The more I work in the wedding industry, the more I see how much being bride and groom today is like the cliche kid in a candy store. There are too many different directions to go (and not enough dollars to take you there).

For this reason, I get asked quite often how a couple should spend their allotted allowance for photography–specifically for their prints. Should they do a bunch of 4x6s and make their own photo book? Should they select a few nice ones for canvas prints for their wall? For many of them, this becomes very overwhelming, and the farthest they get with their images is downloading them to their computer and uploading one or two to social media for their profile pictures. I always offer the same solution: Let’s design an album.

Full disclosure: I love album design. A lot. I am an Adobe InDesign Junkie. Yearbook was my sport in high school, I was pre-Journalism before I switched to education, and I have been a yearbook adviser as all three of my schools (and can officially say that I am an award-winning one at that). There is power in the ability to layout photos to tell a story.

Albums are a very practical way for clients to not only have the majority of their photos in one location, but also to capture the story of the day. When all the photos flow together, there is not one element of the narrative missing. The tale that you wish to have your wedding day tell is achievable with an album.

It also allows for your photos to be displayed editorially. What does that matter, you may wonder. Well, there is no doubt that during your wedding planning you have purchased a magazine or two and have scrolled through your fair share of blogs. I am sure some caught your eye more than others based on their details and portraits and how they were paired. We can chronologically pair things, categorically pair things, or editorially pair things, which is what magazine editors do to create layouts that razzle dazzle and make everything look so much more high-end and fancy. Wedding albums lend themselves to this so naturally, leaving your own publication of your biggest moment.

So, okay, you are sold…now what? A great place to start would be with your photographer. Ask them if they are in the design business (or know someone who is). They should be the soul to point you in the direction you seek to get your own gorgeous album!