Why You Need A Wedding Album
or… the “Long Version”
As a young man, my Dad was a photography buff. He had a darkroom for a while that he had in the bathroom of a friends’ house. He also had a Minolta SRT-101. He took several nice portraits of his family.
The one shown here is one he did of me. It looks pretty straightforward, but this was in the late 60’s. Available light (no flash). Indoors. At night. He saw a situation develop, grabbed a broom to use as a monopod and shot it. He was quite proud of this shot, and rightfully so. Back then, you couldn’t “chimp”. It took days to get your results. Once you got them, there was nowhere to post ‘em or share. I know… hard to imagine.
Here’s one of his wife (my Mom) .
These are actually photos of very old prints. There’s some significant loss of original quality. This is a beautiful shot of a beautiful young lady with her engagement ring peeking through.
And another of my sister:
And this of my sister and me right after a bath (CAUTION! NSFW!)
No children were abused during the taking of this photograph.
Here’s another of mom taken several years later.
So… dad was into photography. Movies, too. But that’s another story…
But what, you may ask, does this have to do with why you need a wedding album??? Stay with me—
At some point early on, I discovered a large, ivory-colored tome (that’s a big book) with brass corners. Very heavy and cumbersome for little people.
I found it MOST fascinating. I loved this book. Still do. There were LOTS of pictures of mom & dad, but they looked very different—much younger. Clothing and hair styles were all so different. Also there were my grandparents, and many of their friends (whom I knew) —and everyone was so young! Here are a few highlights:
Mom & Dad were high school sweethearts. They met in 6th-grade, and started dating in the 9th. They got married towards the end of college. Mom became a Mathematics instructor at Northeast Louisiana University where she remained her entire career. Dad had a range of occupations that culminated in his finding his calling as a real estate agent. He loved it, and was good at it.
Mom & Dad weren’t perfect, but loved each other, enjoyed being together, and treated each other with love, kindness, and respect. I have many fond and happy memories of childhood, and I cannot express how thankful I am for them. They demonstrated to me what marriage is, what it costs, how it perseveres, and the deep and abiding blessings (often overlooked today) that come with such steadfastness.
Mom is still going strong, but she lost her husband of 51 years in 2017 to cancer. He—and she— fought it for many years, but it finally ate up his body.
So, your wedding photography is important, but possibly not in the way we often view such things in the 21st century. Sure, the cool, glam, rockstar, panoramic, glorious, cinematically-inspired images are great. I love them, too—and love making them. You’ll want and need some cool-looking stuff to share online with friends and family, many of whom are increasingly spread across the globe.
BUT… what will, IMHO, stand the test of time is the simple documentation of WHO was there, WHAT was happening, and WHERE. Those awkward, all-family pictures with everybody included—? They’re not the funnest part of your day, but you’ll treasure those images years from now. You need an album because technology and digital files are CONSTANTLY changing and you may have difficulty viewing today’s digital media in 20 years. The book will have a solidity and durability that your digital files likely won’t. Digital files cannot sit on a coffee table nor can they become a conversation piece in your home. You need an album because you’ll (hopefully) have a family. Your kids will need to know what you looked like before you turned grey, before you put on those extra baby-pounds, before you began to bear some of the scars from the heartaches that life throws at us (and it will), before their grandparents passed away, what uncle Fred looked like before he lost all of his hair, etc. In 20 years, you’ll have close friends who didn’t know you “back in the day”. They’ll ask to see some old photos. When you show them the album, they’ll be amazed at how young you were, and how “you haven’t changed a bit” —but they’re thinking “I don’t even recognize them”.
I’d love the honor of recording your wedding in photos. I’d love to sell you a beautiful album to remember the day. But, if you don’t purchase an album (or photos) from me, that’s OK. Just get one. Get an album. Have it printed.
You need an album. It’s important.
Are albums expensive? Why, yes, they are! Is it a ridiculous price to pay? The “sticker shock” may initially seem so, but consider several other factors. This is a hand-crafted item. The photos it contains are all hand-picked and custom edited. The book is highest quality, and the time and effort in the layout is substantial. It will, if cared for, last a lifetime and then some.
The albums I offer are produced in Texas by a company called Vision Art, and they are fantastic. They deliver promptly, their customer service is tops, and the product itself is flawless with perfect color and a quality that impresses me every time.
Their albums are the best I can find. Until something better is put in my hands, I’m sticking with them.
Can you DIY it for substantially less money? Why, yes, you can! You will not be able to do so at the same quality level, and many people discover that, a year or more after their wedding, they STILL have not taken the time to create their own album. Then, kids arrive. You’ll be busier—and more fatigued—than you thought possible. Then you’ll be running to soccer games like a nomadic tribesperson for years. Pretty soon, grandkids will be here and you NEVER got around to making that album.
You need an album. It’s important.