Classy Alabama Wedding Album Design for Elizabeth Gelineau
We've worked with Mobile, Alabama wedding photographer Elizabeth Gelineau for over 8 years on close to 80 album design so far. Her photography is consistently beautiful and she is such a joy to work with!
Elizabeth has worked with the same preferred designer -- Denise -- for many years and that has allowed Denise to really master Elizabeth's preferred design style which includes narrow spacing, some white space, and ensuring images are not too small on the page. She also likes when we are able to dedicate one spread to a full bleed portrait of the bride and groom like this first one from today's featured album below!
Elizabeth used our Hands-off Service which allowed us to communicate directly with her client throughout the revision process, freeing Elizabeth up from being the "middle-man". This album design turned out SO beautifully! Here are a few of our favorite spreads:
Elizabeth has worked with the same preferred designer -- Denise -- for many years and that has allowed Denise to really master Elizabeth's preferred design style which includes narrow spacing, some white space, and ensuring images are not too small on the page. She also likes when we are able to dedicate one spread to a full bleed portrait of the bride and groom like this first one from today's featured album below!
Elizabeth used our Hands-off Service which allowed us to communicate directly with her client throughout the revision process, freeing Elizabeth up from being the "middle-man". This album design turned out SO beautifully! Here are a few of our favorite spreads:
To see the design in full, click through the slideshow:
Thank you, Elizabeth, for trusting us with your clients and your gorgeous images!
Thank you, Elizabeth, for trusting us with your clients and your gorgeous images!
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Design by: Denise (View More) // Design style: Classic (View More) // Blog post written by: Melissa Jill
Design by: Denise (View More) // Design style: Classic (View More) // Blog post written by: Melissa Jill
One thing you must do to serve the high-end client well
photo by Alicia Lacey Photography
Hey guys! Melissa Jill here! I'm the owner of Align Album Design and Huntsville & Phoenix-based wedding photographer.
Question for you: Are you seeking to break into the high-end market? To serve a clientele who values the art of photography? To make more money for your time?
One of the ways to reach these goals is by DOING ALBUMS WELL.
I've found in my experience as a photographer in the Phoenix market that there is a shift in the type of client around the $3-4K budget range. Back in the day, my studio had 5 photographers total and we served clients with a photography budget ranging anywhere from $2,000 - $14,000. When a client came to us with a budget of less than $3K, one of the first questions out of their mouth was, "Do your packages come with the high res images?" Not only that, but this was typically the only product they were interested in. They figured if they had the images, they could create other products themselves.
But clients who have allocated over $4K for their wedding photography are a different type of client altogether. They are not nearly as interested in the digital images. Oftentimes when I mentioned that they can include them in their package, they looked at me like, "What would I do with those?" And it seems like the more money people have, the less interested they were in them. Instead, they want something custom, something hand-crafted and one-of-a-kind, something they couldn't create themselves. Over the starting budget of $4K, clients in my market wanted an album. It's their priority and they take it for granted that a custom album is the final end product that they will have to tell the story of their day once their experience with their photographer is brought to completion.
Hey guys! Melissa Jill here! I'm the owner of Align Album Design and Huntsville & Phoenix-based wedding photographer.
Question for you: Are you seeking to break into the high-end market? To serve a clientele who values the art of photography? To make more money for your time?
One of the ways to reach these goals is by DOING ALBUMS WELL.
I've found in my experience as a photographer in the Phoenix market that there is a shift in the type of client around the $3-4K budget range. Back in the day, my studio had 5 photographers total and we served clients with a photography budget ranging anywhere from $2,000 - $14,000. When a client came to us with a budget of less than $3K, one of the first questions out of their mouth was, "Do your packages come with the high res images?" Not only that, but this was typically the only product they were interested in. They figured if they had the images, they could create other products themselves.
But clients who have allocated over $4K for their wedding photography are a different type of client altogether. They are not nearly as interested in the digital images. Oftentimes when I mentioned that they can include them in their package, they looked at me like, "What would I do with those?" And it seems like the more money people have, the less interested they were in them. Instead, they want something custom, something hand-crafted and one-of-a-kind, something they couldn't create themselves. Over the starting budget of $4K, clients in my market wanted an album. It's their priority and they take it for granted that a custom album is the final end product that they will have to tell the story of their day once their experience with their photographer is brought to completion.
The budget at which this shift occurs in your market may be different than mine, but I guarantee it exists. If we are interested in meeting our clients' needs AND in targeting a specific market, it's important that we as professional photographers are aware of where this shift occurs in our own market and make adjustments based on it.
One of the adjustments I made when I raised my starting prices above $3K, was I replaced the high res images that I once included in all of my packages (because that's what my clients were wanting) with an album in every package. The album in my lowest package was a low-entry-point album that didn't cost me too much so I was able to keep it reasonably priced for my clients. In reformatting my packages, I still offered the high res images, but only included them in my middle and top packages. My packages were always customizable, so theoretically clients could still take the album out of the package and add the high res images. But I wanted to make sure I was presenting my packages in a way that would meet the majority of my clients' needs AND would show them what I think is most important. (As I mentioned in my last post -- clients will be more likely to prioritize the album for themselves if you are passionate about them and prioritize them on your website and in your initial client meetings.)
If one of your goals is to raise your prices, then doing albums well is going to be an integral part of making that transition -- because the high end bride wants an album. They want something beautiful and custom and one-of-a-kind. And they want it delivered with exceptional service. They want quality AND service. That's the ticket to their hearts and their referrals.
It sounds so simple, but while it might be "simple," it's far from EASY. There are SO MANY pitfalls and issues that can arise. But since offering quality albums with exceptional service is a key to reaching the high end bride, it's definitely worth the effort to overcome these obstacles.
In the coming weeks I will continue to share some tips for doing albums well and setting up your workflow for profitability and efficiency. Make sure to sign up here to receive emails about all of my album sales and workflow tips straight to your inbox! Stay tuned and join in the conversation in the comments below! I'd love to hear what has worked for you!
One of the adjustments I made when I raised my starting prices above $3K, was I replaced the high res images that I once included in all of my packages (because that's what my clients were wanting) with an album in every package. The album in my lowest package was a low-entry-point album that didn't cost me too much so I was able to keep it reasonably priced for my clients. In reformatting my packages, I still offered the high res images, but only included them in my middle and top packages. My packages were always customizable, so theoretically clients could still take the album out of the package and add the high res images. But I wanted to make sure I was presenting my packages in a way that would meet the majority of my clients' needs AND would show them what I think is most important. (As I mentioned in my last post -- clients will be more likely to prioritize the album for themselves if you are passionate about them and prioritize them on your website and in your initial client meetings.)
If one of your goals is to raise your prices, then doing albums well is going to be an integral part of making that transition -- because the high end bride wants an album. They want something beautiful and custom and one-of-a-kind. And they want it delivered with exceptional service. They want quality AND service. That's the ticket to their hearts and their referrals.
It sounds so simple, but while it might be "simple," it's far from EASY. There are SO MANY pitfalls and issues that can arise. But since offering quality albums with exceptional service is a key to reaching the high end bride, it's definitely worth the effort to overcome these obstacles.
In the coming weeks I will continue to share some tips for doing albums well and setting up your workflow for profitability and efficiency. Make sure to sign up here to receive emails about all of my album sales and workflow tips straight to your inbox! Stay tuned and join in the conversation in the comments below! I'd love to hear what has worked for you!
And exciting news! If you're a photographer who wants to start offering albums without investing hours of guesswork and trial and error -- we have a solution for you! Check out the Album Start-Up Kit and start maximizing your profit today!
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Blog post written by: Melissa Jill
Blog post written by: Melissa Jill
Charleston Destination Wedding Album Design for Niki Marie Photography
We've had the pleasure of working with nationally acclaimed luxury destination wedding photographer Niki Marie Photography for a decade on close to 50 wedding album designs. Niki's classic, timeless black and white portraiture makes her albums a stand-out! Her photography style is so well-suited for creating fabulous albums -- as you will see. Her drone images add so much interest and she does an amazing job of shooting a variety of images in each location -- allowing us to effortlessly pair her documentary work with stunning details and portraits.
This design was approved with no revisions from the client which is a huge win! They apparently loved how it turned out and we do too! We're so excited to share it with you today! Here are a few of our favorite spreads from this stunning design:
This design was approved with no revisions from the client which is a huge win! They apparently loved how it turned out and we do too! We're so excited to share it with you today! Here are a few of our favorite spreads from this stunning design:
To see the design in full, click through the slideshow:
Thank you, Niki, for trusting us with your beautiful images!
Thank you, Niki, for trusting us with your beautiful images!
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Design by: Rachel (View More) // Design style: Classic (View More) // Blog post written by: Melissa Jill
Design by: Rachel (View More) // Design style: Classic (View More) // Blog post written by: Melissa Jill
Sweet North Carolina Wedding Album Design for Sarah Sekaly Photography
We've been working with North Carolina wedding photographer Sarah Sekaly for 3 years now and we are so drawn to her and her warm, vibrant and playful photography style. This particular album design that we are excited to share with you today is full of emotion and playful moments -- from the bride and groom playing air hockey to gorgeous wooded portraits -- it clearly was such a special family-centric day!
Sarah gave us some lee-way in this design -- ordering "approximately 20 spreads" and the design ended up expanding to 22 spreads total in order to incorporate all of the clients' selected images. The design was finalized in less than one month with only one round of revisions and we were honored to print the couples' album in addition to designing it!
We love how this design turned out! Here are a few of our favorite spreads:
Sarah gave us some lee-way in this design -- ordering "approximately 20 spreads" and the design ended up expanding to 22 spreads total in order to incorporate all of the clients' selected images. The design was finalized in less than one month with only one round of revisions and we were honored to print the couples' album in addition to designing it!
We love how this design turned out! Here are a few of our favorite spreads:
To see the design in full, click through the slideshow:
Thank you, Sarah, for allowing us to work with your beautiful images!
Thank you, Sarah, for allowing us to work with your beautiful images!
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Design by: Shannon (View More) // Design style: Classic (View More) // Blog post written by: Melissa Jill
Design by: Shannon (View More) // Design style: Classic (View More) // Blog post written by: Melissa Jill
4 Tips for Getting Your Clients to Value Albums...and buy one
photo by Elizabeth Gelineau
How many of you wish you could sell more albums? Do you find it difficult to find clients who see the value of an album and are willing to pay the additional cost to include one in their package?
This has been a dilemma I've dealt with as a wedding photographer as well. What I've found is that if I don't value albums and prioritize them for my clients, they typically won't value them either. If you want to sell albums, you have to prioritize them. Here are a four tips for how to do so:
1 -- Share your passion for albums with your clients. Let them know that out of all of the products you offer, this is the one YOU most want them to have. After all, a wedding album should be a couple's first family heirloom. It is the one photography product that they can purchase that will stand the test of time. Long after prints are taken off the wall, children are grown, and grandchildren are running around, an album will be there to tell the story of their love for generations to come.
2 -- Include them in every package. Communicate through the structure of your pricing that the album is the #1 product your clients will want to have.
3 -- Create a space on your website to share your passion for albums. Here are some tips on how to create a space for on your website. I have done this for my own photography business, and you can view the album page on my website here for inspiration.
4 -- Talk about your passion for albums during your initial client meetings. You can do this in any number of ways. If you have a personal story about your wedding album or lack-there-of, or your parents' album, and how that experience has shaped how you value albums, these stories from personal experience can be very powerful. Or tell a story about one of your past clients and how their album has been a blessing to their marriage. And then don't pass up the opportunity to show your clients beautiful samples, allowing them to touch and experience each one while you share what you love about them. Click here for my other blog post about tips for introducing albums during your client meetings.
I believe in the value of a wedding album; I'm passionate about them. And my clients know it. They know it when they look at my website and read about albums. They know it when they see my package info. And they know it when we sit together looking through albums in their initial client meeting. They become excited about their wedding album, in part, because I'm excited about it.
And you know how I talked about the power of story above? This is my "why" story behind my passion for albums:
This is a photo I grabbed off of the Instagram feed of one of my past brides, Ashley. She and David were married in 2008 and now have three children. This is their youngest, Carson:
How many of you wish you could sell more albums? Do you find it difficult to find clients who see the value of an album and are willing to pay the additional cost to include one in their package?
This has been a dilemma I've dealt with as a wedding photographer as well. What I've found is that if I don't value albums and prioritize them for my clients, they typically won't value them either. If you want to sell albums, you have to prioritize them. Here are a four tips for how to do so:
1 -- Share your passion for albums with your clients. Let them know that out of all of the products you offer, this is the one YOU most want them to have. After all, a wedding album should be a couple's first family heirloom. It is the one photography product that they can purchase that will stand the test of time. Long after prints are taken off the wall, children are grown, and grandchildren are running around, an album will be there to tell the story of their love for generations to come.
2 -- Include them in every package. Communicate through the structure of your pricing that the album is the #1 product your clients will want to have.
3 -- Create a space on your website to share your passion for albums. Here are some tips on how to create a space for on your website. I have done this for my own photography business, and you can view the album page on my website here for inspiration.
4 -- Talk about your passion for albums during your initial client meetings. You can do this in any number of ways. If you have a personal story about your wedding album or lack-there-of, or your parents' album, and how that experience has shaped how you value albums, these stories from personal experience can be very powerful. Or tell a story about one of your past clients and how their album has been a blessing to their marriage. And then don't pass up the opportunity to show your clients beautiful samples, allowing them to touch and experience each one while you share what you love about them. Click here for my other blog post about tips for introducing albums during your client meetings.
I believe in the value of a wedding album; I'm passionate about them. And my clients know it. They know it when they look at my website and read about albums. They know it when they see my package info. And they know it when we sit together looking through albums in their initial client meeting. They become excited about their wedding album, in part, because I'm excited about it.
And you know how I talked about the power of story above? This is my "why" story behind my passion for albums:
This is a photo I grabbed off of the Instagram feed of one of my past brides, Ashley. She and David were married in 2008 and now have three children. This is their youngest, Carson:
A few years ago, Ashley and I were catching up and she told me a story about what their wedding album meant to their family. She told me that their daughter's "favorite book" is mommy and daddy's wedding album. She regularly asks them to "read" it to her -- to flip through the pages while she sits on their laps, and tell her all about the people in its pages. When they get to the page with mommy and daddy's first dance she always asks her dad if she can dance with him.
If that doesn't paint a picture of the importance of having a wedding album, I don't know what does.
I'm convinced in my heart that wedding albums are important. And every married couple should have one. Having this passion and communicating this passion to your clients is step one of selling more albums.
If you found this post helpful and would like to receive tips like this straight to your inbox, click here to sign up!
If that doesn't paint a picture of the importance of having a wedding album, I don't know what does.
I'm convinced in my heart that wedding albums are important. And every married couple should have one. Having this passion and communicating this passion to your clients is step one of selling more albums.
If you found this post helpful and would like to receive tips like this straight to your inbox, click here to sign up!
And exciting news! If you're a photographer who wants to start offering albums without investing hours of guesswork and trial and error -- we have a solution for you! Check out the Album Start-Up Kit and start maximizing your profit today!
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Blog post written by: Melissa Jill
Blog post written by: Melissa Jill
