There’s something really magical about holding a wedding album in your hands. Turning each page, the rest of the world falls away as you reflect on one of the happiest days of your life. Each timeless image is preserved in a storybook all your own. This is a piece you’ll reach out and share for years to come, whether it’s as a gift for your family, bridal party members or a special copy just for you. Why leave your gallery in a desktop file just waiting to be clicked? Your photos deserve better! So here are my five favorite reasons to invest in a professional wedding album. 

1. To Preserve your Memories

Let’s face it. Technology is an ever-changing force that feels impossible to keep up with. Remember CDs? There’s no doubt another form of digital image storage that will replace the Clouds and USB drives of now faster than DVDs replaced VHS… then BluRay replaced DVD… then downloads and streaming, well, you get the idea. A wedding album will ensure your memories will never be obsolete. Technology changes. Your wedding day never will. 

2. To Relive your Big Day

During the planning process, sometimes it feels like your big day will never arrive. But believe me when I say it will be over before you know it! A professional wedding album not only preserves your memories, it allows you to relive your big day over and over again. There’s nothing like a tangible, visual reminder of one of the biggest days of your life and love story! Studies have even shown that we have a greater emotional response to printed images than digital ones. So gather around and turn the pages of your storybook (rather than crowding around another screen).

3. To Highlight the Details

Sure, your favorite wedding photos will likely end up as prints or canvases in your home, but what about all the other details you put so much thought and money into? Your wedding photographer will capture your flowers, menus and rings beautifully, and a professional wedding album will help you remember all the gorgeous details forever. What’s more, your album can become a highlight in its own right as a stunning and sentimental piece to display on your mantle, coffee table or bookshelves. 

4. To Share & Pass Down 

Freezing important moments in time allows us to share our family’s history, and a professional wedding album is a perfect heirloom to pass down for generations. A lot of us remember looking through their parents and grandparents’ wedding photos for the first time, and those keepsakes become some of our favorite treasures as the years pass by. A wedding album isn’t just a timeless investment you can make for yourself. It’s one you can make for your kids, grandkids, and all generations to come. 

5. To Personalize your Gallery

Just like all the details of your wedding itself, a wedding album can reflect your style in a way only you can design. Keep your wedding theme going or display the images in a brand new way! Sound overwhelming? I’m here to help! I can help you savor every moment with a stunning album of supplied photos, or ones selected from your client gallery (if you book me as your wedding photographer). I love creating a custom layout and design just for you! Find more information about custom photo books here, or reach out to talk details.

It’s 2023, and professional cameras have come a long way – so have camera phones. Let’s face it, some of today’s devices are equipped with lenses that rival our own professional equipment! And while that’s usually a good thing, when it comes to wedding guest photography, navigating the waters of etiquette can get a bit murky. (Some couples have even gone so far as to opt for an “unplugged” ceremony, keeping all phones in attendance silenced and tucked away.) 

And while it’s best to keep your professional photos to well, your professional photographer, there are some advantages to seeing all the snaps your guests capture from the big day! Read on for this week’s wedding tips and tricks… and some of my best advice when it comes to wedding guest photography.

Do: Set Expectations

Above all, remember that it’s your day—even when it comes to the photos your guests take! You’ve hired your own photographer for a reason, and while your guests’ bonus images are a lot of fun to look at (especially while you’re waiting for your professional sneak peeks and wedding albums), they should definitely be taken on your terms. Talk to your spouse-to-be and decide what you’d like the parameters to be at your ceremony and reception. Then make sure you communicate those guidelines to your guests. 

Don’t: Assume Anything

It’s never a good idea to assume your guests know what’s appropriate when it comes to wedding guest photography. After all, this is still a new issue that advances with every new phone model and trend! Even when it comes to something as simple as keeping guests’ phones silenced (remember that clicking camera shutter sound phones make when you snap a pic? Not exactly the sound you want to walk down the aisle to.), don’t assume everyone in attendance knows what’s expected… or that they remember! 

Pro Tip: There are ways to make expectations known without coming across as overbearing. Little things like having your officiant make an announcement about photo rules before the ceremony begins, or even having a cute sign printed and displayed at the ceremony site’s entrance can be super effective, and even beautiful décor. 

Do: Encourage Guests to Take Photos

When it comes to wedding guest photography, I definitely recommend encouraging photos at your reception. You’ve put a lot of time and money into this event – You’ll want to remember it from all angles! If you’ve limited screen time for your ceremony, make sure your guests know they can let loose (and when). 

Don’t: Allow a Free-for-All

Do you want ceremony photos from your guests but don’t want everyone looking at their phones during the processional? Encourage people to stay in the moment and enjoy the experience with their own eyes! On the other hand, if you DO want plenty of first-hand photos from the ceremony, make sure people know that, too. 

Pro Tip: Believe it or not, there is a way to encourage guests to take photos – without getting in the way of your expectations, or blocking your professional photos. Make staying in your lane fun with an “I-Spy” game for your big day! Print out an insert for your programs, or a sign for a high-traffic area. Include the photos you do want taken, and none of the ones you don’t! Make it a straight-forward list, like “a photo of the group at your table” or “a toast.” Or make it more of a scavenger hunt with prompts like “something red” or “the bride and groom holding hands.”

Do: Share the Images

Like I said before, these bonus pictures are just that… a bonus! And they’re not doing any good just sitting on someone else’s cloud. Wedding guest photography provides an inside look at your big day from a perspective only they can provide. These images could even end up being some of your favorites, and some of your guests’ favorites, too. So share them! Trust me, no one will ever say know to seeing a photo you took of their day.

Don’t: Wait to be Tagged

All that said, make sure your guests know how you want these images to be shared. We all remember the nightmares of being tagged in a less-than-flattering image on social media, right? Have a plan for image sharing in place before things end up in a totally public online post. (Especially when there’s a lot of attendees pictured!) Candid dancefloor shots snag amazing images of your guests, and if they don’t know each other, they can’t be tagged. Make sure no one misses a moment with a designated searchable hashtag or similar.

Pro Tip: Choose a photo sharing app, and print pretty cards with uploading details. Then scatter them around your reception tables (or at the bottom of your I Spy cards)! You can even create a QR code for a Google Drive or Dropbox link. Need some more ideas? Check out my journal entry, Four Ways to See Your Guest’s Wedding Photos here.