Creating your wedding album may be quite demanding, but it’s extremely rewarding. You will end up with a beautifully crafted treasure for a lifetime. Immediately after your wedding, you may be tempted to just take your proofs and shove them into an empty album. But if you’ll take a little time to follow this plan, you will be able to create a great story that will give you joy for life.
Step 1 – Choose a Companion
Taking your first look into the pile of wedding photography may be a daunting task. So it is wise not to do it alone. You may choose your spouse, friend, mother, brother or sister. But just make sure the person your pick will not make comments that will get you upset. And don’t get tempted to lend out your wedding photos to anyone.
Step 2 – Group the Photos Carefully
First you should put Post-its stickers on the proofs that immediately excite you when you see them. About 20 to 30 photos will do. Then you should remove bad photos (e.g. those where your guests have their eyes closed).
Next, you should arrange the photographs in groups. For example: getting set, main ceremony, the reception, cutting of the cake, candid shots, dancing etc. As you group the proofs, bear in mind that you can only have 50 to 100 photographs in your completed album
Note that if you need to mark the back of any of the photographs, you should use a blunt pencil or dot stickers so that you don’t damage the photos.
make your own wedding album (source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/satyrika/7930971712/”>)
Step 3 – Select an Album
There are several options for wedding albums. Some of the popular choices include:
- The classic matted album that can be bound with canvas, leather or suede. These tend to last long.
- The more creative fabric album e.g. the custom bound silk albums. These can be very attractive but very delicate.
- The coffee-table photo books. These have your photographs printed permanently on a press. Initial costs are high but copies are very cheap
- The digital album on a DVD.
Step 4 – Give it the Time Required
You should expect to spend about 6 hours or more to create your album. So you should give it the time required. Even if you want to relax a bit after the wedding, you should at least start by picking out your initial 20 – 30 favorite photos. If you want to convert your photos to digital, you may get professional help from EverPresent.
make your own wedding album (source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vstrash/3286902293/)
Step 5 – Narrate Your Wedding Story
Keep the actual events of your wedding day in mind as you arrange your groups of photos. Try not to be selfish. Include shots that captured your extended family members and close friends. Mix candid shots with formal shots. Combine black and white with color. Mix human shots with photos of details about the venue, flowers, food etc. This will make your album dynamic and unique.
Step 6 – Lay the Photos Out
Now this is the most exciting part. It’s best to lay out your photographs on a large table so you re-arrange them with ease. It gives you a good overview. You may want to arrange the photos sequentially but you could do otherwise.
Finally pay close attention to the transition from one sub-event to another. For example, you can insert a photo showing you and your spouse walking out in between the main ceremony and the reception. You may also want to use different sizes of photos on the same page to add more flair to your album
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