Thursday 7 January 2010

Coffee table books for all budgets

One of the most popular extras I offer wedding couples is the option to present the best photos in a beautifully designed, hand crafted coffee table book. I have to say the finished product really is an eye to behold.

When it comes to designing these albums I actually spend ages carefully working out the layout for each spread as I can't stand the idea of having got this far only to devalue the photography with poor, cheesy album design!

Good album design is actually an art form in itself and requires not only a good creative eye but also patience and a healthy dose of TLC! At the end of the day, if you want a stylish, romantic, contemporary and well balanced album you just can't afford to cut any corners at this stage in the proceedings!

I use Booked Images which in my experience is one of the best book manufacturers in the market place. As you can see from the images above, the quality is simply stunning and will literally take your breath away once you see your own favourite wedding photographs in all their glorious technicolour!

"But what if we can't afford the top of the range?"

Whilst the cost of digital printing has come down dramatically over the last few years these premium coffee table books might feel a little expensive for those on a tighter budget. So recently I've been investigating cheaper options and have to say I've been particularly impressed with Blurb. Whilst not on a par with Booked Images, the quality of the printing is very good considering the price.

To give you an example, I was a guest at a good friend's wedding not so long ago and as a wedding present I decided to give her a book with a collection of photographs I took on the day. You can see a preview example of the Blurb album here.