Please allow me to quickly add that wedding albums are expensive for a reason. They are a unique keepsake of your most special day, and getting a high-quality album that will stand the test of time is absolutely worth the investment. Most photographers these days include a wedding album in their photography package, so navigating the world of wedding albums may not be something most brides need to deal with.
That said, there are a growing number of high-quality options out there for couples who want to put together their own wedding album, either for themselves or as duplicates for friends and family (they make great gifts for in-laws and grandparents!).
As a wedding photographer, I was recently advising a friend on how to navigate the overwhelming world of premium online photobooks to create a wedding album. Her top priorities were the ability to have a linen cover (not being a fan of the photo-cover or sometimes dated-looking leather), a square album, and wanting lay-flat photo binding. Not all of the suggestions below meet all those criteria, but hopefully this break-down will help her (and you!) to evaluate which services offer the most of what you want, and at the best price.
- Binding: lay-flat
- Size: 8x8 or 12x12 (inches) album
- Cover options: black leather or photo-cover
- Pages: 20
- Price: $175.00 (roughly £113.00)
- Binding: traditional
- Size: 11.6x11.6 (inches)
- Cover options: padded photo cover and personalised spine
- Pages: 90
- Extras: Comes with a box
- Price: £99.00
- Binding: lay-flat
- Size: 27.6x27.6 cm
- Cover options: photo cover
- Pages: anywhere between 24-96 (with the price ranging from around £24 to £128)
- Price (for a 36-page book): £60.95
- Binding: traditional or lay-flat (at 40p/page extra cost)
- Size: 30x30cm
- Cover: linen (in a variety of colours), leather or photo-cover
- Pages: 24 pages (75p per extra page)
- Price: £34.95 (+£15 off for new customers)
- Binding: traditional or lay-flat
- Size: 12x12 (only traditional binding), 11x14 or 8x11 (lay-flat binding)
- Cover: leather or velvet (on 12x12 book) or photo-cover (on 11x14 and 8x11)
- Pages: 20
- Price: $39.99 (£25.91) to $59.99 (£38.87)
- Binding: traditional
- Size: 30x30cm (11.8x11.8 inches)
- Cover: linen (in colours including purple)
- Pages: 30 (or up to 50)
- Price: £34.99
- *Note: Yophoto also offers a wedding package if you're interested in buying more than one album
- Binding: lay-flat
- Size: 30.5x30cm
- Cover: bleak leather, white cover or photo-cutout
- Pages: 30 (£1/per extra page)
- Extras: Gift box option (£30.99)
- Price: £79.00
Please note: Prices quoted are taken from website listings on 25 April 2013 and may be subject to change
Because nearly all of the albums listed above are some type of 'premium' photobook, they will be printed on better-quality, longer-lasting photo paper. That said, it is worth investigating the technical details (such as type of paper) before you make your purchase.
I don't expect that this will answer everyone bride's questions or comprehensively cover all the options out there, but hopefully my painstaking hours of internet-scouring have helped point you in the right direction if you're in need of a wedding album!
Notice that I've missed your favourite photobook-supplier? Let me know and we'll feature it on the blog!
Many thanks for sharing this useful information. I think many brides will find your guide a valuable resource.
ReplyDelete