A wedding album is a timeless way to showcase and preserve the most cherished moments from your big day. While traditional albums remain popular, many couples now opt for wedding photo books as a modern way to capture the essence and story of their wedding. During the wedding planning process, it’s important to work with your photographer to ensure they capture the most meaningful moments. Whether you’re celebrating with a large gathering, an intimate elopement, or a micro wedding, creating your own wedding album will allow you to relive those memories with loved ones for years to come.
While photographers often offer album services, many couples today choose to make their own wedding photo books using customizable templates available online. These DIY wedding albums can look just as stunning and professional as those created by photographers. If you’re looking for ideas, tips, or step-by-step guidance on how to make your own wedding album, continue reading below.
Wedding Photo Book vs. Wedding Album
So, what is the difference between a wedding photo book and a traditional wedding album you may ask? They both share the same aspects of displaying your best wedding memories, but there are slight differences that make wedding photo books and wedding albums unique in their own ways. Learn more about the differences and which option is best for displaying your wedding photo memories.
What is a photo album?
The traditional photo album features photographs that are printed on separate pieces of paper and placed into plastic sleeves to protect the photo from being damaged or within frames on a page. Your baby pictures are likely organized in a traditional photo album as they’re precious memories of you. Alternatively, a professional wedding photographer may use their selected photos from your big day to print in a high-quality lay-flat style album. While this type of album looks clean and professional, the couple would not have much choice in a specific design or image placement.
What is a wedding photo book?
A wedding photo book, on the other hand, is a book that is carefully bound with photographs showcasing your wedding day printed directly on the paper. While there are countless styles to choose from, typical photo books have room for custom text, unique backgrounds, different layouts, layflat pages, and your choice of genuine leather covers to suit you and your partners tastes.
Along with enjoying the creative process, there are many advantages to putting together your own wedding photo book. Modern couples are choosing to make their own wedding photo books as a fun and creative way to tell the unique story of their big day. So, whether you’re the creative type, on a budget, or simply love the idea of making your own wedding album photo book to unleash the creative bone in your body, this ultimate guide will show you how to make a wedding album photo book that will be cherished for years to come.
How to Make a Wedding Photo Book
It’s an easy and seamless process to make your own wedding photo book with the help of online tools from Shutterfly. With beautiful photos and gorgeous templates, follow seven simple steps to create the photo book you’ve always dreamed of.
1. Choose a photo book style and size.
Depending on how many photos are taken on your wedding day, you’ll want to make sure you choose the correct size to ensure all your memories are properly developed and preserved to look back on in the years to come. Match your wedding style or theme with dozens of unique designer wedding photo book templates. Browse our full library of different sizes and styles to find the best fit for you and your partner.
2. Select a cover.
The front cover is one of the most important aspects of your photo book as it displays your favorite snapshot of you and your significant other or another special photo of your choosing. Or, you can go the more simplistic route and opt for a cover that’s plain and protective. You can never go wrong with a timeless leather-bound photo album cover.
3. Upload your final wedding photographs.
Receiving your wedding day photos from your photographer may take up to eight weeks, but it’s worth the wait to get your professionally polished images. Make sure you communicate early on with your photographer about your digital copy needs so there’s no confusion once it’s time to create your book.
4. Pick your favorite photos.
Add variety with a mix of both candid and posed pictures with friends and family, plus photos of the wedding décor. Do your best to balance the lighting and colors and group them together for each page for optimal visual appearance.
5. Pick a layout method that fits your design skills.
There are three ways to make a photo book the way you want: totally DIY, using templates and pre-designed layouts, or using our Make My Book service.
6. Design your photo book.
Let your imagination run wild and design a wedding photo book you truly love. Add finishing touches, and select special features such as layflat pages, satin-finish paper, a dust jacket or a gift box to customize your photo book. This is your chance to make your album one-of-a-kind and unique to you and your significant other.
7. Order Away!
Once you believe everything looks and feels just right, add the finished product to your cart. Make sure you’ve reviewed all the pages for any mistakes or typos beforehand to ensure you’re creating the photo book you always envisioned.
Guide on Creating a Modern Wedding Photo Book
Here, we describe our simple process and advice for making your own wedding album photo book. Unlike the traditional wedding album, a photo book is a carefully bound book with images printed directly on the paper. Special features such as custom text, layflat pages, backgrounds, and unique layouts make it easy for couples to tell the story of their wedding day. So when creating your own book, follow the advice below.
Waiting for your professional wedding photographs?
It might take a couple of months for your full selection of wedding photos to arrive. Chances are you hired a professional wedding photographer to capture your wedding day. The good news is that you’ll end up with polished and edited images which will become the foundation of a great photo book. The bad news? You’ll have to wait up to eight weeks or more for the final images.
If you’re eager to get started, you can. Take this time to collect photographs from friends, family, bridesmaids, and groomsmen who were at your wedding or those from the photo booth, if you had one. Creating a smaller more intimate book of these photos as a fun complement to the primary album.
Choose your favorite images ahead of time.
It’s important to love every photo in your album. Your primary photo book should feature photographs that you simply can’t live without, the ones that capture exactly how you felt or what you did on your wedding day. Choosing your favorite images is the key to creating the perfect wedding photo album.
Focus on the style of your photo book.
Photo books come in a variety of styles, themes, and layout options, including classic, modern, vintage, rustic, and contemporary styles. Shutterfly also offers guided styles based on the occasion.
Pay attention to your cover.
Today’s quality photo books come in a variety of covers. Do you want a hard photo cover with a glossy finish, a premium leather cover, or a premium cover? Shutterfly makes it easy for you to find a cover that matches the formality and style of your wedding day.
Say yes to finishing touches.
There are many ways you can enhance and customize your wedding photo book. Whether you want a gift box or a dust jacket, finishing touches complete your wedding album experience. Consider choosing extras that are practical and add beauty to your book. For example, if you plan to include mementos from your wedding, a memorabilia pocket placed inside of the album is worth the extra money so you can safely store the keepsakes along with the rest of the images.
Tips for Creating the Perfect Wedding Photo Book
Follow these great tips and tricks for the perfect wedding photo book.
1. Create sections.
To design a book that flows chronologically and tells a story, arrange your photos in sections, such as ceremony, cocktails, dinner, and then dance party. For example, you don’t want to feature an image from the reception before one from the ceremony.
2. Capture the whole story.
Photographers today know to capture everything from the surroundings of the location, the bride and grooms first dance, to the cloth napkins on the dinner table. Include these special images in your book to help you recall the beauty of your day and details that went into making it all happen. Also, don’t forget to include photographs of family members, even if they were not in your wedding party.
3. Include a variety of images.
While it’s important to pick your favorites, make sure you get a nice mix of both posed and candid shots. Posed photographs can be creative and stunning, but candid shots are usually the ones that capture the raw emotions of the day. An equal mix of both should accurately reflect the mood and feeling of your wedding day.
4. Mix in a little fun.
A photo wedding book can feature more than just gorgeous and touching photographs. In fact, the best books feature a combination of beautiful and comical moments, such as the moment your ring bearer refuses to walk down the aisle, when the bride and groom smear frosting from the wedding cake on each others faces, or when Aunt Patty kicks off her heels on the dance floor.
5. Select opening and closing shots.
Every great story has a beginning and an end. While sifting through your photos for favorites, keep an eye out for the perfect opening image to your book as well as a final shot that will complete your beautiful wedding story.
6. Think beyond pictures.
Who says wedding photo books should only feature photographs? Today’s books have enough room for unique text, quotes, and details about your big day. Try incorporating your invitation, mementos, notes from loves ones, and other personal items such as petals from your bouquet.
7. Create your photo album now.
There is no magic time frame to this, however, we suggest making your album sooner rather than later. A year goes by and you are now looking for a new home or getting ready for baby number one! Don’t do tomorrow what you can do today. It’s also good to get it done so you can share it with your visiting family and friends.
Final Thoughts about Wedding Photo Albums
Looking back, you may remember your wedding as a day that went by in a blink of an eye. With Shutterfly, you can create the perfect wedding photo book that allows you to relive your magical day forever. Explore our additional resources below to find more ways to continue your wedding personalization journey.
Additional Resources:
