It used to be that wedding albums and “I do’s” went hand in hand.
A couple didn’t walk down the aisle without walking away with that album of memories. It was an album they would display proudly over the years, pouring over the memories of that day with friends and family again and again.
Happily ever after, captured in photographs.
Once upon a time you could count on a couple being able to readily produce their wedding album if you asked to see it. But today, you’re more likely to be met with looks of confusion or a response of, “We haven’t ordered it yet…” should you find yourself asking to see that album.
So what’s happened? And why are couples shying away from those albums in droves lately?
As a long time wedding photographer, I have sadly noticed this trend away from printed albums. Part of it, I believe, is generational. Couples convince themselves that the digital copies are all they need. The excitement of posting to Instagram seems to outweigh those physical images… in the short-term at least. And they tell themselves that with the digital files, they can “always” print up their favorite images at some point down the line.
But do they print them?
The problem is, people rarely follow through (as is life) on those plans for printing. Because let’s be honest, it is a lot of work! And people don’t even know where to start. So digital images sit on the computer and fade from memory. The original drive or folder is lost and the current state of storage for those images becomes susceptible to an ever-changing technology race.
Lest anyone forget (or remember) MySpace.
Posting those images online is initially gratifying, definitely. But those images are soon lost in a sea of other memories. Forgotten as the years go by.
Digital gives us a false sense of reality, and makes us all a bit lazy. The image online or on a screen is only the “idea of a photo”
As far as I’m concerned, a photo is not real until it’s printed.
Still, people convince themselves that a “real” album is too expensive, their phone is good enough, and so they justify cutting it out. It’s a cost-savings they allow themselves to feel good about, because it doesn’t cut into the actual party in any way – initially.
Do you want to know what’s interesting, though? I have never met a couple who opted for a professional album and then went on to regret that choice. Because the truth is, those albums are a preservation of history. They are the physical embodiment of the memories made on one of the most amazing days of your life. And when called upon by future children and grandchildren you will be able to pull that sucker out and show it off. Try that with instagram in 25 years!
Albums remain long, long after those digital images have faded into obscurity.
Sure, I’m a photographer. So I may be a little (a lot) biased – I tend to put a pretty high value on photographs myself. But when I talk to couples at anniversary shoots or vow renewals, or even their kids’ Mitzvahs, I’m always amazed at what a premium they then put on those albums themselves. People come to realize with time that the pictures are the one tangible (as in touch-able) thing you can take away from your wedding day. And that makes them valuable. It makes them worth allocating part of your wedding budget or gift-checks too.
And when your album is included from the get-go, you won’t hardly have to lift a finger afterwards. A custom design lands magically in your inbox. All you have to do is approve it, pick your cover option, and wait for it to arrive at your front door.
The hardest part about ordering your album will be that you will want to expand it. Make copies for parents. And ambush friends coming over for dinner to take a peek at it. And YOUR album will be so good, that everyone will very much enjoy looking at it.
No one will remember what they ate at your wedding reception a year from now. They won’t be talking about your DJ or reflecting back on the beauty of your flowers – at least, not unless they are reminded of those flowers through the magic of pictures. Because it is those pictures that will serve as the true time portal back to that day.
Which makes preserving them, and prominently displaying them, a worthwhile endeavor. Even for a generation that seems intent on living their life in the cloud. Opt for the album, or at least a box of prints. I promise, you won’t regret it.
