When it comes to your big day, you definitely want a wedding that’s meaningful, impactful and full of memories. The kind of wedding that is chock full of beautiful moments that makes you giddy with joy when you think about them. One of the best ways to perfectly preserve this once in a lifetime event is with – you guessed it! 

Wedding Photo Books and Wedding Albums.

While most wedding photographers offer a package that comes with a wedding book included, most people still might not know what to expect in terms of the end results. As not everyone is familiar with the different types of wedding photo books and albums that are available on the market, we’ve decided to write this blog to show you the main differences between photo books – ranging from the standard, more affordable wedding photo books to coffee table books and flush-mount wedding albums.

Do note that depending on the size and styles of the wedding books, they can vary widely in price. However, the exquisite quality of some of these albums makes them well worth the investment.

Imagewrap Photo Books

The hardcover Imagewrap Photo Book has always been a popular choice when it comes to creating a wedding photo book. Featuring a full-bleed image of your choice on the cover to highlight your best wedding shot, this photo book was designed specifically to be versatile and long-lasting.

To make it as easy to understand as possible, we’ll deconstruct the Imagewrap Photo Book into a list of things that the photo book may consist of. So if you choose the hardcover Imagewrap Photo Book to create your wedding photo book, here’s what you can expect: 

• Pages: Min – 20 | Max – 150
• Cover: Features a full-bleed image of your choice printed and wrapped around a sturdy hardboard cover.
• Paper Types: 5 Types available (Gloss, Matte, Premium Photo Lustre, Premium Linen, Premium Textured Fine Art)
• Binding Style: Standard, Flush Mount 
• Optional: Custom Slipcase. 

Design Tip: The optimal sizes for a wedding photo book by orientation are the 11”x11” (square), 11”x8.5” (portrait), 11”x15” (portrait). Also, when designing your wedding photo book on a page-by-page basis, remember that the photo books start on a single (right) page, and end on a single (left) page.

Debossed Photo Books

The Debossed Hardcover Photo Book is part of our premium collection of photo books. This hardcover photo book features a debossed window on the front cover to showcase your favourite wedding snap. People who choose this type of wedding photo book are those who prefer something that looks more timeless, elegant and classic. 

If you choose the hardcover Debossed Photo Book to create your wedding photo book, here’s what you can expect: 

• Pages: Min – 20 | Max – 150
• Cover: Sturdy hardboards that have been wrapped in your choice of cover materials (Textured Metallic, Buckram, Tinsel Shine, Vintage Linen, Premium Upgrade: Texturised Silk).
• Paper Types: 5 Types available (Gloss, Matte, Premium Photo Lustre, Premium Linen, Premium Textured Fine Art)
• Binding Style: Standard, Flush Mount 
• Optional: Custom Slipcase. 

Fun Fact:

All the cover materials used are made of natural fibres (plant-based fibres) which are non-corrosive, durable, renewable and sustainable. 

Design Tip: The vintage linen cover material features a subtle linen texture that gives it a nice, tactile appeal. Additionally, the material in the colour code ‘Sand Dollar’ gives off a simple and elegant look that’s perfect for wedding photo books. 

 Window Die-cut Photo Books

This wow-worthy photo book is the ideal choice for giving those ‘once in a lifetime’ moments the attention they deserve. Utilising all of our more premium features from cover type to binding, this bold and charming keepsake is definitely a top contender when you’re deciding just what type of photo book you’d like to use to preserve your wedding day. Not only does it exude a fresh, contemporary vibe, but the tactile appeal of the book makes it one that you just can’t help but pick up.

The key feature of the hardcover Window Die-cut Photo Book is, of course, the cutout window. Unlike the Debossed Photo Book where your favourite photo is pressed into the cover, the Window Die-cut Photo Book actually cuts out the window shape from the hardboard materials. This technique helps to give the photo book some extra texture and dimensions – giving it a unique feeling of depth.

If you choose the hardcover Window Die-cut Photo Book to create your wedding photo book, here’s what you can expect: 

• Pages: Min – 20 | Max – 150
• Cover: Sturdy hardboards that have been wrapped in your choice of cover materials (Textured Metallic, Buckram, Tinsel Shine, Vintage Linen).
• Paper Types: 5 Types available (Gloss, Matte, Premium Photo Lustre, Premium Linen, Premium Textured Fine Art)
• Binding Style: Standard, Flush Mount 
• Optional: Custom Slipcase. 

Binding Styles

Depending on your preferences you can opt for two different kinds of binding types. They are as follows: 

Standard Binding

For those of you who are unfamiliar, side-sewn binding is when the pages of your book are invisibly stitched together along the spine to create a curved gutter. This style of binding is also known as stab-sewn binding. A similar style of binding is utilised in both our Softcover and Hardcover photo books as well.

Besides being extremely durable, this style of binding also makes it possible to create personalised Photo Books that have anywhere between 40 – 150 pages.

Flush Mount Binding

The flush mount binding will give your Hardcover Photo Books the ability to lay completely flat at 180°. This ensures that you’ll be able to enjoy a seamless and uninterrupted view of your photos – as nothing can get lost in the crease, unlike with the standard binding method. 

However, do keep in mind that when choosing the flush mount binding, it will affect two aspects of your window die-cut photo book. Namely:

• The thickness of the pages
• The number of pages

In order to attain the flush mount look, your wedding photo book will have to be printed (as a one-piece photo print – printed ‘flush’ against the borders of the spread/page) and then mounted onto a piece of hardboard.  This will result in a sturdy and luxurious photo book with pages that measures 1.5mm in thickness. 

Design Tip: Due to the thickness of each individual page, a Hardcover Wedding Photo Book that utilises the flush mount binding will only be able to have a page count of between 20 – 40 pages; as anything more will result in the book being far too unwieldy.

Paper Types

Let’s talk about paper types and finishing. Depending on what kind of tone your book carries, the paper material and finishing can dramatically add more impact to the book.

So here’s a helpful explanation of all the paper types and finishes we have available so that you’ll be able to make more informed decisions before you commit to printing out your wedding photo book. 

Paper Types for Standard Binding

190gsm Premium Photo Lustre:

Features a beautiful pearly/sandy texture with the slightest hint of shine. Offers great longevity and softens images to give your book a more romantic and decadent appeal. [FSC Certified]

150gsm Art Paper with Gloss Lamination: 

Offering the best in terms of dynamic colour contrast, the photos printed using this paper type will appear modern and lively.

150gsm Art Paper with Matte Lamination:

Classy and elegant, the photos printed using this paper type will appear smooth and completely shine-free.

* 240gsm Textured Paper Linen: 

Exudes an elegant and classy feel, this durable material is resistant to colour fade and features a smooth, subtly embossed texture that is reminiscent of fine linen.

*150gsm Textured Fine Art:

Features a smooth and writable surface, this premium quality textured fine art paper softens your images to give them a more lively and earthy appeal. Highly suitable for printing nature photography, artworks, and black & white images. 

*Applicable for photo book sizes 11” x 15” and above. 

Paper Types for Flush Mount Binding

1360gsm Textured Paper Linen: 

Featuring a smooth, subtly embossed texture that is reminiscent of fine woven linen fabric, this material exudes elegance and class. Fairly durable, this material is also resistant to colour fade.

1300gsm Art Card with Protective Gloss Lamination:  

Offering the best in terms of dynamic colour contrast, the photos printed using this paper type and finishing will appear modern and lively.

1300gsm Art Card with Protective Matte Lamination: 

Elegant and sophisticated, the photos printed using this paper type and finishing will appear smooth and completely shine-free.

Fun Fact:

All the paper materials used in producing all our range of photo books are ethically sourced.

Wedding Photo Book Design Ideas

For those of you who are looking to DIY your own Wedding Photo Books but don’t know how to start, check out our other blog post on How to Make A Wedding Photo Book for some helpful tips and tricks.

If you’re keen to explore more personalised photo products to immortalise your wedding day, do check out our Wedding Essentials page on the Pixajoy website for more info.