When it comes to professional wedding albums, photographers and their clients say yes to genuine leather albums. Leather photo albums are a favorite for many reasons; they are durable, classic, and come in a wide variety of colors and detail options. It’s hard to see why any other album style is suitable for life’s most important celebrations. If you deliver a great experience and beautiful images your professional wedding albums can’t fall short. You wouldn’t see a bride with designer shoes and a custom dress put all her personal items in a plastic bag rather than a couture handbag. People don’t spend hundreds of dollars on a wedding cake and serve it on a paper plate. Don’t cut corners when you are creating a family heirloom.
Why Leather
Genuine leather photo albums are the standard for good reason. Leather is a durable and pliable material that has been used as a covering for books over the centuries. According to Biblio.com, “The single greatest reason for the perseverance of leather in bookbinding is likely because of its practicality. Properly prepared animal skin is enormously sturdy, resists changes in temperature, humidity, and a host of insults that time and use might contribute, remaining flexible and intact long after other materials have succumbed to age and wear.” Leather is really the best cover option for any professional photo album. It seems inadequate to offer something that might not stand the test of time.
Educating Clients
Improvements in printing processes and the increased availability of consumer printed photo books, has added a lot of options to the market. Sometimes couples want to opt-out of a leather wedding album from their photographer to use one of these cheaper photo album options. While some unique photo albums may be attractive, there are drawbacks. Educating your clients on the benefits of a wedding album with a leather cover will help them make a more informed decision and a better investment.
Compare genuine leather albums to these options
Photo Wrap Covers
- Photo wrap covers are popular because they allow for two more sides of real estate for printing images. Wrap covers are prints with a protective coating that wrapped around the front and back of the photo album. This type of cover material might be great for a senior portrait album or parent album, but it really doesn’t make the cut as a high-quality wedding album.
Fabric Covers
- Fabric wedding album covers, particularly linen, have become popular in the last few years. Although it has a beautiful texture and a vintage feel, linen is one of the more delicate fabrics. It’s prone to staining and snags if not handled gently. Although it’s tempting to choose something that is trendy, keep in mind that trends change, and with a wedding album you’re looking for timeless endurance.
Faux Leather
- Faux leather, leatherette, or vegan leather can sometimes be appealing at a lower price point. Artificial leathers are a combination of fabric, polyurethane, and plastic. It is not as porous or as flexible as real leather and does not hold up well against temperature changes or moisture accumulation. Over time albums with artificial leather can break down, crack and peel. For those looking for a vegan choice, Zookbinders suggest a customized canvas album cover.
Standard leather wedding albums don’t have to be boring
A wedding album with a black leather cover and imprinting is a classic look but some clients will want a more exciting presentation. Not a problem! Zookbinders offers a wide range of leather colors in both standard and glove leather. Create a customized album by adding a cameo to a leather cover, or add a “splash” of a second leather for a bold look. Offering an acrylic cover and leather spine is a stunning wedding album for your customers who want some extra bling!
Pricing and value
Are leather albums a little more of an investment? Sure, but that also means added income for you. If cost is a factor, offer a smaller 8 x 8 album. Another option would be to limit the number of images in your starter album to 45. Clients can always upgrade on the back end.
Having something to show your customers when you meet is key. Descriptive words and imagination can only go so far. A great wedding album sample would be 10×10 Zook Book with a full leather cover and cameo. Feeling the texture and experiencing the smell of the leather creates a sense of luxury and builds value. Show your couple a less expensive album, like the EZ Book – something better suited for their engagement session – and let them compare. People buy with emotion. Seeing and feeling that beautiful sample album is certainly going to get your clients to say, “Yes,” to a genuine leather wedding album.
