“FIRE! Honey, You Grab the Kids, I’ll Get the Wedding Photos!”
Issue #31
[Read Time < 5 Minutes]
This issue is a bit different.
For those who enjoy my poetic waxing about dealing with drunks, bridezillas and making guys look cool at weddings...sorry.
We live in a digital world, and when I started shooting weddings, we did not, at least as far as photography went.
Film cameras, printed proofs, and wedding albums were the norm.
Now we have digital cameras, online photo galleries, and phones that shoot photos, video, and serve as a mobile showcase for favorites.
I don’t have any problem with technology and its advances, but there is one area of wedding photography that rises above tech and tenaciously touches tradition.
The Wedding Album
As I describe to my couples, “This is your best of the best collection of favorite images telling the story of your day. This is what you share with everyone who ask about your wedding day. This is what you show your kids, and if there’s a fire, this is what you’ll grab…after your kids are safe.”
I love these albums. I call them Wedding Books because they are books, and it sounds cooler than “wedding album.”
As a wedding photographer, there are some great reasons to add these to your collection of photo services when meeting with brides.
Tremendous value to the couple
Huge return for the parents (THEY get something)
Easy to sell (though not everyone can afford it)
A huge deal closer if used as an add-on
Additional copies can be printed for venue samples (HUGE)
Fantastic upsell potential (sell small and let them expand AFTER the wedding)
Albums can be purchased long after the wedding for great residual income
The couple chooses the photos, so you don’t have to, BUT…
You can “gift” extra images to your couple and look like a hero
Books can include rehearsal and wedding for the full wedding experience
You can sell multiple volumes
These are the best samples you can show at a meetings or wedding shows
These are neither easy nor inexpensive to make (ie. business opportunity)
Wedding Books are THE heirloom of the wedding day
This last one is the biggest because that’s how I like to sell this to my couples.
There’s no pressure to sell a Wedding Book.
Just show these books when you meet and let them picture their wedding without one. EVERY bride wants one, but not every couple can afford it. That’s OK, because in a year, this will make a fantastic first anniversary or Christmas gift.
Today’s books are different from the wedding album my wife and I own (and yes, it was definitely an “album” with white leather, gold metal page corners, gold letters that said “Our Wedding,” and all the photos were taped into square mats).
Today’s books are cool yet classic. Personalized and timeless with a look and feel that will be as amazing today as it will be in twenty years.*
You’re probably familiar with them, so I’ll show you one of my designs that is a classic example of a full wedding (prep / church / ceremony / reception / dancing / farewell) with each image as a two-page spread in a 10x10in Wedding Book
As the gurus like to say, “I don’t show these to impress you but to impress upon you” the importance of offering Wedding Books in your wedding business.
If you’re impressed, thanks. The bride and groom cherish their Wedding Book, and that’s what matters the most.
Believe it or not, many wedding photographers choose NOT to offer these, and that’s a mistake for them and and opportunity for you.
As I mentioned, these are not easy to make, nor are they cheap. The cost is high because the quality is high and the value is higher.
These need to be priced accordingly, and they will be treated accordingly.
As for the design process, it can be tedious because, if done correctly, the story has a flow that is completely personalized using the couple’s chosen photos. It’s not simply a drag and drop into boxes process.
Good news, many of the album companies offer design services with their production.
Better news, I love designing these, and I’d be happy to design yours for you.
“A photograph doesn’t feel real until it is a tangible physical object I can hold in my hand.”
– Stephen Johnson
* There are many amazing album companies using the latest technology to create books on archival paper and cover materials that will last for generations.
The design and style of your photography, however, will determine how “dated” these books will be.
Just a subtle heads-up if you’re considering stretching your digital design and creative retouching muscles.
The Wedding Books are one small part of the “inner game of wedding photography.”
THIS is what I write about each week in this newsletter.
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If you’re starting out and haven’t quite figured out to how to handle the hundreds or even thousands of photos from an event, I’ve created something special to help you with the organization.
It’s a guide to help you process a wedding in one week and it’s a system I’ve used for over 25 years and still use it to this day. Don’t spend weeks trying to process and missing out on The Glow. This system will help you get your photos to your client, make them happy and make you look like the professional you want to be.
Chris,
It's nice to see a full example of your work. You might not have shared it to impress, but it is impressive none-the-less. I can see why the couples are happy with their books.