The Anatomy of an Album
How to Lay It All Out
Wedding album layout ideas come a dime a dozen, but after thousands of albums, we've found a framework that works well for getting beyond the blank page. Start with this simple template as ground zero, deviating from the formula as your own vision emerges along the way.
Note: The photos below use layouts available in our Wedding Layflat Album. Not all of these layouts will be available outside of our Layflat series!
1 Spread
Scene-Setter
Start your album off by adding some context, such as a scene of the venue or the weather that day.
2-3 Spreads
Getting Ready
Try including a few special behind-the-scenes shots with the family or your wedding party as well.
3-4 Spreads
First Look & Portraits
Whether you saw each other first or not, include a "first look" shot as well as a few favorite portraits of you and your partner.
1 Spread
The Details
The cake, the flowers… too many details to count! Keep it simple and pick two to five favorites for a single spread. Sprinkle a few others throughout the rest of the book.
2-3 Spreads
Family Photos
Candid shots and stolen moments of your family mean just as much as the formal portraits (if not more!).
2-3 Spreads
Friends & Wedding Party
It's likely you have photos of them in a number of different settings. Try choosing one for a centerpiece spread (like above!) and be ruthless picking your favorites.
3-5 Spreads
Ceremony
Consider showcasing at least one panoramic spread here and add a few of your best ceremonial shots, such as the kiss, readings, and grand departure.
1 Spread
Stolen Moments
Be sure to include those beautifully unexpected shots that you didn't know the photographer captured.
1-2 Spreads
Cocktail Hour
Try including post-ceremony photos of your guests and venue here.
1-2 Spreads
Reception
Select your most prized moments from the reception, and again, be relentless here! There are plenty of other ways to use those photos that don't make the cut. (A set of prints paired with a Brass & Wood Display Box, perhaps?)
1-3 Spreads
The Toasts
Your reaction to the best man's speech is a moment you'll look back on with a laugh. Don't skimp out on those candid moments captured.
1-3 Spreads
The Dances
From the first dance with your spouse to moments with your parents, showcase your favorites here.
3 Spreads
Extras
Don't worry if a few of your favorites didn't fit in above — we've saved 2-3 extra spreads just for you.
1-2 Spreads
Parting Shot
Finish your album with a moment that will last — such as your grand adieu, final kiss of the night, or that shot that strikes just the right sentiment.
Tips & Inspiration
Wedding Album Ideas
01
Start Off Swoon-Worthy
The opening and closing spreads of your album are arguably the most impactful. Starting with the image that says it all is a powerful way to set the tone — it's also one of our most loved and approachable wedding photo book ideas. Even if you're ordering things chronologically (which is usually the easiest!), take some liberties here by following your heart and putting a favorite front and center.
02
Add Variety to Layouts
With over 100 different layouts at your disposal, there's no shortage of ways to shape the narrative. Infusing layout variety from page to page can go a long way in adding intrigue and aesthetic appeal to your album.
That doesn't have to mean packing it with photos! If you want to stick to a single photo per page, variety can still be achieved by switching up shape, size, and positioning from page to page.
03
Don't Shy From the Details
Between all the emotional moments, grand scenes, and familiar faces, there's no harm in slipping in a visual palette cleanser here and there. Detail shots are a great way to signal shifts from scene to scene, set the mood for photos that follow, and integrate an artistic element into your storytelling.
04
Choose a Book That Matches
Every wedding has its own unique personality, and that should follow through into print. So before you start to think about wedding album layout ideas, choose your album with thoughtful intention. A more baroque wedding might feel most at home in a Signature Layflat Album, while a minimalist wedding will shine in a Wedding Layflat Album, and a modern wedding could take to a Hardcover Wedding Photo Book.
Pro tip: Use our photo book comparison guide for an at-a-glance idea of which album is best for your big day.
05
Coordinate Color, Tone, & Texture
Layered beneath the story of how the day unfolded is a series of visual substories that give shape to your album: color, tone, and texture. Coordinating these elements is a quick strategy for making a wedding album that's as beautiful as it is meaningful. Luckily, you've already did much of this coordination in your wedding details, bridesmaid dresses, and beyond. All that's left is to pull it together on the page!
06
Capture Every Emotion
Let's be honest: weddings are tear-jerkers, and there were surely happy tears abound through ceremony and speech. But the day is filled with a spectrum of emotions, each positive and worth honoring in its own way. Maybe it's the cocktail-fueled jubilation (show us the lie!) of the late-night dance floor or the pensive butterflies as bride and groom got ready. Find the photos that speak to these emotions. Give them space in your album. Return to each often.
07
Make Room for Micro-Moments
Sometimes, it's not just the climax of the scene, it's also the meaningful micro-moments that manifest along the way. These sorts of little moments bring out the best in multi-photo layouts, showing the progression of a single scene through its component parts.
08
Protect Your Story
Your wedding album is an heirloom, and it deserves to be protected and passed down as such. An engraved, wooden album box is a timeless way to protect your book from thrills, spills, dust, and the elements at large… so the story of your forever can live on just as long.
Pro tip: The Signature Layflat Album offers an exclusive, engraved walnut box as an add-on to the album. Meanwhile, the Wooden Quote Box is available to house any other 10 x 10" or 8 x 11" album. Both are handcrafted from reclaimed materials that allow beautiful, once-forgotten wood to live on for a second life.