Photo Album Advice: Should I Buy a Wedding Album for my Parents?

Post Created: 29.03.2021 - Posted in Advice

A wedding album is often listed as a great gift for our parents. Either at the wedding or on days such as mothers day. And, indeed, parents often want photos of us.

I’m sure we all have seen photos from when we were growing up. Walking through the gates on our first day at school. Posing with sandcastles on holiday. Buried in gifts at Christmas. These all end up in an album somewhere. Deep in a cupboard or the attic. Ready to be pulled out to embarrass you in front of guests. But do your parents actually want an album of your wedding photos?

What to consider?

To decide whether or not your parents will want a wedding album you need to consider a few things.

First is what kind of images did you get from the shoot. If the images are very intimate and loving between you and your partner then those images are probably best kept as memories for the two of you. For parents, you’re going to want lighthearted, happy photos. The sort that suggests you’ve never been intimate with one another. Parents do still see you as their children after all.

What are the photos of?

So now you have appropriate images. What are they of? No one wants an album full of pictures of the same thing over and over again. Even if they are beautiful photos. If it’s all pictures of the couple. Or if it was a very small or short ceremony meaning there wasn’t much opportunity for photographs. Then don’t bother with a full album. Send them a few key images either as prints or digitally for them to print themselves.

When is buying an album the best choice?

Alternatively, buy a nice frame and get a really special photo printed for them to display at home. For larger ceremonies or just eventful ones. There will typically be more photos. And more moments parents won’t want to forget. If you’ve got loads of important images that are going to be treasured then buying a nice, well-made album to display them in makes a great gift. Fair more personalized than simply emailing over the photos. It will become treasured and looked after. You may well end up inheriting it one day yourself.

The Parents

Not all parents are alike. What one loves another may hate. So it’s important to take into consideration their individual tastes. This is why second on the list is your parents. If the parent in question has shelves of albums that they treasure. Are the type to pull out photos at any moment. And is constantly snapping shots of everything the family does. Then getting them an album is a no-brainer. They’d probably be offended if you didn’t get them one. But if they have a minimalist house with a single-family photo on the wall. Well, we doubt they’d appreciate the clutter. Send digital copies over to picky parents to print themselves.

How about cloud storage

Many people love having all their photos in one place. Be it adding them to an online cloud or a hard drive. Or sticking them into a pre-existing album full of moments from their life. If you’ve got a parent like this then a new album will simply gather dust until it’s been long enough for it to disappear. And those images magically end up in your parents’ preferred album of choice.

Framed Photos & Print Options

Some people enjoy framed photos. For these parents a high-quality, larger print of one important moment is perfect. Or one or two smaller frames if they have a photo wall for example. Make sure the frame is something that will fit in with their decor and taste. Not yours. At the end of the day, it’s got to go in their house, A frame they don’t like is a great way to get your photo shoved in a draw gathering dust. If your parent is the type to immediately jump onto new tech and has all their old photos scanned into their laptop. Then completely avoid any sort of physical copy. Send them as many photos as you can digitally and let them select the ones to add to their collection.

The Cost

Buying a nice, gift-worthy photo album is not cheap. Especially if you’ve got picky parents. Therefore, last on the list is cost. The cost will be affected by many things. Mainly the quality and design of the album itself. If you don’t want to, or can’t afford to, spend the money on the perfect album then it’s probably best to leave it entirely. Or wait until the funds are available to you.

Is the cost worth it?

A cheap, flimsy album is just going to get ruined over time, and eventually, your parents will be asking for new copies. Since the original album is falling apart. Another thing to consider is if the cost is worth it. How much enjoyment will they actually get from the album? No parent will refuse a gift from their child but would they rather you have spent that money on something else? Is there something they’ve expressly asked for on their birthday? Or something you’ve caught them eyeing up over and over again? These may be better gifts in the long run.

Remember to consider the costs of multiple copies

The final thing to take into account is how many albums will you actually need to buy. Typically, two parents who live together would only want one album between them. But if they’re separated they may both want one. Then you’ve got your partner’s parents as well. Two sets of separated, sentimental parents could mean four individual albums. In this situation opt for other ways of sharing images. Or, if you’re set on an album, get mini albums created. Smaller images, fewer materials, and therefore lower costs. These little A5 or even A6 albums can serve as perfect little gifts or even stocking stuffers on Christmas.

So there you have all the things you should consider when trying to answer the question. Should I buy a wedding album for my parents? Regardless of whether your parents get one or not, an album is a great way to save that special day for you and your partner so make sure to get at least one made up after the wedding.