &HashMap<String, TemplateInfo>) -> Option<Engines> {
         fn inner<E: Engine>(templates: &HashMap<String, TemplateInfo>) -> Option<E> {
             let named_templates = templates.iter()
                 .filter(|&(_, i)| i.extension == E::EXT)
@@ -50,20 +91,23 @@ impl Engines {
         })
     }
 
-    pub fn render<C>(&self, name: &str, info: &TemplateInfo, c: C) -> Option<String>
-        where C: Serialize
-    {
+    pub(crate) fn render<C: Serialize>(
+        &self,
+        name: &str,
+        info: &TemplateInfo,
+        context: C
+    ) -> Option<String> {
         #[cfg(feature = "tera_templates")]
         {
             if info.extension == Tera::EXT {
-                return Engine::render(&self.tera, name, c);
+                return Engine::render(&self.tera, name, context);
             }
         }
 
         #[cfg(feature = "handlebars_templates")]
         {
             if info.extension == Handlebars::EXT {
-                return Engine::render(&self.handlebars, name, c);
+                return Engine::render(&self.handlebars, name, context);
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/contrib/src/templates/mod.rs b/contrib/src/templates/mod.rs
index 9f296f70..1c3882e9 100644
--- a/contrib/src/templates/mod.rs
+++ b/contrib/src/templates/mod.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@ extern crate glob;
 mod engine;
 mod context;
 
-use self::engine::{Engine, Engines};
+pub use self::engine::Engines;
+
+use self::engine::Engine;
 use self::context::Context;
 use self::serde::Serialize;
 use self::serde_json::{Value, to_value};
@@ -61,11 +63,10 @@ const DEFAULT_TEMPLATE_DIR: &'static str = "templates";
 /// extensions should look like: `.html.hbs`, `.html.tera`, `.xml.hbs`, etc.
 ///
 /// Template discovery is actualized by the template fairing, which itself is
-/// created via the
-/// [`Template::fairing()`](/rocket_contrib/struct.Template.html#method.fairing)
-/// method. In order for _any_ templates to be rendered, the template fairing
-/// must be [attached](/rocket/struct.Rocket.html#method.attach) to the running
-/// Rocket instance.
+/// created via the [`Template::fairing()`] or [`Template::custom()`] method. In
+/// order for _any_ templates to be rendered, the template fairing _must_ be
+/// [attached](/rocket/struct.Rocket.html#method.attach) to the running Rocket
+/// instance. Failure to do so will result in an error.
 ///
 /// Templates are rendered with the `render` method. The method takes in the
 /// name of a template and a context to render the template with. The context
@@ -114,6 +115,15 @@ const DEFAULT_TEMPLATE_DIR: &'static str = "templates";
 ///     Template::render("index", &context)
 /// }
 /// ```
+///
+/// # Customizing
+///
+/// You can use the [`Template::custom()`] method to construct a fairing with
+/// customized templating engines. Among other things, this method allows you to
+/// register template helpers and register templates from strings.
+///
+/// [`Template::custom()`]: /rocket_contrib/struct.Template.html#method.custom
+/// [`Template::fairing()`]: /rocket_contrib/struct.Template.html#method.fairing
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct Template {
     name: Cow<'static, str>,
@@ -133,10 +143,16 @@ pub struct TemplateInfo {
 impl Template {
     /// Returns a fairing that intializes and maintains templating state.
     ///
-    /// This fairing _must_ be attached to any `Rocket` instance that wishes to
-    /// render templates. Failure to attach this fairing will result in a
-    /// "Uninitialized template context: missing fairing." error message when a
-    /// template is attempted to be rendered.
+    /// This fairing, or the one returned by [`Template::custom()`], _must_ be
+    /// attached to any `Rocket` instance that wishes to render templates.
+    /// Failure to attach this fairing will result in a "Uninitialized template
+    /// context: missing fairing." error message when a template is attempted to
+    /// be rendered.
+    ///
+    /// If you wish to customize the internal templating engines, use
+    /// [`Template::custom()`] instead.
+    ///
+    /// [`Template::custom()`]: /rocket_contrib/struct.Template.html#method.custom
     ///
     /// # Example
     ///
@@ -163,8 +179,11 @@ impl Template {
 
     /// Returns a fairing that intializes and maintains templating state.
     ///
-    /// This method allows you to configure the template context via the
-    /// closure.
+    /// Unlike [`Template::fairing()`], this method allows you to configure
+    /// templating engines via the parameter `f`. Note that only the enabled
+    /// templating engines will be accessible from the `Engines` type.
+    ///
+    /// [`Template::fairing()`]: /rocket_contrib/struct.Template.html#method.fairing
     ///
     /// # Example
     ///