Why you need a wedding album

What good are photos if you don’t see them? Scroll through your camera roll and I bet you’ll come across amazing photos that you forgot even existed! In a digital world, I remain an album advocate. I have photo albums for everyday life, holidays, vacations, family portraits, and of course, all things wedding. I believe passion is a requirement when creating your wedding album.

My couples come to me to capture proposals, engagements, parties, boudoir shoots, weddings, honeymoons and more. Album design is important to me because every chapter of life is unique. The purpose of creating a photo album is to have something that tells the story and captures the essence of your beautiful milestone. Something that you can visit again and again, and share with friends, families, and future generations! 

As a child, going through old family photos brought me a lot of joy. However, the one area I really wish I could have seen more of was my parents’ wedding day. They only have two images from that day- that’s it! This is why I became so passionate about printing my artwork into tangible products that could withstand the test of time. Everyone deserves to have that for themselves and for their loved ones.

Why creating your wedding album is something we offer

We take so much pride in our albums, and after decades of creating and designing them, we know what looks good. We believe that high-quality photos and albums are worth it, and bringing peace of mind to our clients is priceless. Our couples sleep easy knowing their photos are living somewhere physically with them, not just on their Instagram feed. We are a full-service studio and we know busy couples could use our help!

Benefits of leaving it to the professionals

By having us design your wedding album, you get to go at your own pace. We will relive the magic of the wedding day and choose photos together! Then, we at AGS take the reigns for you. Not having the pressure of immediately going from wedding planning to album design can be a breath of fresh air.

There’s this idea that after the wedding couples will have all this free time, but we know the opposite to be true! There is a honeymoon to enjoy, thank-you cards to write, and other chores that might have been put on the back burner until after the wedding. Take on this project as a celebration of your first anniversary!

Or, design it your way

Creating your wedding album can be lots of fun! We have had some couples who are amazing scrapbookers and prefer to handle their photos in their own way, and we love to see what they come up with! Wedding Wire does a great job of wrapping up 8 steps to creating your wedding album if you’re not quite sure where to start. This would be the route for you if you’re more of a scrapbooker.

If design and details are your love language and what you enjoy doing in your downtime, create away! We suggest putting on some of the music that played at your wedding, pouring a glass of champagne and really enjoying the process! That’s what we like to do!

How we go about creating your wedding album

BFF Business

Here’s a little secret, while I am dreaming up your wedding with you, I am also thinking about your wedding album. We are a “full-service” studio, from your inquiry to your album being done and shipped, we help design every step of the way. I am constantly thinking about how to tell the story. What makes a good wedding album is when the couple can relive the story and remember every detail – the perfume worn, each person who helped make the day what it was, and that wedding toast that might have been cringy in the moment but is hilarious to recount now. It should a be time capsule of memories and emotions and pure joy, every time you touch the pages.

The Album Process

There is a misconception that when a photographer is creating your wedding album, we randomly deliver you an album with our picks on what we think you want to see. NOPE! This is a collaborative endeavor. In fact, we have a multi-step process to get you 95% of the way there. Then you also have the opportunity to add your finishing touches to it, swap out your favorite images, and provide any additional feedback before it’s locked in! 

So what does that actually mean?

1. Before your big day, we’ll talk all about albums and make a plan together. Come over to my cottage, have a cookie, and let’s get on the same (album) page. We have several options for an album’s physical look and lots of ideas about layouts! The expectations will be set for when you can count on having your photo book in your wedding band hand. 
2. During the wedding day, I can see who you’re most excited to spend time with. I recognize the photos you’d want to see in an album as I snap them. This isn’t a stranger creating your wedding album, this is the person who understands your wedding!  I enjoy strategizing the layout, visualizing which detail pictures would pair well with portraits, and noticing key moments of the day you’ll cherish for your lifetime.  

From getting ready to the grand exit, I view a wedding album like I do a book. The goal is for anyone looking at the album to be able to visualize the entire wedding day and to feel the love and connection you had on that day. The album should tell your story; a beautiful, epic, love story.

What happens after the wedding?

3. After the wedding, we share your gorgeous online reveal with you! We promptly schedule your album design meeting within that same week. This way we can get to working on creating your wedding album while you have the time available. While you’re dipping your toes in the sand with a pina colada in hand and your hot partner in a lounge chair next to you,  I am carefully designing your album and no details are spared. 
4. Ta-Da! We prep the albums for shipping, this is one you’ll want to unbox. Carefully wrapped in tissue paper, the sleek album looks like treasure. I promise you I will design nothing short of an absolutely gorgeous album. My job and your experience are not considered complete until we reach the album stage, ensuring that you can hold your cherished memories.

AGS Signature Albums

I have been designing photo albums for over ten years. Through my experience, I’ve crafted professional wedding albums: the AGS Signature Series. Within the AGS Signature series are the Leather and Linen albums, The Proof Box, and the Parent Album.

LEATHER & LINEN ALBUMS

The leather and linen albums are handmade luxury albums that come with the start of 16 spreads (32 pages). You have a choice of an 8×8, 10×10, and 12×12. These luxury albums are handled with the utmost care and each page is archive-protected. The Leather and Linen albums will last for generations.

THE PROOF BOX

These wooden boxes are individually handmade in Southern California. They offer custom engraving and staining, and within them are one hundred 4×6 or 5×7 prints. It gives the luxurious feeling of opening a present every time you go to look through your album.

THE PARENT ALBUM

Parents are typically involved in weddings and their contributions are invaluable! The parent album is the perfect way to say ‘thank you’ to mom and dad. You can also save this album as a gift for a Holiday! We use the term Parent Album generally, this can be an album for any family member or dear friend who loves your day as much as you.

Creating Your Wedding Album – Which style is right for you?

My passion for creating albums is something I take as seriously as the photos on the day. I started my photography career in a studio, under a very passionate mentor. She taught me how to photograph all the special moments in people’s lives. Not only did she teach me how to photograph and deliver digital images, but she also taught me the importance of a finished printed product. Whether it be a wedding album or a framed print, I didn’t consider my work a finished masterpiece until it was in print. It instilled a belief that I still carry to this day: my work is incomplete until it is printed.

While I believe you should get a wedding photobook from your photographer, I 100% respect my couples who prefer to do it themselves! Regardless of who puts together your album, the important conclusion is that these high-end luxury items are printed for you to savor the memory of the wedding. Photo albums live on coffee tables, in bedrooms, and on shelves. They’re for reliving the moments of your day when times are good and bad. 

I love when couples invest in their wedding albums and can treasure the moments for generations to come! Would you like to have us tell your love story through your very own photo album? Reach out to me here! I’d love to make your special day part of the AGS Signature Series!