Your wedding is one of the best days of your life, and definitely a day for a professional photographer. From walking down the aisle, to that very first married kiss, and all the wedding festivities after the ceremony, a good, professional photographer is a must. But after spending ridiculous amounts of money on the perfect person to capture all of those once-in-a-lifetime moments (plus the cost of venue and decorations, the dress and accessories, the flowers, the food, etc), most brides are more than happy when anyone is willing to give their wallet a break!
I felt that way after spending thousands of dollars on my photographer. She was brilliant, and it was definitely worth the expense (she took beautiful photos!), but we paid for photography service and that’s it. All the adorable “perks” she offered after her photography package, yeah… we just couldn’t afford any of it. One of those additional perks was a wedding scrapbook that she would create for you. Although her wedding scrapbook-example was beautiful, I was stunned by how much she was charging for it. Being a digital scrapbooker, I knew just how easily and inexpensively it was to make one just like it!
It made me realize that although it’s great to have a professional photographer, and not a day to miss out on that important wedding service, there is no reason why you can’t make your own wedding scrapbook afterwards- of equal quality for that matter. The cost of her wedding scrapbook was more than a thousand dollars. The cost of your own wedding scrapbook at the same quality? Anywhere from $50- $200. Really, that’s it. Again, anytime you can save yourself a little money and still get the same benefit around your wedding day, is definitely a time that it’s worth it.
3 Reasons you should make your own Wedding Digital Scrapbook:
1. Cost. The cost for your photographer to put together a wedding scrapbook can be absolutely insane. Like I said, my photographer was brilliant, but I could not afford a thousand-dollar scrapbook, I’m sorry. Between digital scrapbooking supplies, the book, and the printing, you can make a beautiful leather or linen-bound book for $200-max. Not bad.
2. Look. When you make your scrapbook, you get to decide what photo is on the cover page, and what photos go inside. Your favorite photos may not be your photographer’s favorite photos, and it’s important that you decide which photos bring back special memories and hold sentimental value. By taking charge of the project, you can feel proud of the look and design of each page and every photo that is included.
3. Effects. Your photographer may apply certain effects to photos, but might not use them in other photos. But what if you want to convert a favorite photo to black and white, or perhaps even add a touch of color back into the black and white photo- and it’s not already done? Well, you can easily apply these effects to your wedding photos yourself, at less than a fraction of the cost for your photographer to do it!
So why do brides-to-be waste thousands of dollars for someone else to make them a wedding scrapbook?
I think that those that can afford a high-priced book pick that option either A.) Because they feel overwhelmed and tight on time- and want someone else to do it. Or B.) They don’t know how to make their own wedding scrapbook and are afraid that any attempt that they make at creating their own would be disastrous. I think both of these issues are incredibly easy to solve.
First things first, as crazy, hectic, and stressful as wedding planning can be, most brides want nothing more than to have a break from planning. It seems so convenient to have someone do all the work, especially when you’re just so busy getting ready for your big day! But remember, after the wedding, what typically comes next is the relaxing honeymoon, and then it’s just every day, regular married-life! After your wedding, it’s so much fun to reminisce over the photos, watch the wedding video, and talk about all the special moments! It’s the perfect time to start making your own scrapbook, because you’ve had time to rest, but are still so excited about your wonderfully special day! So, even though it may seem overwhelming to make a wedding scrapbook before the wedding, just remember, you’ll be making it at a time when life has slowed down and reminiscing about the wedding is fun!
Second, it’s easy to make your own wedding scrapbook. Sign up for the FREE Digital Scrapbooks and More Newsletter and learn how to begin digital scrapbooking. This free newsletter will teach you what you need to get started, which digital scrapbooking software you should buy, and much more! It’s the very best way to start as a beginner to digital scrapbooking.
Next, get Digital Scrapbooks and More’s Digital Scrapbooking Training: The Getting Started Series. It’s available in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. This will teach you how to create beautiful scrapbooking pages and even print your finished album through an online printing company.
Once you know how to digitally scrapbook, get Digital Scrapbooks and More’s Photo Editing Training. Photo Editing will teach you how to apply beautiful effects to your photos (or even give them a virtual makeover!).
And just because you go digital doesn’t mean you can’t add real physical items to your wedding day scrapbook. Lace real invitations, dried flowers, table name cards, etc throughout your special book. Combine the best of both worlds: digital and traditional!
With digital scrapbooking and photo editing, your wedding day scrapbook can be just as stunning as any photographer’s version, at a ridiculously inexpensive price. And after a day like a wedding day… every penny that you can save counts!
-Jennifer
Ps. If you liked the paper in the example above, get Digital Scrapbooks and More’s Heavenly Blooms Kit!
