Creating A Treasured Wedding Album Box

Wedding photos are precious mementos of one of the happiest days of your life. A wedding album is a great way to preserve these memories and create an archival keepsake to relive the day. You can either buy a ready-made wedding album or make your own. If you're looking to make your own wedding album, you'll need to gather and organise your photos, pick your favourite shots, choose an album style and theme, plan the storyline, and finalise and print. You can also purchase a wedding album box to keep your album safe and protected.

Selecting and organising photos

• Create folders on your device to organise your photos. You could divide the day into different moments, such as getting ready, the ceremony, newlywed portraits, and the reception.
• If you're feeling overwhelmed by the number of photos, tackle them one moment at a time.
• Choose the photos that stand out to you and that you love.
• Opt for fewer images so that each one can truly stand out and embody the highlights of your wedding.
• Decide on a theme for your album. For example, you could focus on the chronology of the day, the emotional journey, the intricate details (such as florals, shoes, dress, and suit), or the overall atmosphere (venue décor, food, drinks, and entertainment).
• Consider the flow of your album. You could arrange the photos chronologically or in a thematic sequence.
• Include a mix of wide shots, close-ups, and candid moments to keep the narrative engaging.
• Start with a swoon-worthy image to set the tone.
• Don't underestimate the power of white space. It can emphasise the emotional impact of the photos.
• Include a variety of layouts to add intrigue and aesthetic appeal.
• Review your album as a whole and adjust as needed to ensure a smooth flow.

Choosing a theme

• Reflect your wedding style: Consider the style and theme of your wedding and try to carry that through to your album. For example, if your wedding had a rustic elegance theme, you could choose a wedding album with earth-toned shades, woodsy elements, and script fonts.
• Focus on what's important: Think about the story you want to tell with your wedding album. Do you want to focus on the chronology of the day, the emotional journey, the people, or the intricate details? Ensure your chosen theme complements the story you want to tell.
• Browse for inspiration: If you're unsure where to start, look for inspiration online or in wedding magazines. Websites like MILK Books offer a range of theme ideas, from intimate celebrations to extravagant destination weddings. You can also check out their MILK Gallery to see how other couples have themed their wedding albums.
• Consider your photos: The pictures you choose for your album will help determine the overall theme. Look through your wedding photos and select the ones that best represent the story you want to tell. This will help you decide on a theme that complements your images.
• Personalize your album: Make your wedding album unique to you and your partner. Consider adding personal touches such as your wedding invitations, pressed flowers from your bouquet, or even including handwritten notes or vows alongside your photos.
• Keep it cohesive: When selecting a theme, aim for a cohesive look and feel throughout your album. This could include using consistent colour schemes, font styles, or layout designs to create a sense of unity across the pages.

Picking an album style

Type of Album

The first decision you need to make is the type of album you prefer. You can choose from a wedding book, a wedding album, or a wedding magazine. Wedding books are stiff and inflexible with board pages, while wedding albums have flexible paper pages, and wedding magazines offer a modern and contemporary feel with the ability to display many photos.

Size of Album

The size of the album will depend on how many photos you want to include and where you plan to display the album. Smaller sizes such as 12cm by 12cm are perfect for close-up shots, while larger sizes like 30cm by 30cm or 30cm by 45cm are ideal for coffee tables and can accommodate more photos.

Album Style

There are several album styles to choose from, including matted, flush mount, coffee table, luxury, traditional, soft cover, Indian-style, and lay-flat. Matted albums have a classic charm with each photograph framed by a matting board. Flush mount albums are luxurious, with seamless edge-to-edge printing. Coffee table albums are designed to be decorative, while luxury albums use the finest materials and exquisite craftsmanship. Traditional albums preserve the elegance of bygone eras, and soft-cover albums offer a modern magazine-style appearance. Indian-style albums are robust and vibrant, designed to capture the multi-day celebrations of Indian nuptials. Lay-flat albums provide a seamless viewing experience with panoramic photos spread across two pages.

Cover Material

The cover material you choose will depend on your personal style and the essence of your wedding day. Popular options include wood, velvet, leather, linen, silk, and synthetic materials with a metallic finish.

Customization

Many albums offer customization options such as cover types, colours, paper types, and bevel-cut mounts. You can also add personal touches like scanned mementos, vows, invitations, or handwritten notes.

Cost

The cost of a wedding album can vary from $50 to $1,000 or more, depending on factors such as size, paper type, cover material, and number of pages. If you plan to outsource the design to a professional, expect to pay more.

Finalising and printing

The number of photos you include in your album will depend on the size of your album. A DIY album usually includes around 50 to 100 images, but this can vary depending on the moments you want to include and the intimacy of your wedding. You can include around two to five photos per page. If you are creating a digital album, most photo albums range from 30 pages to 80 pages.

The cost of printing your wedding album will depend on the materials, customisation, and size of your album. Typically, you can expect to spend around $200 to $800, with DIY photo books coming in around $50 to $150. Luxury elements, like leather covers or premium paper, can increase the cost.

Creating a wedding album can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days, depending on the complexity of the project. For a DIY album, you will need to spend time sorting through photos, creating the layout, proofreading, and more. If you are creating the album yourself, you will also need to learn how to make a fabric-covered album or handmade photo album, which is more time-consuming. Hiring a professional will increase the turnaround time to a few weeks or months.

Adding personal touches

Incorporate Your Wedding Theme and Colours: Use your wedding colour palette as a starting point for designing your box. You could choose a box in a shade that complements your theme or opt for a neutral box and add coloured embellishments. For example, if you had a rustic-themed wedding, you could opt for a wooden box with a twine or burlap ribbon. Or, if your wedding had a beach theme, you could add some shell decorations or a beach-themed print on the box lid.

Personalised Messages and Monograms: Consider adding a special message or your wedding date and initials to the box lid or front. You could have a metal plaque made with your details engraved, or you could paint or print directly onto the box. Monograms or initials can also be added as a decorative element to the box's exterior or interior lid, giving it a truly personal touch.

Photos and Prints: Why not add some extra photos to the box itself? You could decoupage a selection of your favourite images onto the box's exterior or interior lid, creating a collage of memories. Alternatively, choose a single, stunning image to be printed on the box lid, perhaps with a meaningful quote or message that reflects your journey as a couple.

Mementos and Keepsakes: Enhance the sentimental value of your wedding album box by including some special mementos from your wedding day. Consider adding dried petals from your bridal bouquet, a piece of lace from your dress, or a small vial of sand from your wedding venue. You could also attach a small pouch or bag to the inside of the box to hold these keepsakes safely, making them easily accessible whenever you want to reminisce.

Custom Interior: Pay attention to the inside of the box as well. Line the interior with a fabric that holds a special meaning, such as a piece of your wedding dress or a fabric that matches your bridesmaids' dresses. You could also add a personalised message or quote to the inside lid, such as a favourite line from your wedding vows or lyrics from your first dance song, transforming the box into a romantic reminder of your love.

By incorporating these personal touches, your wedding album box will become a cherished reminder of the happiest day of your life, filled with unique details that celebrate your love story.

Frequently asked questions