Are You Treating Wedding Albums as an Afterthought? It’s Time to Change That

Are You Treating Wedding Albums as an Afterthought?

Are You Treating Wedding Albums as an Afterthought? It’s Time to Change That.

Let’s talk about wedding albums.

Not as a vague add-on. Not as something couples might opt for if they remember to. But as the true final product. The thing that gives your work permanence and lives on beyond a gallery link and an Instagram post.

I’ve been in this industry for 25 years, and I’ve watched albums go from being an absolute given to something many photographers don’t even push anymore. And I get it, when digital files became the standard, albums slipped into the background. Some photographers stopped offering them altogether. Others left it entirely in the hands of their couples to order one if they got around to it.

But let’s be honest: how many couples actually get around to it?

A wedding album isn’t just an extra, it’s the physical representation of your work. And if you’re not already making albums part of your process, you might want to rethink that. Because I know photographers making £50k+ a year just from album sales. It’s an untapped revenue stream for so many people and more importantly, it’s the way your work deserves to be presented.

And the good news? There’s a simple shift that can make all the difference.

The Power of a ‘Gallery Review’ Call

The biggest game-changer for me when it comes to album sales? The Gallery Review Call.

I teach this process in my class Sell More Albums and Products – Barn Live because it’s honestly the key to making albums a natural part of the process rather than a hard sell.

Here’s the reality:

Most couples don’t order an album because they don’t know where to start. They’re overwhelmed with hundreds of images, they’re busy, and they assume they’ll “get around to it” later. But later never comes.

That’s where the Gallery Review Call changes everything.

Instead of just sending off the gallery link and hoping they’ll want an album, I schedule a call with them. We go through their photos together, talk about which images tell their story best, and get them excited about creating something tangible.

By the end of the call, they’re not just vaguely considering an album, they’re already invested in it.

And that’s why it works.

A cool collection of booking and wedding albums.

Delivering an Album in Person: A Case Study

Last week, I hand-delivered an album to a client who is also a friend. And let me tell you, this experience completely reinforced why albums should be the final step in every photographer’s process.

I was much more involved in the design than usual, using Folio Album’s free design service but then sitting with her, laptop open, refining the layout together.

And thank goodness I did.

Because when we went through the design, she realised she’d completely forgotten to include certain family members in the reception photos. If she’d designed it herself months down the line, she wouldn’t have caught that until it was too late. We tweaked, balanced the mix of colour and black and white spreads, and shaped something that felt complete.

Then we got to the cover. And honestly, this is where I often feel uninspired.

For something that’s supposed to be bespoke, why are we standardising the covers?

Tiny name + date in the centre? It feels so predictable. So templated.

So I asked Folio if they could do a completely bespoke cover, something that felt modern and impactful.

When I finally held the finished album in my hands, I was genuinely excited. And when I handed it over to my client, her reaction said it all.

She loved it so much that she’s planning a party just to invite people over and show them the album.

That’s how much albums matter.

That’s the difference between a gallery link and a tangible experience. even snippets of my personal life has helped me connect with the right people.”

John Dolan’s Approach to Albums Is Genius

If you want to see someone who is absolutely owning the wedding album game, look at NYC photographer, John Dolan.

He’s been a wedding photographer for decades and is widely regarded as one of the best in the business. And what does he do with albums?

He makes them part of the experience.

Dolan produces his albums in-house and hand-delivers them to his clients, even flying internationally just to put the album in their hands.

I was lucky enough to see one of his albums before he delivered it to a client in London, and two things blew me away:

1️⃣ It was massive. One image per page, full bleed. No cramming. Just impact.
2️⃣ The cover was bright pink. And he chose it, not the couple. It looked absolutely incredible.

He takes the lead. He doesn’t just ask, “Would you like an album?” He creates something so powerful and so meaningful that couples can’t imagine not having it.

And that’s exactly the mindset we need to get back to.

How to Sell More Albums (Without Feeling Salesy)

If albums have become an afterthought in your business, here’s how to fix that:

1. Show Them Off

You can’t sell albums if your clients don’t see them.

Post them on Instagram & TikTok (people LOVE seeing the album reveal).
Feature albums front and centre on your website.
Bring a sample album to every consultation or Zoom call, yes hold them up if you have to!

2. Stop Making Them Optional

Instead of treating albums as an add-on, build them into your packages.

Offer an album consultation as part of your service.
Include a base-level album in every package and let couples upgrade if they want to.
Talk about albums as the final step in their photography journey – not an extra they can ‘maybe’ add later.

3. Take the Lead on Design

Couples are often overwhelmed by too many choices.

Guide them through the image selection process.
Push your album supplier for bespoke cover options (let’s move beyond name + date!).
Give them a curated design experience rather than just handing them a link.

4. Implement a ‘Gallery Review’ Call

This is the secret weapon to increasing album sales.

In Sell More Albums and Products – Barn Live, I show you exactly how to run a Gallery Review Call, how to structure the conversation, and how to guide clients toward investing in an album – without ever feeling pushy.

The Final Thought

Wedding albums aren’t just an upsell. They are the final product. The most complete version of our work. The version that doesn’t rely on a screen.

If you’re ready to bring albums back into your business, start with a Gallery Review Call – and if you want my full process for making it effortless, this class walks you through exactly how to do it.

Are albums a key part of your process? Or have they faded into the background?