After the “I Dos” and the honeymoon, you are home, anxiously awaiting a glimpse of your wedding day. You carefully chose your photographer and the big day was a dream come true. Now you want to relive it all in photo form!
Once those eagerly awaited wedding photos do come back, it is time to create your wedding album, arguably the ultimate wedding day keepsake!
Now, this is not as simple as slipping some prints into a plastic sheet in an old photo album, oh no, your wedding photos deserve so much more!
It will take planning, vision, and time, but you can create an album worthy of your wedding memories in a few simple steps.
Your Wedding Photographer and Your Wedding Photos
You may be wondering how many photos are typically in a wedding package.
Now, this should not be a mystery; your wedding photographer should have included this in the package information. But, if they haven’t told you how many images to expect, then ask!
Some wedding photography packages include all the edited, high-resolution images to download with a print release.
Some contracts, however, only allow for the photographer’s time at the wedding and you have to purchase the images separately. Do not be surprised later. Ask upfront!
Some wedding photographers will even include a credit toward your album in their package. Some brides think that album credit will cover all or most of the album. They go through the design process with the photographer only to be shocked with another bill of $500 or more after the credit! So be sure to clarify the particulars.
The Cost of a Wedding Album
A wedding album will cost between $200 and $1500+. Many factors will determine the price and you will need to set your budget and go from there.
Think of this album as an investment. Leaving those images on the cloud or a USB is a waste of money. You already invested in a wedding photographer to capture the moments of your wedding day and the next step is to turn those images into a family heirloom by creating a wedding album.
Keep in mind that an album that will last will not be cheap. A good wedding album should be made with high-quality materials, like thick paper that won’t fade.
Deciding How Many Photos Should Be in a Wedding Album
When deciding how many photos to put in a wedding album, start with your budget.
Are you designing your album online with a budget of $300? Can you spend $800 and have your photographer design a professional album for you?
Your budget will determine several factors:
DIY or Professional Design
It is easier to let the professional do it but if that is not in your budget, you can make a gorgeous album yourself online.
Album Size
The dimensions of your album will inevitably affect how many photos you include. A larger album, 12×12 or larger, will fit more photos on each page.
You can collage more on a 12×12 page and still have a nice design. A smaller album like an 8.5×8.5 will not display as many photos on each page.
Number of Pages
The number of pages in a wedding album varies. Most start with a minimum of 20 pages and then you pay for additional pages.
A 20-page album would normally display between 30-50 images, depending on the design. You do not simply include one image per page. Online printing companies make it easy to design each page with a variety of templates to choose from.
You can save some money by being a savvy shopper. Watch the online printing companies that make the best albums and order when your favorite one has a sale.
Artifact Uprising and Mpix are both amazing companies for albums and prints.
Picking the Photos for Your Wedding Album
You have your wedding photos on your computer and you are ready to create your wedding album. This is the fun part!
The goal of the album is to tell the story of your wedding day. Here are some simple steps to picking the photos for your wedding album:
The Cover
Your wedding album cover should represent you as a couple.
This is a big decision because you will see the cover as your wedding album lives on your shelf for years to come.
What look do you love? Would you prefer a photo on the cover or do you want to keep it simple with just names and the date?
If you do decide on a photo, choose your favorite one of the two of you together.
Narrow It Down
You have decided on the number of photos based on your budget. Now you need to look through each photo to narrow it down to that number.
If you are making a 20-page album with 40 images, that is your goal as you sort.
It helps to organize your photo selections into sections based on parts of your wedding day. You’ll want photos representing each part of the wedding day to tell a story.
More important parts of the day, like your vow exchange, reception speeches, or cake-cutting, will include more photos than a less important part of the day like the cocktail hour.
Put Them in Order
Your wedding album will tell the story of your wedding day if the photos are presented in sequential order. You are telling a story without using words!
Organize them on your computer so that they are already in order and adding them to the album correctly will be simple.
Focus on Yourselves
Don’t include a ton of guest photos. Some detail photos mixed in with portraits and candid shots are great to include if they help you remember your day.
Take Your Time
If your album doesn’t make you smile, change it up until it does. This wedding album will become a family heirloom and you both should love it.
Digital files are easily lost. Hard drives fail. We forget the password to the Cloud. Get those photos off the computer and onto the pages of a perfect wedding album that you will love!
Now that you know how many photos will be in your wedding album, design it in a way that will recreate the joy of your wedding day.
