When it’s possible to send a photo around the world in a few seconds, why do photographers still provide wedding photo albums? Well, they can tell the story of your wedding day in the most beautiful way. A great album is timeless, and whilst you might not look at it every day, when you do all those wedding memories will come flooding back. Your wedding album allows you to step back to your big day whenever you want, in a way that flicking through photos on a screen doesn’t. But to create your perfect wedding album, how do you choose the perfect photos?
Create a Shortlist
Firstly, look through all the images you’ve received from your photographer and mark all the ones you love. Don’t overthink this part. Note the file number or click the favourite button as many times as you like. If a photo makes you smile or makes you feel something special it deserves a place on the shortlist.
VIPs
Now it’s time to take a closer look at the photos you’ve chosen. Go through the images and check that all your VIPs feature at least once. Your close family, special friends, bridesmaids and groomsmen really should appear in your album, and if you can include a mix of posed and candid shots that’s even better because it’s great to see those you love the most being themselves too.
Posed Pictures
Take a look at the posed photos now. Have you included the special group shots in your album and are there iconic images of you as a couple too? You might prefer the more natural shots, but those posed photos really do have a place and work well in albums.
Wedding Details
Are you happy that all the important wedding details appear too? You may have particularly loved your bouquet, or crafted lots of special touches that you want recorded, so make sure these shots are also on your list.
Also check that anything personal or meaningful is there. Did you wear your grandmother’s brooch or set up a display of old family photos? These are the little touches you’ll want to remember in years to come.
Memorable Moments
Then look at the people and the moments. Did something funny happen during the speeches? Were there some excellent dance moves? The standout details of your wedding day have to be there. As do all the major milestones of the occasion, from getting into your dress, to your vows, and your departure at the end of the celebrations. You can’t tell your story if you miss out whole chapters.
Put It All Together
So now you need to put your story together. If you arrange your wedding photos in some kind of order does the day make sense? Are there any glaring gaps or have you dwelt too long on one aspect? Your wedding album should be balanced and, when you look at the photos you’ve chosen, you should almost be nodding with happiness and saying to yourself “yes, that was our wedding”.
Now Leave It to the Professional
Once you’ve handed over your chosen images to your photographer it’s time for them to use all their expertise and experience to design your wedding album and to create something that you’ll treasure for the rest of your lives together. It’s always better to select too many photos and let your photographer’s editorial eye make the final selection.
A great wedding album will be one that you look back on during the decades to come and, when you open its pages, makes you feel like newly-weds all over again.
Guest post by Amanda Karen Photography
Images from Amanda Karen Photography
