The Power of a Great Wedding Album
by Storey Wilkins
The Power of Print
I believe in the power of print. Every time I walk into my home I am greeting by the warmth and love of my family’s smiling faces, in both the framed prints on my walls and in the timeless albums I have made over the years. This would not be possible if I had left my most important photographs on hard drives.
I believe that everyone has a great story and that stories deserve to be preserved in print. As a Toronto wedding photographer I have a wonderful opportunity to capture not only the most epic moments of my clients' lives but also to approach those moments with the skill of a storyteller.
A photographic album is something that will be handed down to children and grandchildren. I believe, strongly, that the story of a wedding belongs in a beautiful album (or coffee table book or any other bound medium), and not on a USB stick.
Begin with the End in Mind
It is during that tense few hours before a wedding when I am in my “focus zone” that I start thinking about the album. I set an intention to make an album with a great story, their story, in fact the best version of their story. It means I am on the hunt for not only the who…but the where when why and how as well. If I only shoot to make a few awe inspiring images to satisfy their social media needs, it would be a very short (and less interesting) story.
So what makes a great story? Most certainly I believe that equal amounts of ‘asked for’ portraits, moments, and the documentation of ritual are essential. It is one that mimics the flow of the wedding day itself. This includes the four main elements of getting ready, the ceremony, portraits, and the reception.
It is where the characters are made familiar, the emotional variants are revealed, and the plot moves quickly with a few unique twists until the end when you are left feeling connected to the couple and their loved ones in an unforgettable way.
Timeless Design
It is not enough to fill a wedding album with wonderful photographs. It also needs to be designed with great care and finesse so that the right images are used in the right place and presented in the right way.
The transitions between the scenes must be clear and the album as a whole must appear cohesive. This is done by careful use of color and tone, lighting, focal length, locations, emotions, characters and details and story line.
Also, I have certain no-no's in album design, such as no key lines, no drop shadows, no funky borders, no tilted images and no distracting "scrapbook" like effects. They key is to make every spread clean, elegant and timeless so that the images leap off the page, not the effects. I never want the clients’ grand kids to look at the album in future and say, "whoa this is SO 2021!” I want the album to feel timeless.
Great Album = Great Photographer
A great wedding photographer stands apart from the crowd by not only capturing lovely storytelling images, but by shooting for the big picture and then funneling that story into print in a timeless elegant and very well-crafted (ideally locally created) wedding album…in essence by telling the BEST version of a story. It is essential to limit the number of photographs in an album to the very best (or most treasured). Less is more here.
Making it Easy for You
The wedding album image selection and design process can be a little challenging for busy couples, so I provide full album services from image selection to design to cover selection to ease the pain.
Choosing from my main album line of gorgeous, professionally bound books constructed from only the best quality materials and workmanship, I know my clients will love it.
My custom albums are often made with up to 80 pages, and are available in square or vertical formats. Covers are available in a curated selection of linen and faux silk fabrics. Modern laser engraving and traditional die cuts are terrific ways to add monograms and other custom cover designs that are beautiful ways to personalize a book.
Purchasing a Wedding Album
Should we purchase a wedding album?
The short answer is DEFINITELY YES! Your wedding album will be a culmination of the wonderful memories of the day presented in a beautiful book that tells the story for a lifetime. Choosing from my main album line of gorgeous, professionally bound books constructed from only the best quality materials and workmanship, I know you will love it.
Time Required
We want an album but how much time does it take to order one?
Because the wedding album process can be a little challenging for busy couples like you, I can provide custom album services from image selection to design to cover selection, and more. Never worry about design; I include full design services for each custom album purchased. I will create the first draft design called an Artist’s Choice Album and then work with you to perfect it based on your preferences until the final piece of perfection is ready to print.
Choice of Cover Material
Here are some examples of my favourite cover materials:
Clear Communication
We believe in creating a book that shows the best use of your images, and shows the best telling of the day. Our view is that you should be able to show someone your wedding album who wasn't at the wedding, and they should have no questions but also feel they were there.
To that end, we usually build our books to their maximum capacity - often 40 spreads of elegantly arranged, beautiful photographs. You can always choose to remove spreads if your preference is for a smaller album. Once your design is finalized and signed off on, it takes about 8-12 weeks to receive the finished book.
Quality Materials
We always choose high quality books and clean design techniques that will stand the test of time.
We recommend you order a beautiful matching clamshell case. Typically, our books measure 12x12 inch closed, or 24x12 inches open. Most choices in cover materials, excluding genuine leathers, are included.
Please view one of my complete wedding albums here.