Let me start off by saying, I love albums!  The reason that we have photos taken is because we want to remember and cherish the moments in time that we photograph.  Having an album of your wedding photographs is one of the best ways to keepsake your images, and enjoy them for generations to come.

 

High Resolution Digital Negatives

I’m all about it when clients want to have image files (which I call high resolution digital negatives) from their wedding.  In today’s world of digital media my brides and grooms want to be able to post their favorites on social media, update their cover photo, and share with family and friends.  As a recent bride, I totally get this!  You spend so much time on all the little details, the napkins and place cards, so you want to have access to all of your images.  You probably won’t blow these images up and hang them on your wall, but you may still want to look at them to remember the day.

There are two problems with only having files to remember the most important day of your life.  One of them, is that I bet you aren’t going to pull that flash drive out when you are in a sentimental mood.  I’ve been married for almost two years, and I have yet to do just that.  If I’m not going to do that, as a photographer, then trust me when I say you aren’t either.  Having your files on a flash drive is a great way to keep your images, but not the best way to enjoy them.

 

Your First Heirloom

Another problem with only having digital files of your wedding photographs is that our grandchildren probably won’t even know what a flash drive is!  I have one photo from my grandparents’ wedding that I cherish, and I want to be able to pass on the same legacy for generations to come.  Your wedding album is your first heirloom.

I know for a lot of couples who think they may not want an album, they imagine an outdated design that might be more in your face than the images are. That isn’t how it has to be, and that is not how I design albums!  For me, the images are the focal point of my album design; superfluous design elements are unnecessary and clutter the story I’m trying to tell.  For me, your album design is to simply tell the story of your day in images.

 

These are just a couple of things to keep in mind when choosing a wedding photographer and deciding on the elements you want to budget for.  Here is one of my favorite albums that I’ve designed for one of my couples this year!  I love receiving these in the mail because they are absolutely stunning.  Made of high-end leather, and printed on fine art linen paper, I get so excited to put one of these in the mail and I’m just as excited to share today!