Pictured above: AriaBook by QtAlbums
When you’re sitting at home during these stay at home orders wondering what you can do with your time, learning how to make a wedding album may not be at the top of your list.
But, it should be and let me tell you why. There is no better upsell for wedding photographers than a wedding album.
Many wedding photography clients are already expecting to purchase a high-quality wedding album when they opt to hire a professional wedding photographer. It’s one of the best selling wedding heirlooms available.
But, the key is to make sure that whatever wedding album you are offering is up to those expectations. If you’ve never created a wedding album before, then you may fall into some old wedding album cliches on your first couple of tries.
Here are some tips for creating a wedding album that feels modern and timeless and will sell itself.
Lay Out Your Photos Chronologically
Photo by Elvis Bekmanis on Unsplash
The first tip for creating an unforgettable wedding album is making sure it makes sense. A lot of photography albums host photos from a person’s whole life, and in this type of album it wouldn’t make sense to lay out the photos chronologically.
But, you want your clients to feel as if they are reliving their wedding day when they flip through their wedding album. One easy way to ensure this happens is by using your photos to retell the story of their wedding in order.
But, laying out your photos chronologically doesn’t mean you have to literally lay everything out in perfect order, because a lot of the story of the wedding probably happened far before the wedding began.
photo by Hiraman via iStock
For instance, if you took the couple’s engagement photos, this may be a good place to start when building their wedding album.
If not, you will need to include photos of the rehearsal dinner.
I recommend creating every wedding album in the following order:
- Engagement photos
- Rehearsal dinner
- Photos of all the important players (bride, groom, wedding party, parents of the bride and groom)
- Ceremony
- Cocktail hour
- First dance
- Toasts
- Cutting of the cake
- Photos from the dance floor
- Exit
Each Spread Should Be a Work of Art On Its Own
Pictured above: AriaBook by QtAlbums
While the advice I gave about keeping your wedding album photos in chronological order is important, focusing on each spread individually is almost as crucial.
More often than not, when the bride and groom are showing off their wedding album to friends and family, they won’t take the time to flip through every page.
Pictured above: AriaBook by QtAlbums
Think of it like this: If your clients keep their wedding album on their coffee table in their living room and one of their friends just so happens to pick it up, you want that friend to be amazed at whatever page they open to.
In order to create this sense of awe, you need to view two pages as one piece of art. You want to keep the style of those photos consistent. For example, if almost all of the photos are in color, don’t throw any black and white images onto a spread with colored photos. Devote a specific spread to them, instead.
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Change the Sizes and Arrangements of the Photos
Pictured above: AriaBook by QtAlbums
This is one of my pet peeves. I’ll frequently flip through a wedding album created very recently and realize that all of the sizes of the images, or even the arrangements of the images on the pages, are exactly the same.
This is an old habit a lot of photographers held onto from the 90s, and it makes your wedding albums look stale and old-fashioned.
Try to organize the sizes of images based on those which are most important. For example, the photo of the bride walking down the aisle probably deserves its own page, while photos of friends and family on the dance floor can be lumped together.
In the same breath, make sure that non-essential photos don’t take away from special moments just because you have the perfect spot in your layout for the non-essential photo.
Don’t Leave Anyone Out
photo by urbazon via iStock
I hate when wedding album tips are really literal because I think that creating albums is a process each photographer needs to learn for themselves, but the only way I’ve found that works for me to prevent someone important from being left out is to create a list of all of the important players. Then, cross them out as you build the album.
I promise you that your clients will not be happy if they receive their wedding album and the mother of the bride is nowhere to be found. Likewise, they won’t be happy if one of the members of their wedding party doesn’t make the cut.
But, one of the most important reasons why this tip made our list is that it is truly helpful. I’ll frequently find myself absolutely torn between two or three photos of the same event at the wedding, but if an essential person is in one of them, it makes that decision so much easier.
Select a High-Quality Bindery
Pictured above: AriaBook by QtAlbums
It’s a bummer to see so many wedding photographers put so much hard work into their photography, their editing, and their selection process just to opt for a cheap photo album.
Your fine art deserves a beautiful book, and while you may not think that this investment is warranted upfront, the moment you see your clients open a quality album is the moment you know that decision will pay for itself.
Pictured above: AriaBook by QtAlbums
I’ve been working with QtAlbums for quite a while, and their AriaBook is the album I recommend for wedding photographers.
Each AriaBook is printed in either a silk or lustre finish, with as many modern coverings as you could want (genuine leather, natural linens, and premium silks). You can choose from dozens of colors.
Pictured above: AriaBook by QtAlbums
But, most importantly, each album is printed with Fuji DPII photo paper, which means your photos will last decades without fading.
Each AriaBook is created using a totally lay-flat design and they come in sizes ranging from 4x4 to 12x18, so not only is the album super easy to open and view, but you can also customize the viewing experience with different sizing options.
Pictured above: AriaBook by QtAlbums
And if all of this isn’t enough, you can also choose between a Kraft Presentation Box and a Bespoke Presentation Box so that your couple will have as much fun opening their wedding album as they did on their wedding day.
A finely crafted album is the perfect pairing for your photography. Visit QtAlbums today to explore their collection of beautifully-made albums.