I can't speak from experience yet but I can imagine how I will feel when the time comes to hire my own wedding photographer. I feel confident that I'll want an album, knowing full well what they cost in time and money to put together and what I'll likely be paying. That book would be our first heirloom as a couple and I would hope my kids would want to have it years later (if only to giggle at mom's dress choice or dad's crazy hair). The way these books are designed and hand crafted is so personal, beautiful, and can really tell the story of the day. There is such a variety of options too depending on what style best suits you, leather, silk, hardcover, metallic papers, watercolor, lay flat pages, the list goes on. Not to sound like a sales pitch! That's not my intent. I just love that the book can reflect our style from the photography to the cover and binding. I want that piece of artwork in my home, even if I only look through it every year or two.
I'd want the digital images as well of course! That's not even a questions! I just wonder about digital files, especially if they aren't diligently backed up and upgraded every few years. I do that with my client's images but I'm not the best at prioritizing my personal photos. I found floppy discs and some rolls of film buried in storage recently (months ago actually, maybe a year now?) and am mildly curious about what's on them.. yet haven't taken the initiative to do anything about it. Will those floppy discs and rolls of black and white film be the equivalent technology of discs and drives half a decade from now? I don't know, but I value having the files and having tangible photographs.
I actually haven't ever heard someone regret buying a wedding album, but I know they aren't for everyone. I try to offer a variety of options (wall art, coffee table books, albums, digital products, etc) for this reason.
This topic sparked a somewhat heated debate within the comment section of the article. What are your thoughts? Do you want a wedding album?
