Diy Wedding Photo Book: Capturing Your Special Day

what to include in a diy wedding photo book

A DIY wedding photo book is a great way to commemorate your special day and tell the story of your relationship and wedding. It can be a fun post-wedding project, allowing you to relive every moment and cherish those memories for years to come. The process can be overwhelming, so here are some tips to help you get started on creating your perfect photo book. Firstly, decide on the format and style of your photo book, whether it's a traditional printed album, a photo book, or a digital version. Consider the size of the book and whether you want a landscape or portrait format. Then, select the photos you want to include, aiming for around 50 to 100 images to cover the whole day. Choose a mix of candid, scenic, and portrait photos, and don't be afraid to play with the crop, tilt, and layout of the photos for a creative display. Finally, add special touches like captions, quotes, vows, or even memorabilia to make your photo book unique and meaningful.

Characteristics Values
Number of photos 50-100 images is standard, but this can depend on the intimacy of the wedding and the album size.
Photo selection Include a mix of professionally shot photos, candid photos, and memorable moments.
Photo arrangement Group photos by subject, colour, or chronologically.
Photo variety Include a mix of candid, scenic, and portrait photos.
Photo orientation Vary the size and orientation of photos, including full-page spreads and multi-photo collages.
Text Captions, titles, and other text elements are optional but can add context and be used as design elements.
Memorabilia Include wedding invites, pressed flowers, or other special mementos.
Theme Choose a theme that reflects your wedding style and personality, such as rustic chic, minimalist deco, or watercolour.
Album format Consider the display options, such as a traditional printed album, photo book, or digital version.
Album size Choose a size that fits the display space and reflects the intimacy of the wedding.

shunbridal

Photo selection: Choose 50-100 images, including professional and candid shots

When it comes to selecting photos for your DIY wedding photo book, it's important to remember that this is a chance to tell the story of your distinctive relationship and wedding. A typical DIY wedding photo album usually includes around 50 to 100 images, but this can vary depending on the moments you want to include and the overall length of your wedding celebration.

To get started, create a folder with your final selection of photos. You can organise them into categories such as 'getting ready', 'the ceremony', 'newlywed portraits', and 'reception' to make the process more manageable. From there, you can further narrow down your selection by choosing a variety of moments, such as group shots, romantic couple photos, details of your wedding cake or bouquet, and more. Don't forget to include a mix of professional and candid shots to capture the spontaneity and emotion of the day.

If you're feeling creative, you can experiment with different layouts, sizes, and orientations of photos. Play with the crop and tilt of your images, and consider alternating between full-page spreads and multi-photo collages. You can also leave some pages with more white space to draw the viewer into the more intimate photos.

Remember, the goal is to showcase every moment of your milestone life event that you want to remember forever. So take your time in selecting the photos that best capture the unique story of your special day.

shunbridal

Layout: Opt for a chronological order, or group by subject/colour

When it comes to the layout of your wedding photo book, you have a few options. You could opt for a chronological order, telling the story of your relationship and wedding day in a linear narrative. This is a simple and effective way to structure your album, and it can help to create a cohesive beginning, middle, and end that encompasses every memorable moment.

However, you don't have to stick to a strict chronological order. You could play around with the structure and group your photos by subject. For example, you could have sections dedicated to people, food, flowers, and styling. This can add a bit of variety to your album and allow you to showcase different aspects of your wedding day. Another creative approach is to arrange your photos by colour, creating a curated and artistic effect.

If you do decide to go with a chronological order, you can still get creative with your layout. Consider starting with a powerful image that sets the tone for the entire album. You can also mix things up by varying the sizes and orientation of photos, alternating between full-page spreads and multi-photo collages. Utilize white space to give your layouts "breathing room" and make the individual photos stand out.

Another idea is to incorporate text elements such as captions, titles, quotes, or even excerpts from your vows or speeches. These can help to break up the photo spreads and add a fun design element. You can get creative with fonts and use text to emphasize special moments or capture memories that might not be reflected in the images alone. Whether you stick to a chronological order or get creative with your layout, the most important thing is to ensure your wedding photo book reflects your unique style as a couple.

shunbridal

Text: Include vows, quotes, captions, and song lyrics for creative flair

Adding text to your wedding photo book is a great way to showcase your unique style as a couple and creative flair. It can also help to capture memories from the big day that might not be reflected in images alone.

Vows

Your wedding vows are a great way to express your love for each other and can be included in your photo book as captions or text pages. Whether you wrote your own vows or followed a traditional format, including them in your photo book will remind you of the promises you made to each other. For example:

"I vow to always protect you from harm, to stand with you against your troubles, and to look to you when I need protection."

Quotes

Including quotes in your photo book can add a special touch and highlight the most memorable moments of your wedding day. These can be quotes from readings, speeches, or even your favourite books or movies. For instance:

"There is no remedy for love, but to love more." – Thoreau

Captions

Adding captions to your photos can provide context and showcase your personality. You can include how you were feeling in the moment the photo was taken or what you love about the scene captured. For example:

"The day we said 'I do'"

Song Lyrics

Including song lyrics in your photo book can be a fun way to incorporate your favourite songs or songs that hold a special meaning for you as a couple. For example, you could include lyrics from your first dance as husband and wife.

shunbridal

Design: Play with orientation, crop, tilt, and white space for visual appeal

When designing your DIY wedding photo book, you can play with orientation, crop, tilt, and white space to create a visually appealing layout. Here are some tips to help you get started:

Orientation:

Consider the orientation of your photos when choosing the format of your photo book. If you have mostly vertical shots, a portrait format will complement them perfectly. If you have mostly horizontal shots, a landscape format will showcase them better. A square format is versatile and can accommodate both landscape and portrait orientations, offering a balanced and cohesive design.

Crop and Tilt:

Feel free to experiment with cropping and tilting your photos to create dynamic and creative displays. You can crop images to fit a specific format or to emphasise certain elements within the photo. Play around with different tilts to add interest and movement to your layouts.

White Space:

Utilising white space effectively can enhance the visual appeal of your photo book. It gives your layouts "breathing room" and creates a clean, timeless finish. Use white space around intimate photos to draw the viewer in and make them stand out. If you have a lot of landscape images, consider inserting them across double-page spreads to minimise unused white space.

Overall Design:

The overall design of your photo book should reflect your unique style as a couple. Mix and match design elements, experiment with different templates and layouts, and consider adding text accents such as captions, titles, or quotes to break up your photo spreads. Remember to pay attention to the flow of the pages, ensuring meaningful transitions between key moments.

shunbridal

Memorabilia: Add invites, flowers, and other mementos for a unique touch

A DIY wedding photo book is a wonderful way to commemorate your special day and can be tailored to your favourite moments with unique touches. One way to make your photo book extra special is to include mementos and keepsakes from your wedding. This could be your wedding invitations, adding a unique and personal touch to the book. You could also press flowers from your bouquet, preserving them forever and adding a romantic, natural element to the design.

Consider adding other keepsakes such as the order of service, menu cards, or even confetti from the big day. These items will add a three-dimensional quality to your book, making it a true work of art. You could also include items from the wedding that hold special meaning, such as a photo of the rings with the actual rings placed inside, or a photo of the cake with a piece of the original ribbon used to decorate it.

If you had a large wedding with many guests, you could include a page with a selection of guestbook signatures, or even a photo of the guestbook with a few lines from the messages that stood out. This will add a human element to your book, capturing the joy and celebration of your wedding day. You could also include photos of the venue, the table settings, and any other details that reflect your unique style as a couple.

The beauty of a DIY photo book is that you can truly make it your own. By including mementos and keepsakes, you are adding a layer of depth and meaning to your wedding photo book, creating a time capsule that will bring back memories for years to come.

Frequently asked questions

Wedding photo books usually include 50 to 100 images, but this depends on the moments you want to include and the type of wedding you had. For example, a more intimate wedding may require fewer photos. Depending on your album size, you can add about two to five photos per page.

It's a good idea to create folders with your final selection of photos. You can organise them by theme, such as "getting ready", "the ceremony", "newlywed portraits", "reception", or by subject, such as people, food, flowers, and styling. You can also organise them chronologically, but don't be afraid to switch things up if a particular image is especially meaningful to you.

You can include text elements such as captions, titles, quotes, and song lyrics to add context and capture memories that might not be reflected in the images alone. You can also include special memorabilia, such as your wedding invites, pressed flowers from your bouquet, or scanned copies of guestbook entries.

Written by
Reviewed by

Explore related products

Share this post
Print
Did this article help you?

Leave a comment