As a professional wedding photographer in Charleston, we find when brides are on a quest to find the perfect wedding photographer, they are faced with one of the most difficult decisions for their wedding. Think about it for a second – The exact for menu for the wedding can be tasted well ahead of time, venues can be seen – in many cases with similar decor and lighting, bands can be seen performing those very songs that you would want them to play, trial make ups can be scheduled with the makeup artists… The list goes on.

But even after looking at potentially hundreds of wedding photography portfolios, can you rehearse your wedding day and have a trial run with your photographer? Can you plan on the exact lighting and guest scenarios that the photographer will have to overcome? The answer is no. There are a handful ways by which brides decide on the perfect photographer – The style, the personality, the brand, the deliverables, and so on and so forth. Make sure you make a decision based on what you want your pictures to look like vs. what you want to pay for your pictures. Photography is an art form, not a commodity – So make sure you entrust the right photographer to capture your special day! Tekno sarmal

Now, that you have made a decision to choose your perfect photographer, how will you make sure your memories are preserved in the most meaningful way possible?

Most professional wedding photographers offer museum grade luxe canvases, enlargements, DVD collections and yes, albums… And, most brides are often pondering a couple of questions over and over again… Why are wedding albums so expensive and are they worth it? We hope to shed some light on the subject.

Why are wedding albums so expensive?

Depending on the studio and type of album offered, wedding albums range from a few hundred dollars to several thousands of dollars – And, yes, you absolutely get what you pay for. A common mistake we see brides make is settling on simply checking off a box on a photography package that includes an album – but remember, not all albums are created equal.

The “always included” and modestly priced wedding books are press printed books similar to what you can order directly from, Blurb, Shutterfly or even through Apple’s Photo software – The books are great for what they are… simple books that make for great do-it-yourself family albums. The pages are thin, similar to a magazine or glossy paperback and printed using a four color printing method and the cover choices range from soft covers to hardback with a dust jacket to a printed hardback. The colors will fade and the paper tends to deteriorate over time as well. There is little to no protection from the elements.

The more expensive albums are generally produced using actual photographic paper, some with metallic finishes. The spreads are usually seamless with lay-flat binding design so when you open the book, you can see a panoramic shot of your ceremony go across the table… seamlessly. The pages are thick and sturdy giving the album a luxurious feel and make the page feel substantial. The covers come in a variety of finishes from genuine leather to silks to aluminum to acrylics and many more. The pages can be ordered with protective coating to protect the book from the elements and most manufacturers guarantee their albums with a lifetime warranty.

These high-end albums are produced by Graphistudio companies who do not sell directly to the general public and hence are not available to the DIY audience. There is no product that we know of in the consumer market that can compete with these high quality albums. This means that while a DIY bride can design and produce an album on her own, the end result will never equate to a well designed luxe album from the studio. The base cost of these books tends to be much, much higher than the standard DIY books.

Depending on the photography studio, these albums are meticulously designed from cover to cover, through to every single page, showcasing the story of your beautiful day in the most expressive and meaningful way possible. The end result (if done well) is a custom piece of art created just for you and your future generations to enjoy… This takes time, effort and talent to produce.

As an award winning wedding photographer in Charleston, we take great pride in every single book we produce… Usually spending 30+ hours on the design alone. This does not include the countless hours for the image selection and approvals – Imagine culling a hundred and fifty images from over a thousand delivered images! Once the design is complete, we send it off for approvals and take care of the final edits requested by the bride and groom. An heirloom quality album production process easily consumes 45+ hours of time.

Now consider this, is a painting drawn by an artist by hand worth more than the canvas and paint used to product it? In the same way, the time, the effort, the passion and the quality that goes into producing a wedding book for a newly wed couple is worth more than the materials that are used to produce it. But, is it worth it for YOU? Read on to find out!

Are wedding albums worth it?

If you’re looking for a short and quick answer – Yes, they are absolutely worth it. Don’t think twice about it.

The long answer – Imagine for a second… Your kids are all grown up, ready to be married – during a family get together, you decide to share your own engagement photographs with them… That beautiful gorgeous day when there was nothing else but the two of you… And those photographs flow into a photojournalistic story of your big day – both of you looking nervous but extremely happy… A sparkle in your eye every time someone mentions the other’s name… Getting ready and looking your best – And you tell them about how the day progressed… The first look, the walk down the aisle, the tears of joy rolling down his cheeks, the first dance, the laughter and joy captured within the moments – your friends and family dancing along with not a worry in the world… That departure from the venue under the stars running through a tunnel of sparklers into your getaway car…

Question: How do you see yourself telling this story?

• Gathered around in front of a computer screen? (Does facebook still exist? Can’t find the DVD or hard drive where you saved the high res files?)
• Gathered around a phone screen or tablet?
• Holding a thin, worn out book with faded images?
• Sharing a glimpse at a beautiful book with crystal clear, carefully selected images laid out in the most perfect way?

If you chose option #4, you need to get yourself a professionally designed heirloom quality wedding album… Not just for you or your spouse… But for your future generations with whom you can tell your story through some special images. Your story is too important to be archived in a digital domain never to be touched, appreciated or enjoyed in the company of your loved ones.

The emotions felt when actually touching and holding your images in your hands are the closest thing you will feel next to actually being there… Have a look at this reaction of a bride holding her engagement book for the very first time:

We encourage you to read this article published in The Huffington Post, “The Case Against ‘Good Enough'” – Remember, hindsight is 20/20 – Your wedding images are a piece of history… Preserve them, cherish them and enjoy them with your future generations… While holding and touching your precious memories… In the real world.

At the end of the day, we are confident that you will find that wedding albums are, in fact, not expensive – but rather… priceless.