Are Wedding Albums Worth It? Part One of the Series...

Weddings are expensive.  I was a bride before I was a professional photographer- and I remember all too well the reality of costs that came up and the amount of time, effort and restraint that was needed to stay within budget.  Thankfully, I knew what was important to me even at 22 years old. Photography. I knew that that is what we would have 5, 10, 20 and 50 years later.  The dress, the food, the music, the flowers- while important aspects, didn't matter so much. What mattered was making the lifetime commitment- and capturing the incredible emotions that come along with that.

I didn't have a huge budget- it was less than half of what the 'average' American wedding was in 2007.  But, because I knew what I valued, I was able to get the best photography for us- and utilize over 30% of our budget for it.  To make it all work, we had to get creative. We were modest with the flowers- buying them wholesale and then having a talented friend put them together. We didn't have a DJ- we put together a great playlist, rented wonderful speakers and had a charismatic relative MC when needed. We did many other things like this- and the day was wonderful.  Our love was celebrated and captured.

It is no surprise, however, with the costs of everything that is included in wedding planning, that albums sometimes get pushed to the side.  Even in with my love for photography, I nearly made that same choice.  But am I glad I didn't, so glad. We look at our album very often- we talk about our day and remember the most special moments, and the ones that were unknowingly captured; quiet, beautiful moments that are not always remembered.  It is modern, high quality and designed with our day, our style, our personalities in mind. But what I didn't expect, is how much my three-year-old loves to look at it. He talks about it, begs to page through and asks a million questions. I wondered why. Why would a three year boy who is all about trucks, dinosaurs and exploring love this?  Because it's where his life began. It is the story of his mommy and daddy's love. This, my friends, is priceless.

  Even as I attempted to take pictures for this post, my little guy was right there asking questions and loving looking at our 'special wedding book'. :)

I am going to be doing a five part series on this very topic- interviewing three 2013 brides- all with different stories on how they came to make the decision and what factors led them to that, as well as providing insight into what makes this album significant and worth it to them as a couple. I will also be showcasing more on the process for creating an album.

Before we dive into that, however, I wanted to share a portion of an article from a March 2014 Article in the Huffington Post.  Kathleen Trenske writes,

"Today, a lot of couples think just getting the disc of images is "good enough". Here's the problem with that thinking; it's not true. Not by a long shot.

Your memories are worth more than that. And your wedding images? They are worth TONS more than that. These aren't snapshots from a vacation. They aren't pictures from your iPhone. You cared enough about these moments to hire a professional to photograph them. Follow that through by having a professional print them. Have that professional print the pictures you put into frames and have them design you a high-quality wedding album that you will cherish for decades.

If you purchase an album through your photographer, you can see a sample in person. You can touch and feel it and make sure it is worth every penny.

I know that albums are expensive. That's for good reason. They are custom-designed books, usually hand-stitched and hand assembled and made just for you.

But of all the things you spend money on for your wedding, your wedding photographs are the ONLY thing that will increase in value over time. As the years pass, you'll be more and more glad that you have them. Especially, if you can experience looking through them by flipping through a gorgeous custom-designed album instead of sitting in front of your computer and clicking "next" with your mouse.

So, figure out a way to make it happen. Figure out a way to afford that album. Forgo a centerpiece. Cut back on your guest list. Opt out of the vintage car you'll drive in for all of 20 minutes.

Don't just do it for you. Do it for your children. Do it for your grandchildren. Because when they root around in your attic in 2075, they will have no idea what do with a USB key anymore than they would with a laser disc player."

Stay tuned for Part Two tomorrow! :)