It’s my hope this article serves as an introduction to my album creation process, and helps guide you as you select the photographs that will tell the beautiful story of your wedding day.
Right about this time you should have your CD of wedding photographs in hand, or it will be arriving very shortly. As I had mentioned when you initially booked me, my goal is to have your wedding album in your hands while the memories of your wedding day are still fresh in your mind. With that being said, please find the details regarding the album design process below. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me.
Tell a story. It’s always good to remember that the purpose of a wedding album is to tell your “story.” You want it to be a true representation of your wedding day as you remember it…or want to remember it! With that in mind, we do not recommend filling your album with posed family portraits, although there is a place for these photographs within the pages of your book.
Start from the beginning. Select several images from the ladies getting ready as well as some from the gentlemen preparing themselves. This is always a great way to start an album. Whether it’s a photograph of your maid of honor tying your curette, or the best man adjusting the groom’s bow-tie, these are moments that begin the journey of your wedding day.
He does. She does. Including photographs of the ceremony within the album is a no-brainer. You will want to be sure to include several photographs of you walking down the aisle – at least one from the front and one from another angle (behind or above, if your venue allowed for it). Next, be sure to include a photograph of your groom’s expression as he sees you for the first time walking down the aisle. From here you will want to select the following:
1) Wide shot of the bride and groom standing next to each other during the ceremony
2) A close-up or full-body shot of bride and groom during the vows
3) A close-up of the ring exchange
4) A full-body shot of the bride and groom’s kiss
5) Lighting of the unity candle (if applicable)
6) The bride and groom partaking in mass (if applicable)
7) A full-body shot and a close-up of the bride and groom walking down the aisle
Family. Family. Family. Your wedding album would not be the same without the inclusion of several family photographs…and here is their time to shine! Be sure to select an equal amount of images from both sides of each family. Diplomacy is important! Choose a variety of compositions. Select some photographs that are full-body shots, some that are three-quarter shots and some that are close-ups. This will help to keep this section of the album visually interesting. I recommend no more than eight family portraits.
A little bridal party love! This section of the album is designated for the bridal party. Be sure to select the following:
1) A photograph of the ladies together
2) A photograph of the gentlemen together
3) A photograph of the entire bridal party
4) A photograph of the groom with the ladies
5) A photograph of the bride with the gentlemen
Anything in addition to the photographs listed above is icing on the cake. Feel free to go wild!
It’s all about you! This section of the album is dedicated specifically to the bride and groom only. We spend a good chunk of time alone together and now it’s time for those photographs to take center stage. Be sure to select a variety of compositions, which include photographs that are full-body shots, some that are three-quarter shots and some that are close-ups. This will help to keep this section of the album visually interesting. You will also want to select some scenic shots taken during this portion of the day to help set the mood and showcase the environment we were in. I recommend selecting 7–10 photographs for this section of the album.
The reception. This selection of the album sets the mood for the reception. You want to select a collection of reception photographs that tell the story BEFORE the dance floor opens up. This includes the following:
1) A photograph of the bride and groom entering the reception
2) 1-2 images of the cake cutting (if applicable)
3) 2-3 images taken during the first dance
4) 1-2 images of each dedication dance (if applicable)
5) A photograph showing the entire room
6) A photograph of each guest speaker (if important to you)
7) A photograph of the garter toss (If applicable)
8) A Photograph of the bouquet toss (If applicable)
Let the party begin. This section of the album will be dedicated to the party and dancing portion of the wedding. The photographs selected should be a good representation of the party itself. Be sure to select roughly 8–10 photographs for this section of your album.
Sending me your images. There are several ways to do this and you have the freedom to choose which works best for you.
Dropbox: This is my preferred method of image delivery. If you have a Dropbox account, create a folded and call it “Our album Images.” Using the CD of photographs I provided, upload your selected images to this folder. Once the upload is complete, “share” this folder with me via an email.
Mail: Create a folder on your computer’s desktop and call it “Our album Images.” Using the CD of wedding photographs I provided, drag and drop the images you wish to be included in your album within this folder. Once done, burn a copy of this folder onto a blank CD and mail it to me.
Designing your wedding album. Once I receive your image selection, I get to work on the design. The design process takes approximately four weeks. Depending on the time of year, this timeframe can be a little shorter (winter) or a little longer (summer). Once the design is ready I will email you a link to review the album page by page. Once the album design is approved, I send it into production.
Delivery. Once an album design is approved, the turnaround is approximately six weeks.
If you have any questions regarding the album creation process, please do not hesitate to contact me.