Wedding Blog
I. DIY Album Design
II. Album Design Process
Having a high quality album was very important to us. We consider it to be our first family heirloom. In the far future, the 4×6 photos will be curled and discolored in a dusty box, and even the JPEG files and DVD video will be obsolete due to technological advancements. But our album will last for generations and be enjoyed by generations of our family to come.
After researching dozens of different album companies, I finally decided on Pictobook.
Our Pictobook album specs:
above: from the Pictobook website
above and below: from photographer John Kantor
We had it printed and bound by Pictobook many months ago. I am just delighted with the high-quality craftsmanship and high-resolution photographic images! It’s definitely an heirloom that will be gushed over and treasured for generations to come. 
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Mrs. Ant, do you happen to know if pictobooks only sells to professional photogs? i checked their website and it seems they don’t have prices listed and one would need to log in in order to view them.
thanks! 
Mrs. Ant, this is beautiful! When I went to their website to get pricing info, though, it shows that you have to be part of a photography studio. This has been my biggest hurdle with trying to find a company to print an album without having my photographers design it. How did you get around this?
count me in as one who wants to know too!
ditto…
ditto, and do you mind letting us know the approx price range? thank you!
ok…put me on the list. I was just about to write the exact same comment as #1 up there 
more info for me too please. i hope the “how to order” details wil be the next installation of this series.
me too!
can you tell us also how long they took to produce and ship?
thanks!
More info!
me too.
i would like to know how you were able to order your photobook…searched and found this page listed picto’s prices…
http://www.thevisionyard.com/packages/picto_albums/picto_albums.html
Unfortunately, many high end album companies only sell exclusively to photography studios. But.. there are ways to get your hands on them. I will cover this in one of the upcoming posts in this series.
As for pricing, I have to be really careful about what I say. Album companies are very protective over their price lists.
Mi, that visionyard pricing for pictoalbums includes the studio’s design fee.
Yes, I have done a lot of research on zookbinders, as well as dozens of other album companies. Professional photographers generally like Zookbinders, especially for their great customer service. They are not the most luxurious quality album, but they are of a very good quality and reasonably priced for a flushmount.
I chose Pictobook over Zookbook because: 1. P is gutterless whereas Z has a narrow gutter, 2. P has thinner, flexible pages 3. I liked the P cover choices more 4. P looks a little more modern
Now I am curious. As a pro, I am always on the lookout for great products. Once question: Do you know if the materials are acid free, and archival?
That’s what I look for.
Cheers,
Eric
more info
mrs. ant, since you designed your own album layouts, can you also cover how you sent them your files? and how welcoming they were to you doing your own design work? were they easy to work with and whatnot?
hi mrs. ant,
i’m actually in the process of looking for a photographer and was wondering what other options are there for albums. I would love it if you could cover more about the process and how you were able to get the albums. any info would be greatly appreciate!
by the way, what a gorgeous wedding you had!
also curious about how to order!
Please make it known that this book was made in conjunction with Tony and that we do not make a business of working directly with brides. We have already received complaints from our clients about this. Pricing from the photographer includes many different aspects of production and it is not really fair for you to divulge wholesale prices when they don’t reflect the many costs incurred. I am glad that you like the book and the design was quit good! Congratulations on your wedding and good luck.
Dear David,
I have not and did not plan on divulging any prices for any flushmount albums. If I have written anything inappropriate, please point it out to me and I will correct it.
I would like to know why album companies choose not to sell directly to the public.
Thank you,
Mrs Ant
There are many reasons for this. One important reason is cost. Brides are retail customers and Photographers are wholesale. If we undercut our clients prices, we will no longer have clients. I cannot loose a 200 book a year customer to save a bride a few dollars. Generally speaking, professional photographers are just that… professionals. They know what to ask for, how to provide the materials and have a less emotional stake in the process. I do wish that I could make books for anyone in need, but it just isn’t prudent.
In defence of the brides, I feel really bad that they are not made aware that making a book is going to be difficult. There are too many photographers who are more than willing to take your money without further efforts on their part. The cost of the book and extra effort in handling the process can be much less profitable than just handing over a DVD. More effort should be made to educate the end users more. The Knot is one offender in this. I saw today that they actually recommend this to “save money”. No mention of headaches or regret when they find themselves assembling a peel and stick album with thier most treasured memories.
As for inappropriate - I dont really think you have done anything wrong. Your blog/site here has been misinterpreted by some. I just want to keep things straight. I do appreciate your time and urge that the education be the key… plan with your photographer if you want to save by desinging your own book. Not a problem, but address the issue up front. Don’t get stuck in a bind (bookmaker humor).
Regards,
David
i think mrs. ant said she was going to finish her blog with updates…she just needed time to make her updates more professional looking….thanks for sharing this info with us mrs. ant….
As a wedding photographer, the best way is to leave the design+print to the professionals. I also offer PictoBooks to my clients and registered with Pictage.
Make sure you add these album to your package because they will last a lifetime and it’s definitely worth it!!!
Email us for our studio pricing.
I have had an unfortunate experience with my photographer who is not able to follow through on my wedding photography contract.
All that I have a hi-res dvd with all of my original wedding images and a release that says I own the pictures. That’s it. No album. No slideshow. No editing. So, I’ve been researching to try to find another professional photographer to edit my photos and build a leather album or flush mount book for me.
Does anyone know of a website that will work directly with brides and has quality albums? Better yet, does anyone know of a professional who will help me with my wedding pictures? I’d prefer to work with a professional photographer.
Thank you!!
Hi Captain,
I just logged on and saw your comment -
Feel free to e-mail me at Eric@EricHegwer.com. I’d love to bounce some ideas about albums, slideshows, and such if you are interested.
I think you can click on my name to go to my website - FYI
Cheers,
Eric
I know this is an old post, but I’ll get a reply to my question…
I too am debating on whether to purchase an album from my photographer. While googling for info to help me with this deicision I came across this website: charlesriccodesigns.com… They design and print flush mount albums as well as coffee style albums. Has anyone heard of this company?
oops! i meant to type ‘I’m hoping to get a reply to my question…’
so sorry…
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Mrs. Ant, New York/Jamaica
Age and Occupation: 25, PhD Student
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Finance
Engagement Date: July 26, 2005
Wedding Date: November 18, 2006
Blogging Since: February 15, 2006
Venue: Rockhouse Hotel
About Me: I live in New York but I'm planning a destination wedding in Negril, Jamaica. My fiance and I are high school sweethearts!
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