Wedding album inside

Consumer vs Custom Wedding Album

In a previous article, I talked about 5 reasons you should consider having a wedding album instead of relying solely on digital photos to re-live and share your wedding memories. Now I'll explain the differences between a consumer and custom wedding album.

When I meet with brides, they are often unsure of the type of wedding album they want. They're always surprised at the cost of an custom wedding album. After seeing deals for albums on consumer sites like Shutterfly, they have a hard time determining what makes a professional album worth the money. Even many professional photographers offer inexpensive, cheaply made albums. Their price to the bride is often less than my wholesale cost before images are added. So here are a few things to consider when choosing between a professional versus consumer album that can make your purchase decision a bit easier.

Album Assembly

Many albums companies have to compromise on materials & assembly to keep costs down. They use PVC in album pages which can cause the image to deteriorate over time. The paper may also fade or yellow over time. Another common issue is cracks or a pink line may develop in the seams. With low cost albums, the binding could come loose over time. Unfortunately many of these issues aren’t apparent immediately but these low quality albums can start to deteriorate within a few months.

Cover Material

When choosing your material for your photo album, it has been found that “consumer” companies that offer leather, are actually using faux leather that isn’t high quality and isn’t durable. Of the companies that do use leather, most use "Bonded Leather" which is a manufactured product which includes leather to make the final product. Genuine leather comes from an animal hide & will be shaped like an animal and has fur. It is far more durable than bonded leather & other synthetic varieties. Since these are special memories, it’s important that you choose an album cover made of material that will last years from now.

Handcrafted Covers

Fit is very important when it comes to your album cover, and when you order a professional made album you can be guaranteed that your cover is hand made and will fit your individual album perfectly. Corners are tightly stretched and bound to make sure the cover will not separate from the album over time.

Content

Content is the number one determining factor of an album. Meaning, the photographs and how well they tell a story has the biggest effect on price. A well designed album is more than a collection of photos. A well crafted design will tell the story of your day as well as several backstories. A Picasso painting is worth more than the paint & canvas he used and the time it took him to paint it. A $100 bill is worth more than a $1 bill even though they’re both made of the same material.

Remember, your wedding album is just as important as your wedding photos! Your wedding day is a memory you'll want to relive with your friends, family, and generations to come, so it's important you have these special moments stored in a quality album. A custom wedding album is an investment that will increase in value over time and as your family grows.