Wedding Album

msf · Mar 30, 2009

I have a question for the pro wedding photogs here.

Ive photographed weddings before, but I havent been involved in the album designing part.

How many sheets are in the average wedding album?

I have a potential client that wants a quote, so im tailoring a package to their needs. They have mentioned they want 100 sheets in the wedding album, and 50 in the parents album's. Once they hear how much each sheet would be, they may drastically reduce the number of pages.

I havent seen alot of wedding albums, but I seem to think 20 pages could be normal.

Also, can anyone provide links to wedding albums in the lower-mid range? The ones ive found online all seem to start around $100. I want to offer the client a few choices.

Now to google for a tutorial on wedding album arrangements.

SpeedTrap · Mar 30, 2009

Most of my albums are 20-40 pages and Start around $500.
The lower range would be around $100.

100 pages is too many, if you are using traditional albums, I do not think you will even be able to get 100 pages in there.
If you are using a newer style coffee table book 100 pages is alot. (Just a question are you talking 100 pages, 200 sides or 50 pages, 100 sides?)

As well by the time you do a 100 page layout you will never want to do another again..............

Big Mike · Mar 30, 2009

20 pages seems to be the standard minimum size...or at least a low as you would want to go. 100 seems like way too many...figuring that you will have an average of a couple images per page and even a great photographer probably won't have 100 'album quality' shots in a wedding. To me, the album should have the best of the best images...it should be a work of art that strangers would enjoy looking at. Not 30 pages of drunk guests dancing at the reception. But of course, you want to give the client what they want.

Some people do seem to want proof book style album pages, where they can get all the keepers in a nice book, rather than sliding the prints into a cheap photo album. Of course, you could do a combination but it's up to you.

I've seen some photographers charge by the image, but most seem to charge by the page (side). Usually a base charge (or say 20 sides) plus XX$ per additional side...$20, $40, $75 each etc.

The big money making techneque for wedding albums, is 'pre-designing'. Basically, you start by selling them a certain number of pages (say 40 sides), this is part of your price/package from the start...but you tell them that you will design more and they can add them for XX per page. So after the wedding is done and paid for, you design the album, but with 80 pages instead of 40...and tell them that they can pick their favorite 40 for the price they have already paid...or they can add more (at a cost). The photographers who are good at album design (or having them designed) are finding than many clients spend a lot of extra money for those extra pages...often, they don't cut any and just pay for all the extra pages. That is a lot of extra income. Some might think this is a shady practice...but the key is to be upfront about this to the clients, right from the start.

Anyway, what do you consider "lower-mid range"? Pro quality albums will probably cost you several hundred dollars...but there are plenty of options that affect the price. Most of the pro album companies don't make their prices public, you have to sign up (as a pro photographer) before they will show you a price list.

There are a few posts around here with a list of links for album companies to check out.

jlykins · Mar 30, 2009

This is exactly what we do. We design for 40 pages, they have to pick 20 pages(40 sides). Most often they keep all 40, if not close to it. This increases the price of the book a lot. we charge $50 extra per page.

msf · Mar 30, 2009

Good to hear 20-40 is normal. I figured it was something like 20 was normal, and that 100 was a bit crazy.

I dont suppose anyone here knows of any great tutorials for designing traditional wedding albums? Including the proper order of pictures from ceremony to reception, and formal and group shots. Also how to put together an album, each page.

I was thinking something like $75 for a lower end album for those that are on a budget. $150 for medium, and everything else high end.

winterlim · Mar 30, 2009

It's pretty hard to get a good quality album for $150, including prints, unless you are looking for coffee table, sort of soft bound pages (something like what you would see in a magazine)

From my experience (many many feedback from couples) find that albums feel like a 'wedding album' when its sorta off the charts, a big album, hard bound and thick pages. They like it when it looks grand, a once in a lifetime album that they usually will not get for any other reason (it would seem less suitable, though i am sure there are, to have a 12x15 or bigger album for stuff like family portraits etc)

No doubt many coffee table books look nice and have worked for many photographers, but nothing beats it when u plunk down a huge, grand looking album in front of them.

Just my .02

jlykins gave an amazing idea

design more.. usually when u put it right in front of them, beautifully designed, it's hard for them to turn it down.

LarissaPhotography · Mar 31, 2009

100 is DEFINITELY too many. We're in the 20-40 range as well. With 100 you're missing the entire point of having the album. The album is supposed to be a way to get your favorite pictures in a nice design. Plus when you're showing off your wedding photos to your friends in an album they don't have so sit through an hour of looking at all your wedding pictures.