What to Include in a Wedding Album: Essential Components 2021

Whether your wedding is happening in 2022 and you need to tell your photographer what not to miss, or you’ve got your photos in-hand, it can be daunting to figure out what to include in your wedding album.

There are the givens: The first look, the ceremony, the reception, candid moments, intimate moments.

Then there are the little details: Mom helping the bride get ready, jewelry/suit details, cake and gift details.

Then there are the ways you can really be creative and stand out in how you capture all the moments from your wedding you never want to forget:

1. The Introduction

That’s right, write! Have an introduction to your wedding album just like a fairytale story would have. How do you set the scene? Who are all the characters? And even better, go further into the past: How did you meet? When did you know you fell in love? This can be a first-person story, a “narration” of sorts, it can even be a book or poetry passage that resonates with you. When deciding what photos to include in your wedding album, don’t forget to pair it with words, too. Your story began long before the wedding itself -- so should your photo book.

2. Venue & Scenery (no people necessarily!)

Quite a few “best wedding album tips & tricks” sites would have you jump straight to “outdoor photos,” but there’s still some background story-setting that can be done to really draw in the person flipping through your future wedding album (you, you and your spouse, your parents, your friends, your kids, your grandkids…)

Plus, include some text about the location -- Is there a history there? Is it special to you? How did you choose it?

Better yet, work with Isle Studio planners & designers to capture unique components to include in your wedding album: the lunar phase, the weather, and more.

3. Getting Ready

Now - onto the sequence of events. You’ll want to capture not just the moments before the big moment, but the details of those hours. You can pair a photo getting ready with your bridal/grooms party with a paragraph about someone being late or forgetting a tie.

This is also a prime place to start capturing those tiny details: dress embroidery, groomsmen’s matching socks, the bouquet, the “something blue,” and more.

Think about the tiny moments that, throughout the day, made you pause and think about all the good surrounding you. You don’t want to miss the little things.

4. The First Look & Portraits

The one everyone is familiar with: here’s where in your wedding album layout you can include the first looks and planned moments. Your photographer should be able to capture the beginning of your story as a wedded couple - but what can only YOU include? What thoughts were running through your mind? This is a great place to include quotes.

5. The Ceremony

At last - the part of your story that changed everything. Here’s where you can include text alongside your photos that really make you stand out and the pieces no one else could ever replicate: a poem, your vows, or quotes from the wedding party or family. When thinking about how to put together your photo album, don’t forget any essential components of a good story book: the rising action and climax or point of highest importance!

6. Family & Friends

This section can be all about the people you love who were a part of your day! Of course, there’s the mother/father of the bride, mother/father of the groom, and the wedding party. But don’t forget any kids running around, the officiant (especially if it’s someone close to you), the Best Man, the Maid/Matron of Honor, siblings, even the cousins from out of state that made it! If you were glad to have just a minute or two with them in the reception, it’s worth it to include in your wedding album if possible.

7. The Reception

Dancing! Laughing! When the bride took off her shoes or a bridesmaid took over the dance floor. But also, don’t forget things like: the venue (if different from the ceremony), the atmosphere, decor. You can even include lyrics from the song used for the first dance or a quote from Dad. This is where everyone let loose and it was time to celebrate not just your story up until the ceremony, but now the story about to unfold in your future.

8. Anything that ends the story of the day for you

The send-off, your favorite photo of the two of you together, an emptying venue, an environment shot. Whatever closes the day for you and feels special, or whatever feelings you want yourself and/or others to have when remembering your day. Maybe it is you both having a quiet moment away from the party, paired with a quote or poetry passage. Remember, it’s less about what photos to include or what to write in your wedding album, and more about how you want the story to be told long after it happened. Capture the moments that are uniquely you.

The most important thing when deciding what to include in your wedding album, isn’t what people expect of you or what you think should be included. The most important part is that you feel it captures the depth and emotion of your story in a way that can be told and flipped through for generations.

At Isle Studio, we bridge the gap between complicated wedding album DIY and luxury design. To see how we’re different from every other custom wedding album design or print service, schedule a free design consultation or see what couples have had to say about us.

Your wedding is more than just a day - it’s a collection of moments that could and should live on forever. We are not in the business of templates; we are chroniclers. And in a noisy digital age, our most important stories can be forgotten. We’re here to preserve them.

We wish you the best of luck with your wedding album layout, and don’t forget to bookmark, share, or: