To celebrate our ten-year wedding anniversary, we enjoyed a wonderful summer vacation on Martha’s Vineyard. But I also wanted to create a special, tangible gift for Fatima—something that captured the essence of our journey together. We have a gallery wall and photos scattered around the house, but we lacked a comprehensive photo album. So, I decided to design a personalized anniversary photo album documenting the past decade, our travels, and our growing family. I turned to my trusted printing service, mpix, to bring this vision to life.
Designing Our Decade-in-Review Photo Album
Before diving into the design process, I reflected on all the significant moments and milestones we’d experienced over the last ten years. I envisioned the photo album as a chronological journey, starting with select photos from our wedding and culminating with our recent Martha’s Vineyard family vacation (I needed to order the book well in advance of our anniversary!).
I initially underestimated just how much we’d packed into a decade. I quickly maxed out the 100-page limit and realized I needed to be much more selective with my photo choices.
Choosing the Perfect Photos for a Meaningful Anniversary Photo Album
Fatima has always expressed a desire to display more of my travel photography. She even started a tradition of hanging one photo from each trip on our wall. I used this as my guiding principle when selecting photos for the album. With the exception of our wedding photos, all the images in the book are ones I took. Starting with our 2014 wedding, I worked my way through the years. Even though I was already culling photos, the selection process was still challenging! I prioritized photos not already on display and chose images that truly captured the feeling of each trip and event.
My Photo Album Design Process with mpix
I exported all the selected photos to a dedicated folder on my desktop and then uploaded them to a new project folder on mpix. I began laying out the pages, grouping photos by event, moment, or destination. I used two-page spreads to create visual breaks between different sections, which helped me establish a consistent design template throughout the book.
About two years from the end of the timeline, I hit a major roadblock: I RAN OUT OF SPACE! I had hoped to dump all the photos in first and then refine the layout, but I had to become even more selective. I went back through the book and streamlined each section, ultimately using only 2-4 pages for each event. After some more tweaking and adjusting the placement of photos, I finally had a completed design that told the story I wanted to share.
Finding the Right Photo Album Style and Size
I initially envisioned a hardcover photo album, but after filling 100 pages, the price exceeded my budget. Thankfully, mpix displays the price prominently at the top of the design interface, updating it as you add or remove pages. This allowed me to experiment with different options. I discovered that changing the book style and size affected the cropping and placement of some photos, so I made sure to carefully review everything after each adjustment. I ultimately opted for a 10×10 softcover photo album, and I’m so glad I did!
The Beauty of a Printed Photo Album: A Tangible Keepsake
The softcover album is absolutely gorgeous. One hundred pages feels substantial and impressive in person. The photo quality is vibrant, showcasing the high standard I’ve come to expect from mpix over the past decade.
My aunt Jean has an extensive collection of photo albums, documenting nearly every year of her life. My cousins and I love looking through them whenever we visit. I aspire to create a similar legacy and print a photo album every year. mpix offers so many beautiful options, including hand-wrapped leather books, that I’d love to use for a future series. One day, I’ll get more organized!
Creating Your Own Keepsake Photo Album: Tips and Inspiration
Creating a photo album is a wonderful way to preserve memories and create a cherished keepsake. Here are some tips to get you started:
- Choose a theme or focus: A specific event, a year in review, or a collection of travel photos.
- Select your best photos: Don’t feel obligated to include everything. Focus on quality over quantity.
- Tell a story: Arrange your photos in a way that creates a narrative.
- Choose the right size and style: Consider your budget and the overall aesthetic you want to achieve.
- Use a high-quality printing service: Like mpix, to ensure your photos look their best.
Have you created a photo album recently? What are your favorite tips for designing a meaningful keepsake? Share your experiences in the comments below!
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