We live in the golden age of digitalization. So it only makes sense that most of what was physical before are now finding their way to the digital world. This includes wedding photos and albums.
Nowadays, most brides and grooms prefer receiving digital copies of their wedding photos. Not just because these files are more compact and portable than physical albums, but they are also much easier to share and brag about on social media.
So, this begs the question:
Are wedding albums really necessary in 2021 and beyond?
The answer is, well, it depends.
Let’s take a look at a couple of factors that may influence a couple’s decision to get a wedding album for their special day.
Professional- vs Consumer-Grade Wedding Albums
There are two main types of wedding albums available for soon-to-be-married couples — and these are your professional- and consumer-grade wedding albums.
Consumer-grade wedding albums are often made of low-end materials, which is why they aren’t the best option if you’re looking for high-value and high-quality printouts. They often use a default album design for every client and lack personalization options across the board.
If you don’t want your wedding album looking generic and common, working with professional-grade producers is your best option. They offer customizable album designs and layouts that fit the preferences of each client/couple. Additionally, you get to enjoy high-quality images printed on premium materials.
Pricing and Budgeting
One more thing about digital wedding photos that make them so attractive is that they are more cost-effective than traditional printed albums.
Printed albums require a couple to shell out at least $500 to $800 on top of their photographer’s fee, which normally costs around $1000 to $2000, depending on the photographer’s level of expertise.
Some couples may not like the idea of spending a couple of extra hundred dollars for a wedding album. However, others may find a way to fit the costs into their overall budget.
Hard Drive Failure and Physical Backups
Hard drive failures happen every day, and when they do, hundreds even thousands of pieces of data are lost or damaged in the process. You can read dozens of stories on the internet of people wishing they had a physical copy of lost memories they stored on their phone or computer.
Albums can act as a sort of physical backup for precious memories and milestones. Physical printed photos can last more than a lifetime and can be an incredibly “romantic” way of passing down memories to future generations. There’s something about the feeling of paper in your hands that makes you feel more connected to the photos you’re looking at.
You can’t duplicate that feeling by handing your grandchildren a thumb drive.
If you want something you can physically pass down as an heirloom to your grandkids, then a wedding album is a great choice.
Professional Photography
Weddings are already one of the biggest investments you will ever make in your life (apart from buying a home and getting a mortgage). Might as well go all out on this area of your wedding budget and hire someone who will make you, your spouse, and your guests all look good in your wedding photos.
While we have nothing against hiring novice or amateur photographers, there is value in hiring a professional to capture the moments of your special day.
A wedding album should be more than just a collection of photos compiled in one book.
Professional photographers can work with you in designing your album. They can help you decide on a theme, a color scheme, as well as costumes — if you’re aiming for that vibe and feel.
So, Are Wedding Albums Necessary?
While wedding albums are nice to have, they technically aren’t necessary, especially if you don’t have the extra resources to spend. As we said, wedding albums aren’t the cheapest memorabilia. They cost anywhere between $500 to $800 dollars, and those are just the numbers before adding the editing, layout, and designing fees.
You don’t want your wedding day to be the reason you go into debt, after all.
If you’re only feeling pressured to get a wedding album because it’s the current “trend,” it’s probably best to sit that one out. As long as you have a solid backup plan in place for your wedding photos, you should be fine without a wedding album.
On the flip side, if you have the budget for a professional-grade wedding album that is shot and designed by an expert photographer, then you should definitely consider getting one.
Not only is it a great way to look back on important events and memories, but it also ensures that you have a high-quality backup to pass on to future generations — in case your files get lost in the cloud or your device’s hard drive fails and loses your data.
We hope this article helps you with your decision on whether to get a wedding album or not!
If you’re looking for a Wedding Photographer that will fill your wedding album with absolutely beautiful images, CLICK HERE to see our work and find out more!
by Sophia Young - Sophia Young Content Studio