Can anyone recommend pro traditional leather wedding album suppliers?

[GerryDavid]

Its time to step things up in my business again and take things to the next level. I want to offer high quality leather *italian maybe* wedding albums in my middle wedding package, and I was hoping I could get some recommendations here. I suspect these will be in the $500-$1000 price range? Although if I can get an awesome deal that is cheaper on something that is high quality that would rock!

 

[GerryDavid]

I forgot to mention that if they can assemble it, that would be great! A wedding I did a couple of years ago got a pretty nice wedding album, and it was nerve wracking taping the pictures into the album and putting it together. I knew a good size mistake would be a huge delay and costly on my part. : )

 

[jamesbjenkins]

Check out Blurb.

I use them. Lots of choices, leather, textile, etc. Great prices.

 

[GerryDavid]

Just from the name alone, it sounds like blurb makes press printed books? And not pro level ones at that.

Im talking about the traditional albums that were the only option 10 years ago.

 

[jamesbjenkins]

You're correct. My desired clients aren't interested in paying a grand for an album, so blurb is fine for me.

Good luck.

 

[jamesbjenkins]

To be clear, Blurb has several options that are extremely "pro" or else I wouldn't be using them.

;-)

 

[GerryDavid]

Im going to be offering my wedding clients both types of albums, the press printed ones for the lower end package, and more traditional albums for the higher end packages. I want to I want to appeal to those that have incredibly awesome weddings and want the nicer end products. Not someone looking for a bargain.

Ive noticed the consumer labs dont seem to offer hinged paper/pages that can lay flat on the table. Plus the pro labs seem to use thicker paper.

 

[GerryDavid]

You're correct. My desired clients aren't interested in paying a grand for an album, so blurb is fine for me.

Good luck.

Oh and the grand is the photographers cost, not the customers. It would have a grand or two in markup before the client sees it, but that is with prints.

 

[Big Mike]

professionalalbums
Finao Online - Home
Graphistudio | The Original Wedding Book© | Italiano - IT
Custom Coffee Table Photo Books and Wedding Albums for Professional Photographers | AsukaBook USA
Collages.net - Professional Lab, Albums, Books, Design Services & Sell Images Online

 

[GerryDavid]

Thanks Mike! Ive seen the name Asuka before, but forgot about them.

 

[CCericola]

I use Kiss Albums and Queensberry. I would say Queensberry is higher end than Kiss.

 

[CJThompson]

I have used Art Leather Albums for years! The changed their name recently to Professional Albums dot com.

 

[jamesbjenkins]

Oh and the grand is the photographers cost, not the customers. It would have a grand or two in markup before the client sees it, but that is with prints.

Yeah, my weddings are around 2k right now. If you can get somebody to buy your $3000 album, more power to you. Clearly, I live in the wrong market. Lol

 

[GerryDavid]

Weddings are not my focus so Im happy if I just book a few per year, and I figure I may as well price accordingly. I use to offer a $1000 package and let people add on to it from the a la carte list but it seems better to have packages that will represent my work better. This isnt a rich area but there are those that value photography and will pay for it. And $3000 isnt that crazy if the album itself costs $1000 from the supplier, has twenty 10x10 pictures *sizes and quantity may vary* that would normally be $1200, then the profit margin off of the album.

 

[Big Mike]

IMO, a bigger/better seller, when it comes to albums, is a custom designed album. So rather then just putting in twenty individual images, each page or spread designed. You might have a background, then a few different photos placed around the page. You might have one image that spreads across two pages etc. Most of the album companies have software for layout album designs...and of course, you could do it in Photoshop or Lightroom etc. There are basic templates as well.

And here is the great tip for albums. You pre-sell the album (included in the package) with say 20 sides (pages). But then after the wedding, you design 30 pages and ask them to choose which 20 they want (or they can include them all, for an upgrade fee). I'd even recommend telling them that you will do this, right up front...so that it doesn't feel like you are hustling them.