You’ve said your vows, you’ve had the honeymoon, now what?

We live in the digital age now, where wedding photos are often used for social media posts, cell phone and laptop backgrounds, and to email to family or friends that couldn’t make it. But then what? Your photos aren’t meant to live on your hard drive. Or your cell phone. Or your Instagram.

YOUR PHOTOS WERE MADE TO BE TANGIBLE.

Before there was social media or the internet or even digital photography, the way we all viewed photos was drastically different. Wedding photographers certainly operated in a much different way than they do now. They would shoot roll after roll of 35mm film, send it off to the lab, and then after proofs were made, the clients would receive an album with anywhere from 25-50 prints of only the best photos from the whole day.

My parents wedding album (that tiny floral print book in the photo) is a dainty 4 in. x 6 in. book with about 20 photos in it. Each one carefully curated to tell the short story of the day - the outside of the church, one or two getting ready photos, the ceremony, the reception, and about five family portraits. It was a simpler time.

Looking at these photos is like a sweet nostalgic gut punch and it’s my favorite feeling.

Every time I pick up that little book and flip through the pages, it’s like peeking through a time machine. A tiny floral window to another era. I’m transported back to the ’80s when my parents were practically kids, saying “I do” in a little white church. It was before the time of iPhones and Instagram, meaning these photos are the only tangible memories of that very day, and I get to enjoy them whenever I want. And someday my kids will be able to do the same.

Photos are all we have.

After your wedding day is over, after the honeymoon, when you come home and go back to everyday life, you’ll eventually get your digital wedding gallery. Maybe you’ll sit down with your partner to flip through the images and relive the day together. Maybe you’ll make a list of your favorites. Ideally you’ll print a few and hang them on the wall. But then what? This is where albums come in.

you invested in your wedding photos, now invest in preserving them.

Wedding albums may seem like a pricey item, especially after you spent thousands on your wedding day itself. But when all is said and done, the biggest takeaway from your wedding (aside from, you know, a life partner) is going to be the photos. You’ll likely get hundreds of them from the photographer. You’ll share a few online, and you’ll hang a few in the house, but the BEST way to really preserve them and show them off is in an album.

wedding photos aren’t cheap, your albums shouldn’t be either.

Yes, you can technically print a bunch of your own 4” x 6” wedding photos and stick them in a $20 photo book you got at Target. Sure.

OR you could invest in professionally preserving your professional photos. Why not treat yourself to a beautiful keepsake? You’ve already paid so much for the photos, it’s a shame to just let them live online.

Professional wedding albums (designed by professional wedding photographers) are made to last. They are printed with archival ink, on high-quality paper, and expertly bound, ensuring longevity. An album is something you, your kids, and your grandkids can share for generations. It’s the most perfect coffee table book. It looks good on and off the shelf. It’s a time machine back to your favorite day.

Sure, some traditions will change. The way we plan, photograph, and share weddings, but some traditions are meant to last, and printing your photos is one of them. Preserve your most favorite memories. Because when all is said and done, photos are all we have left.