five ways to tell a good wedding album

something not all photographers will tell you about your wedding album

Let me let you into a secret. Not all wedding albums are equal. Sounds pretty obvious really when you think about it. After all, not all cars are equal. You couldn’t accuse a Jaguar of being equal to a Mini. Well, sure they’ve both got four wheels and they go. With the exception of a Jag owned by someone I use to know. Said Jaguar had a bonnet that came up at inopportune moments. And couldn’t reverse. I think the phrase “death trap” springs to mind… Oh well. But I digress.

It’s something a lot of the time most brides probably don’t give an awful lot of thought to. And if they do, I bet most hertfordshire brides don’t know how to tell a good wedding album from a bad wedding album. Well, we’re about to spill the beans, so read on.

does you herts wedding photographer give you an album or your first family heirloom?

Think about that. You’re spending a lot of money on your wedding, especially on photography. Hopefully it’s the only time – or the last time – that you’re going to. These are the memories of your special day. That makes it more than just a photo album. Doesn’t it follow that you’re going to make sure it lasts?

So how do you tell if it’s a good wedding album?

To keep the pages separated to protect your precious prints, keep a soft layer in between. It also protects the prints from dust.

To protect the prints from your prints, we recommend wearing gloves.

it lays flat

Firstly, why does it matter? Think of most books. You know, those things that we used to read before the Kindle came along LOL. Seriously though, I’m talking about those big A4 sized ones, with the pictures. Sometimes they’d spread the picture across two pages. But – and here’s the problem that anyone who’s tried to scan or photocopy one of them is going to know (ahem!) – you can never see the whole picture. Introduce the “lay flat” design of book. Suddenly you can. It looks better. And what’s more, you won’t be risking damage to the book by trying to bend the pages.

You can see all of the photo – there’s no gutter. We use the Signature Collection by Salvatore Cincotta for our heirloom quality wedding albums.

feel the leather

Not all wedding album “leather”s are actually leather – they’re more of a “leatherette”. Some wedding albums aren’t even made with leather. That’s ok if you have some issue with the use of leather – just make sure that whatever your hertfordshire wedding photographer is using as a substitute is high quality.
But let’s get back to leather. Think of how a high quality leather jacket feels. That’s how the album should feel.

feel the lining

There’s nothing like the crushed velvet lining. Except this is an area that many wedding albums skimp on. Linen is another type of lining that can look nice (though not as luxurious as velvet). There are a number of other linings that are decent. But if it’s cardboard, you’re not looking at something of heirloom quality.

the pages should be thick

Thick pages mean that the photo is less likely to bend, and they are also more durable. Contrast this this flimsy pages. The photos are more likely to get creased accidentally. Or ripped. Not what you’d want for your precious memories.

See how thick these pages are.

rigidity affects the binding

When you move the covers, the binding should not move. This is so it won’t shift away from the leather over time.

so make sure you’re getting an heirloom

So there you have it. When your hertfordshire wedding photographer presents your wedding album, make sure you’re getting something that will last the test of time. Make sure you’re getting your first family heirloom.

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