Wedding Photo Books: Designing a Timeless Keepsake of Your Special Day
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue—and now something to remember every moment!
After organizing an entire wedding celebration for months, fretting over your wedding vows, and waking up at the crack of dawn to get ready to marry the love of your life, you deserve to have your (wedding) cake and eat it, too. No doubt you have hundreds, if not thousands, of photos from your big day (or micro wedding!), and while the thought of organizing and choosing which of the best moments of your life you’ll print in your wedding album is overwhelming, it’s not impossible.
Creating a personalized wedding photo album can be easy with these wedding photo book ideas and tips, from which photo book is right for you, to which photos and details should be included. You have so many beautiful portraits of you and your new spouse, not to mention candids of you dancing with your wedding party and hugging your parents. Take a few minutes to organize and print your favorites, then share the love with your in-laws, family and friends by printing duplicates for them to enjoy, too!
For an occasion as special as this, your wedding deserves the highest quality photo book possible. Print your magical day in a Luxury Layflat photo book, with pages five times thicker than a typical photo book in a 10x10” hardcover album. Your big day deserves the best photo book, without the huge price tag.
You can also take the Classic Photo Book route, which comes in softcover and hardcover options and three different sizes. Easily print your wedding photos, and add up to 366 pages of memories from your big day (so you don’t have to choose just your favorites, you can add them all)!
Whichever book you choose will make a beautiful wedding coffee table book!
Every wedding is different, but whether you have a professional photographer or friend snapping your photos, there’s a lot of memories to fit into your album.
If you opt for professional photos on your big day, those high-quality pics are the ones you’ll want to save and show off. If you took polaroid photos at any point, or handed out disposable cameras to guests, don’t worry — you can include these behind-the-scenes moments, too!
Once you get your physical photos developed, you can scan them into your phone (iPhone users, use the Notes app, or download a free option from the App Store). Once you have digital versions of those photos, you can add them to your photo books with just a few taps in the Chatbooks app. The same method goes for any film strips from photo booths you may have hired for your big event (bonus points if the photo booth company sends you digital versions)!
And if any of the photos your Aunt Gertrude shared with you are ones you’d like to include in your book, add them where they make sense—either include those photos with the professional shots from the same time of day, or make a collage on the last few pages of your wedding photo album that include your favorites.
It can be hard to pick a cover photo when you have so many favorites of you and your spouse! After you spend all that time choosing the cover of your custom wedding album, think about all the photos you’d like to include in your wedding album photo book. If you’re creating a Luxury Layflat, you only have 100 pages to work with, whereas you can fit 366 pages in a Classic Photo Book. And if you need more space for pictures, you can use collages to your advantage.
One of the most helpful ways to figure out how you want to organize your photos is to figure out if you want to arrange your pictures in chronological order, or if you’d like to use different photo books for different photos. For instance, you may print all your professional photos in one book, your rehearsal dinner photos in another, and all your photos taken by friends, family, photo booths or disposable cameras in a separate book, as well.
Or, if you’re creating wedding albums for your parents, in-laws, grandparents, or anyone else, you may want to choose photos that specifically include the people that are being gifted the photo book. Another approach is to use text pages to make chapters to capture all of your memories in one book. You can have chapter titles like “cutting the cake” and “first dance” to house photos from different sources (both professional and candid) in various categories.
Location
Add panoramic or scenic shots of your venue, from the external building, grounds and spaces for ceremony, cocktail and reception, to any internal spaces like the bridal room.
Getting ready
From toasts with your wedding party and matching robes to adding your special accessories and final touches, getting ready photos of both you and your partner add a beautiful, anticipatory addition to your wedding collection.
Parent first look
After you finish getting ready, you may opt to do a first look with either or both of your parents, so you can share that special moment with the people who made you. When it comes to wedding photo book ideas, it seems only right to add these sentimental pictures to your book.
First look
After shimmying into your looks for the big day and capturing the moment you and your partner first see each other on the big day (whether it’s a first look or the walk down the aisle), this highly emotional moment is worth a few pages in your wedding photo book.
Portraits
All those gorgeous photos of your families, your wedding party and any other special guests deserve their own pages in your photo book, so you can see your favorite people as they smile across the page. Bonus: Print duplicates of your wedding album for your families and wedding party members.
Details
There are so many important and thoughtful details that go into every part of your wedding, from the invitations to the rings—and we know you want to remember them all. Add photos of your wedding flowers, the backs of your reception chairs, and even the guest book or card box.
Vows
As you exchanged vows, and made promises to your new spouse, your photographer snapped tons of shots of the exact moments you become a married couple! From the sniffles to the smiles, these are the most precious moments and are a must when it comes to designing a wedding album.
Toasts and dances
From the cocktail hour to the reception itself, there are a lot of candid memories to capture and preserve. Add shots of signature drinks, signage, centerpieces and candles, plus any toasts made by the families or wedding parties, and of course, first dances! These traditional and special moments are the ones you’ll want to look back on.
To further customize your wedding photo book, you can add the dates and locations to your pictures, or add captions or text pages with things you and your spouse remember from that exact moment.
You can also make a duplicate of your wedding photo book and leave blank text pages within your album, and ask your family, friends, wedding party members and guests to add any memories from the day when you see them. Seeing everyone’s individual memories and handwriting will make a sentimental photo book even sweeter!
And if you’re looking for an easy gift, or just want to share your special memories with the people closest to you, make a duplicate copy of your wedding photo album to give to your loved ones —you can even ship it right to their door!
After all the time and money you spent on the biggest and best day of your life, you shouldn’t struggle with how to make a wedding album. After choosing the right photo book for you, follow these wedding photo book ideas and tips for creating the ultimate custom wedding album that you and your spouse will treasure for years to come. And don’t forget to share with family and friends, and everyone who celebrated your nuptials with you.
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