Creating an album for a client, whether it’s right after the wedding or years later, is always such a joy. Kristina and Sean were married in January 2019 at St. Matthews Cathedral in Washington, DC with their reception at the Mayflower Hotel. They reached out to me earlier this year as they wanted to invest in an album for their one-year anniversary, which is such a sweet idea; I love that an album something that both can enjoy equally and that it’s something that will last forever.

It may sound strange, but designing an album is such an intimate process. First, the client selects their favorite images and I create 15 spreads/30 pages that tell their story from beginning to end. It’s always my intention to use as many of their favorites as possible while creating a cohesive, appealing layout. They, of course, work with me over three rounds of revisions to get the album spreads exactly as they imagined.

Next, we work on the outside of the album. The clients let me know what wording and what image they would like on the cover. I’ve had clients forgo one or the other, or create something entirely unique to themselves such a custom embossing.

Finally, we select the fabric, which, I think is just as important as designing the spreads. The album company I work with is exclusive to professional photographers and offers choices of leather, linen, or silk which many color choices for each. The color, in my opinion, is best when it’s a classic neutral that will never go out of style, but also still matches the overall colors from the wedding day. For example, Kristina selected this Dove Grey  which paired nicely with the soft blue hues of her bridesmaid’s dresses. And as they had an elegant, upscale DC wedding, the silk fabric was the perfect choice.

It’s always such a joy to work with my clients on designing an heirloom that they will enjoying for generations to come and this one was certainly no exception!