The wedding album design and ordering process

Wedding albums should be treasured, heirloom pieces that will stay with you for a lifetime. They are keepsakes that you will show to your children and grandchildren and so should be built to last. I am proud of the albums I create and want to walk you through the process and how the final beautiful masterpiece gets into your hands.

Following your wedding, you receive the link to your online image gallery where you view, share, and mark favorites. I also make my own list of favorites at the same time, and use those images to create your initial page design. Some people ask if I will take your list of favorites and create the design from that, but that seems to make the process much more challenging and time consuming. By selecting the images myself, I am able to make sure that your album is cohesive and makes sense with your wedding day timeline. It is also important to include detail images and formal family group photos, which sometimes can be overlooked when selecting your favorites. I try to get all album drafts out within 8-12 weeks following the wedding (often much sooner!).

I use a piece of album design software called SmartAlbums that streamlines the design process and allows me to take things into consideration like page bleeds, gutters, horizontal/vertical, page numbers, etc. Templates are available based on exact specifications from my print lab, so there’s never any concern for sizing or cropping being off when I go to print your album. Once I have your initial design done, I send you a link to view the pages and leave me notes for changes, photo swaps, or corrections you’d like. It is super easy!! You simply click on an image, leave some instructions, and then submit the new draft.

Once I have that first round of changes, I send you a new link with the 2nd draft. We repeat the same process and then you have one more round to make final changes as needed. Often my clients love the design as is and sometimes have just a few changes. That is evidence that my streamlined album process works and is super efficient. The last decision you’ll have to make is about the color of your album cover. Most people go with the classic matte black leather, but there are many other options to choose from to suit your personal style and wedding!

Upon final approval, I send the album to the lab and you’ll have it in your hands within 2 weeks! It comes in its own beautiful gray linen box, which is great for taking it along with you to show family and friends. Ideally though I hope you’ll leave it out on your coffee table to enjoy 24-7. :)

I know you will LOVE your new coffee-table style album and will cherish it for years to come.