Albums are important. They are necessary.

Of course, this is my opinion.

But hey, it’s my blog, so I want to share with you my opinion, and I want to try in the next few words to convince you to share my opinion.

I know albums are expensive.

Why?

They are hand bound. They are not massed produced. They are either on real photographic paper, or as with Vision Art, they are archival inks printed on special archival paper.

Here’s the deal. Albums are tangible.

They are something that you hold on to after your wedding day, that you can revisit again and again. They are the only thing that tells the story of your day long after the day has passed. They include photos of people who will, in time, no longer be with us. Some day you will show your children. And some day, your children will show their children.

Think about this. How many photos do you have on your computer. How many have you actually printed?

Couples always ask me how many photos they will get on their DVD.

More than you will ever know what to do with is my answer.

What if you lose the DVD? What if your hard drive dies? Do you have a backup?

I have personal photos on my computer (and on a personal level it’s amazing how unorganized they are). I have photos I’ve taken with my iPhone which are still on my phone. I have stills taken with my video camera which are still on the tapes from my video camera.

Since the world went digital, I am amazed at how few prints I make of my life any more. And those prints? I have thousands of them in shoe boxes. They’re in my closet. In Tupperware containers on the floor.

Where will all your wedding pictures be in 10 years? In 20?

Albums = Storybooks

I call my albums storybooks because that is what they are. I select the photos of your wedding day that tell the story of your day. I don’t include all of the formals. Or groups. Those make great prints. But they don’t necessarily tell anyone the story of your day. My books usually include:

Getting ready pictures. Moments before the ceremony. The ceremony. Photos of the happy couple. Photos of the party. Photos of romance, love, tears, joy! Like chapters in a book.

Most books have roughly 2-5 photos per page. Some pages have more (like detail pages). Some pages have less. Some only have one which takes up a whole spread (2 pages). Whatever it takes to tell your story and to tell it well.

The standard albums I offer start with 12 spreads or 24 pages. So most books have 50-75 photos. Some more, some less. I do not use templates. They are custom designed. So there is no right answer as to exactly how many images. Most of the time, couples will upgrade the number of spreads because they are so happy to see their wedding again!

Finding A Partner

Looking for an album company to partner with was really tough.

I really wanted a local company. I believe very much in using products, companies that are located here in the beautiful Hudson Valley. I found one. Renaissance Albums in Port Chester, New York. Their albums are just beautiful.

I carry their Soho, Fine Art and Mercer books. For couples wanting a more contemporary Art Book, I’ve chosen Vision Art. The two companies offer very different book choices.

Renaissance offers books in a variety of fine leathers, silk shantung and silk brocades. Vision Art offers books with canvas covers with dust jackets and leather books with dust jackets.

In the next few weeks I will feature an album from each company so you get a good view on the offerings.

Today I will share with you a Renaissance Soho Book. The book comes with a beautiful black leather case. The Soho album does not have a gutter. It is a flush mount album.

Let me know what you think.