What Belongs in a Wedding Album
Two Sides of the Same Moment
A Look Inside Nancy and Anthony’s Pleasantdale Chateau Wedding Album
On one page of Nancy and Anthony’s wedding album, Anthony is smiling at the front of the church. On the facing page, Nancy is coming down the aisle, arm in arm with her escort. If you were choosing favorites from a gallery, you might pick the photograph of Nancy and move on. Put Anthony beside her and you can see the entrance from both ends of the aisle. That’s a good place to start when you’re deciding what belongs in your wedding album. Think about what each photograph lets you see of the day, especially the parts you couldn’t see as they happened. If you’re planning your own celebration there, see how we photograph weddings at Pleasantdale Chateau.
Make Room for the People Who Were There
There’s a photograph in the book of Nancy laughing with the people gathered around her by the staircase. One bridesmaid has her hand on Nancy’s arm. Everyone seems to be looking at someone different. When you’re choosing album photographs, this is the kind of picture worth coming back to. It shows how it felt to be with those particular people on that particular day.
A moment of laughter beside the staircase.
There’s room for a formal group photograph, too. In Nancy and Anthony’s album, a composed photograph of the bridal party on the lawn sits above a more playful one, with bouquets in the air. Years later, you might want to see who stood beside you, what they wore, and who was the first to get everyone laughing. Those are good reasons to keep both frames.
Two views of the bridal party, one composed and one playful.
Remember What the Day Looked Like Around You
Nancy’s portrait from above gives you the curve of the staircase and the sweep of her dress in the same picture. Later, a photograph of the ballroom shows the white flowers, the set tables, and the amber light while the dance floor is still empty. That photograph lets Nancy and Anthony see the room before the evening got underway. When you’re looking through your own gallery, think about the details that would take you straight back to the day. It might be the room you spent months planning, or the view you remember seeing just before you walked into it.
The curve of the staircase frames Nancy’s portrait from above.
The ballroom set for dinner, before guests arrived.
Keep the Moments That Belong Together
The reception entrance takes several photographs in this book. As the wedding party comes into the ballroom, the faces change, the gestures change, and the guests looking on become part of the scene. One frame could tell you there was an entrance. The sequence lets you see how it unfolded.
The wedding party’s entrance told across several frames.
If you’re starting with a list of favorites, make a second pass and look for what connects them. You might already have the picture of you walking in. Look for the people you passed on the way, the faces turned toward you, and the photograph that shows what happened a few seconds later. The album is a chance to put those pieces together while the day is still fresh in your mind.
Nancy and Anthony’s 12½ × 15½-inch wedding album, with a suede spine, distressed leather cover, and matching slipcase.
Seen from the edge, the open book reveals the texture of its thick, deckle-edged watercolor paper.
See more from Nancy and Anthony’s Pleasantdale Chateau wedding. If you’re planning your wedding and want to talk about photography and an album that tells the full story, get in touch with Maring Visuals.