I look at this album and I can still hear the excited squeals from Emily as she saw how everything was set up for their wedding. I can remember the way they buried their heads into each other as they hugged tightly during their first look. I can remember it all from that day, and I know they can too. That’s the power of photographs.
Emily and Nick are expecting their first child now, and I envision them all sitting down together while they look through one of the best days of their life, and to do it again and again for years to come. One day, they’ll have grandchildren who will see this album and know exactly what it was like when their grandparents promised their lives to each other.
One of my favorite things about being a photographer is getting to make beautiful albums that I know will be enjoyed for generations to come. It’s a part of the legacy that will be left behind. That, my friends, is priceless.
But, how do we get to this point? Well, some photographers will let you pick out the images from your wedding day that you want to use in an album. This can be an incredibly overwhelming task because an album can only hold 40 images or so (or more depending on which kind of album you have decided on!), and generally speaking you’ll end up with hundreds from your wedding day! So, I wanted to share some tips on how to go about picking out your photos!
- First and foremost, you want your album to tell a STORY about the day. Don’t get too hung up on all the different aspects, but which photos will help bring those feelings back and let you follow along from start to finish?
- A little technical thing – a spread is two single pages. When we design albums, we design them as spreads.
- If your photographer has included a “highlights” section in your gallery of images (which I do!) I would start there. Usually those images are selected as the best of the best and can really hone in on your day!
- Figure out which images are your MUST -haves. Which ones do you absolutely love?! Those ones should, without a doubt, be included in your album. I love my wedding images, but there are definitely a few that I love more than the rest!
- So, let’s say you have to choose roughly 50 images, here is how I would start it:
- Details – 5 images
- Getting ready – 3 images from each partner.
- First look – 3-4 images
- Ceremony – 5 images
- Wedding Party – 4 images (usually one with each side of the party, and two full group shots)
- Family formals – 4 images
- Portraits – 6 images
- Reception – 1 per special event (think first dance, parent dances, toasts, etc), and then a few party shots
- Reception details – 4-5 images
Now this is by no means the exact way to do it, but it’s helpful to have a starting point! For me, when I work with my couples I give them the option of choosing their images for the album OR I can choose them. Either way, my couples get an album “proof” where they are able to see the digital layout before it goes to print. This way they can make any suggestions that they think of or ask to swap out photos for something else. My online system makes it SUPER easy to do this!
Friends, no matter who is your photographer, PLEASE get your photos put into an album, and don’t wait. It took me over a year to get an album put together of my wedding day, and you know what? I have to dig through several old external hard drives to find my digital wedding photos. You know what I DON’T have to dig for? My wedding album 🙂
Linda is a Boston-based photographer specializing in weddings and creating family legacies. You can see more of her work online at lindabarryphotography.com, on Instagram, or on Facebook. If you want to reach out directly: linda@lindabarryphotography.com. To sign up for the monthly newsletter full of encouragement and real life, click here!
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