Planning one of the biggest days of your life is a joy, but the effect on your bank account might not be! As you think through where to save money and where to splurge, one of the questions that will come up is: Should I opt for a wedding album, or just digital photos?

I absolutely love helping my wedding photography clients create wedding albums! After the nuptials are over, your wedding album is a beautiful manifestation of the day, and it can easily be viewed and shared with loved ones for years to come, helping to relive cherished moments. Here are some thoughts on why I so highly recommend wedding albums.

1. Albums are much more personal. After the wedding, envision yourself with friends and family, looking through photos. Do you see yourselves sitting in front of a computer or passing around your smartphone to share your memories? Isn’t the image of gathering around an album much warmer? If you, your family, or friends have made photo albums in the past, you know how magical it can be to sit down together, flip through the pages, and reminisce about your wedding.

2. Albums tell a story. The layout and design of an album tell the story of your wedding much better than digital images. The photos that you select will convey what was important to you on that day – an experience you cannot achieve by looking through 500 photos or sitting through a video. Albums give you the freedom of highlighting your absolute favorite moments. They also give you an opportunity to design it to match the look and feel of your wedding. You can choose the colors, the cover materials (fabric, leather, etc.), album size, and layout and design of pages.

3. Albums are forever. Imagine this scenario: a fire breaks out in your home, and you're trying to save your most valuable possessions. A USB stick with your wedding photos sure wouldn't be one of the things you grab! Besides, our current technology might seem immortal, but CDs, USBs, and hard drives actually all have a shelf life! Meanwhile, with just a bit of safeguarding, a tangible wedding album is a precious keepsake that will last for decades. Plus, its impact will last far beyond many of the extras you might be considering for your wedding, such as grandiose but short-lived florals or riding away in a limo. Albums are not just for you and your partner, but your families, your children, and your children’s children. They will want to know what you and your other family members looked like on that day. They might even incorporate your wedding photos into their own weddings!

4. Albums are a worthwhile investment. Weddings today typically cost tens of thousands of dollars. Considering everything you’re spending for a perfect day, think about how your photos are one of the few things that last beyond wedding itself. Why wouldn’t you invest in a professional capturing of your big day? It makes sense to a bit more to have your photos organized into a beautiful keepsake album - especially if you’ve chosen a premier professional photographer to take photos in the first place.

5. Albums are a leisurely project. Compared to the potential stress as your wedding date gets closer, working on your wedding album is very relaxed! Enjoy your honeymoon, ease into married life, then start thinking about your album at your own pace. After selecting your favorite photos from the hundreds I'll capture on your wedding day, I will design the albums at no additional costs to you! It's a very fun process that allows you to be as low key or involved as you like. It's very popular to order albums in time for the holidays or your anniversary!