As the wedding season intensifies, and our appointment book becomes backlogged, there is a common decision many of our couples find themselves struggling with; is the digital album worth the additional investment?
Although I am sure styles and options vary from one studio to the next, and from state to state or region to region, traditional matted albums will always be around, but have taken a back seat to the more desirable digital albums of today.
Although I cannot tell any bride that the album is worth the price, I can give you some information which could help you make that difficult decision.
Many couples hear the word traditional and start to think about mom and dad’s album, adorned with gold trim and weighing in at about 25 plus pounds. That stigma just does not hold true any longer as matted albums have evolved in every way possible.
Yes, a traditional matted album is still an album which has photographs (standard 8x10) matted into an album, but that is where it stops.
Matted albums now offer sleek designs and a wide variety of leathers and matting styles. In addition, you can show a wide variety in your matted album with some black and white images, sepia and some spot color, combined with collage pages, your matted wedding album can be truly customized to your specific taste.
The plus side of matted albums is that their cost is usually significantly lower than a digital album however with all of the customization; you may indeed spend just as much as any digital album.
A digital album also known as “Coffee Table” books, are usually seamless and flush-mount running from edge to edge. The pages are usually chemically treated and can usually withstand the punishment of time much better than matted albums.
Most digital albums offer unlimited customization, with continuous panorama spreads, and custom backgrounds, making each page personal and unique.
With a custom design, be prepared for your cost to increase, as the expertise of a graphic artist is normally required to create these unique magazine style layouts.
Digital albums are also smaller, yet can hold more images, because of their design.
At the end of the day, it’s your personal preference and sometimes your budget which determines your album style. If you are not sure of what you want, my recommendation is to wait.
Hire a professional photographer to capture your day. Obtain the rights to your images and the high resolution files and get the album you want later. It your wedding and you should never settle!
e-mail me your thoughts at info@abacuswedding.com