Whether it’s an album sharing the story of your best day ever or a collection of your annual family photos, albums are an important piece of your family’s legacy.

We have albums from important life moments spread throughout our home – on bookshelves, displayed on the coffee table, etc. When we have guests over our heirloom photo albums instantly become a conversation piece and we love flipping through them often.

Albums are an investment. They’re meant to last a lifetime after all. So we wanted to go over some basics, because they’re not just your average Shutterfly or Artifact Uprising flip book. We’re sharing a couple common questions we get about our heirloom photo albums.

Q: How thick is the paper and cover, and how long is it meant to last?

Our albums include a lay-flat binding with tight creases and no gutter, and the pages have a lustre finish. They’re made from all archival materials, so they can be passed down from generation to generation. Store bought albums will warp and the pages will yellow and bend over time. Because ours are handmade in a professional printing lab from museum quality materials, they are made to last a lifetime.

Q: What cover options do I get to pick from?

We have a selection of leather, linen, and velvet cover materials, along with custom designs for the cover art. We work with our clients to help pick the style that fits them best. This is possibly the most fun part of the process, too! We love helping our clients create a custom logo and pick materials that reflect their wedding and home.

Q: How are the layouts and photos chosen for inside the album?

We let our clients pick out their favorites for their album. We will add images if needed for the best possible design. I custom design layouts with my design software. This is one of my favorite parts because I love getting to lay the photos out in a way that tells a story. I send over proofs before anything goes to print to make sure clients love their designs, too!

Q: How many images go in an album?

For our heirloom wedding album, usually around 40-50 images can go in. Less is more in this case. We realize there are hundreds of photos for our clients to choose from, but for prettier and more simple layout designs, we encourage clients to pick their top favorites. The less images there are, the bigger they can be shown on the pages. For family albums, clients get to select 30 favorites for an album. More images and spreads can always be added!

In addition to our heirloom family and wedding albums, we offer parent albums, matted albums, and mini bridal and boudoir albums. Albums are truly a beautiful keepsake piece to take away from your wedding or session! What questions do you have about heirloom photo albums?

Erin Fox Photo is a husband and wife photography team based in Nashville, Tennessee photographing weddings and engagements. Available for travel in Middle Tennessee and beyond.