Here is a step-by-step guide to creating your wedding or portrait album. I would suggest looking through this guide in one tab, and opening your link in another tab. We’ve tried our darndest to keep everything as streamlined as possible, but it is still nice to have this reference guide handy in case you have any questions along the way.
If you do end up having any questions for me, please feel free to call/text my cell, (918) 902-5663 or send me an email at, tabor@photosbytabor.com.
I look forward to seeing the photos you choose!
All my best,
-Tabor
Step 1: Check Your Emails for the Album Link
Step 2: Enter in your email address.
Since we already have your email address on file, this keeps everything simplified in case we have any questions. 😀
Now that you’re in, simply click on the gallery you would like to choose from!
Step 3: “Heart” Your Favorite Photos!
You can find the “heart” icon in the bottom-right corner of your favorite photos. Once the heart icon has been selected as a favorite, the lower heart will turn blue, and a new heart will appear in the top-right corner of the image. (Shown within the illustration below.)
We suggest finding 45-75 total photos during this part. Our reasoning is that 3-5 photos per spread (2 pages), is enough to convey a story while maintaining a clean and clear design. We also recommend opening and closing with a single image, the opening image foreshadowing the style of your wedding (fun, elegant, classy, romantic, etc.), and the closing photo either from your grand exit, or a nighttime creative.
You can view a couple of album styles in the “Bonus” section below!
Step 4: Let Us Know!
Simply close out of the gallery, and send an email to, tabor@photosbytabor.com or call/text us at (918) 902-5663, to let us know when you are all done selecting! In the email, be sure to let us know which photo you would like for the opening &/or closing spread (if applicable). We’ll get to work on your album right away, but feel free to let us know if you have any questions!
If you check the email account you used to sign up for the favorites link, you’ll see that a special link was sent your way as well! This link is for you to go back and review/modify your album selections in case there is anything you would like to change. To make sure we are utilizing the most recent selections, please let us know after you make a change, and we’ll be happy to download the new selections instead.
Your new custom link will look something like this,
Bonus!
There are two primary styles of wedding albums we typically design. Below are examples of each!
Classic Album:
The Classic Album contains 3-5 images per spread on every spread. This is great if the primary objective is to create an album with as many photos as possible while still having a clean design.
An example of the Classic Album would be:
Modern Album:
The Modern Album is more of a storybook styled album. This album contains one photo to open the album with an image that foreshadows the rest of the story letting the viewer know that this album is going to be fun, romantic, elegant, etc. Spreads 2-14 contain 3-5 images per spread to tell the story, and spread 15 closes the story with a grand exit photo or night time creative.
An example of the Modern Album would be:
What if you have “too many” photos?
Often times we run into instances where “too many” photos are selected, (typically anything over 75). When this happens we have a few options;
Option 1; You and your spouse cull through the images you’ve selected.
- With this option, we rarely have the need to create more than one draft before an album is ready for production. Since the number of photos and photos themselves all line up, everything is often visually perfect the first time.
- You all get to decide between photos that are very similar, which one is your true favorite, rather than which one is our favorite.
- It would mean logging back in and un-clicking the “heart” icon before resending the email. Though not a long process, it still takes time.
Option 2; Simply add additional spreads for $40/spread.
- Increases the number of photos in your heirloom album since even one spread can add another 3-5 of your favorites.
- Increases the thickness and rigidity of your album
- Each additional spread is only $40
- Each additional spread is $40
Option 3; Use every selected photo.
- We can get started on album design right away.
- There would be quite a few photos per spread which could look a bit cluttered and each photo would be rather small.
Out of the options listed above, option 3 often works out the best. With all of the albums we put into production, our album cost is covered in the first 10 spreads, but we’ve often upped the count by 5-10 additional spreads depending on your collection. Increasing the number of initial spreads often costs us hundreds per album, however, we recognize that this is your first family heirloom and we want it to be perfect. This desire for perfection is the driving force behind our love of creating the perfect album for you and your family to enjoy for generations to come. My mentality when looking at albums is not about the here and now, but rather what I want for 30 years from now. I think beyond today and consider generations down the line. I want the album they hold to be a perfect representation of what things were like 30 years before. By evaluating the big picture, it helps to understand the importance in selecting the right materials, number of spreads, and design of the album.
Once you send over the email, we will have your selections, and can begin working on your album. We will send over a sample prior to putting your album into production, but as always, if you have any questions during the process, please feel free to reach out, as we would love to help!
Lastly, we have a lot of great content coming up so I went ahead and added our social links below. Throughout the coming months, I’ll be writing guides and blogging answers to questions that we often hear, however, if you have any thoughts for a great topic, I would love to hear your insight! Though I’ll be tackling common questions I’ve heard throughout the years, I would still love to address any questions you may have with an in-depth answer as well.
Thank you for working alongside Em and I in designing your album, and we look forward to getting your design back to you soon!
All my best,
-Tabor
Recent Blogs
