With the advent of alternatives to the traditional wedding albums, courtesy of the digital technology age, brides are no longer restricted to tired old wedding albums that often do not represent their personalities or desires.
There are several new products available that encourage the bride and groom’s creative input. Or, they can just provide the images and let these expert design teams create unique coffee table wedding photo albums designed specifically for them. Remember, whichever one you choose, the final result is a family heirloom that you can share throughout the years and pass from one generation to the next. If you are on a limited budget look for a publisher that offers a Gift Registry service so that your family and friends can help offset the production cost.
The first alternative is the revolutionary Coffee Table Wedding Photo Book. This up and coming, unique wedding album contains the couple’s prized wedding photographs, printed on their choice of Kodak lab print or digital offset paper. The pages are sewn and then bound into a book with their choice of hard back covers. Why are they called Coffee Table Magazine Style Wedding Photo Books? The books are bound in such a way that when they are opened and placed on a table they “lie flat”, similar to the large glamour magazines you have seen in salons.
The industry offers a large selection from embossed leather covers to photos on silk or metal. Traditional linen covers are also available. It is like having your own personal book publisher. The couple is then able to have as few as one book printed, or have multiple copies created to be used as gifts. These books are created by designers who add graphic design elements to certain images, which help evoke more of an emotional feel throughout the book. Custom text can also be added to help tell the story. Scanned documents or other images, such as when you first met, your bridal shower, getting ready for your wedding, or your honeymoon pictures can easily be included to tell a more “complete” story.
The second alternative to wedding albums is the advent of the Video DVD production craze.With DVD players so affordably priced and most computers now come standard with DVD players, many brides are opting to have their wedding immortalized with video and sound on DVD. For those who want their wedding book displayed on their new wide screen TV or large flat computer monitor, having their wedding produced into a video DVD is the ultimate gratification. The wedding does not have to be videotaped for this to happen. The photos can be supplied with whatever text the bride wants included, the type of music chosen, and audio files of the vows or comments or toasts can be included. Also, video clips can be added, if desired. Again, certain images receive special design elements to help evoke the emotional feel desired. If the bride and groom want, special stock images can be included with text overlay to help tell the story.
If you are on a limited budget, the Video DVD may be your answer. Once the initial design and production cost is met, you can have your friends and family purchase individually from the company who created your video DVD. These often can be obtained for less than $50 each, and make great gifts. Again, remember to consider a company that offers gift registry services to help offset the production cost.
Many brides are excited by these new options and want to start immediately. Once they contact the publishers they discover that they must first have a signed release by their photographer. When using a professional photographer, no matter which alternative you choose, please remember that you must obtain a signed release from your photographer giving you permission to use the images. Some couples purchase their negatives outright and receive a signed release at that time, while others must obtain permission later. Keep this in mind when choosing your photographer. If you are considering having one of these alternative wedding albums produced, be sure to purchase your negatives and obtain a signed release at the same time. This will help save you valuable time later.
Dawna Smith
Custom Photo Book Publisher
