Welcome
You did it — your wedding day is now officially a collection of photographs hanging on a wall, playing back on a screen, and living inside an album design that's waiting for your touch. I hope the reveal felt as special as I intended it to.
Now comes the fun part. You have a week or two to sit with your gallery, revisit your favorites, and figure out exactly what you want your album to look like. This guide walks you through everything — how the proof works, what to look for, and how to share your thoughts with me before we reconnect. There are no wrong answers here, and no question is too small. I want this process to feel easy and exciting, not stressful.
What You Saw at the Reveal
Before we get into the how-to, here's a quick recap of the experience you just had and why it's set up the way it is.
Your printed images were hanging across the studio when you arrived — that was intentional. Seeing your photos printed for the first time is a completely different experience than seeing them on a screen, and that moment deserves to land before anything else happens.
The slideshow you watched was a curated, chronological collection of your best storytelling images from the day. It wasn't every photo — it was a selection chosen to move through your day the way it actually felt. You may have noticed that some of the photos in your album design weren't in the slideshow. That's by design. The album is its own thing.
Here's the most important thing to understand about the album you saw: it was intentionally designed with more. Starting with a full, rich layout gives us so much more to work with — it's always easier to shape a thoughtful design than to build from nothing. What you saw is a starting point, and where you take it from here is completely up to you. If you love everything you see, upgrades are always available and honestly pretty common.
Understanding Pages vs. Spreads
This is the piece that trips up almost everyone, and it's worth taking a moment to really understand it before you start reviewing your proof.
A spreadOne two-page layout — the two pages you see side by side when you open your album flat. When you view your proof online, each spread appears as a single wide image. It looks like one page, but it is actually two.
A pageOne side of that spread. Every spread contains two pages.
So if your contract says your album includes 20 pages, that means 10 spreads. If you're looking at your proof online and you see 18 layouts, that album has 18 spreads — or 36 pages total. That's a great problem to have, and it just means we get to decide together what feels right: trim it back, keep more of what you love, or somewhere in between.
If you'd like to expand your album beyond what's included in your package, additional spreads are available at $100 per spread. It's one of the most popular upgrades couples make — and honestly, once you see the full design, it's hard to leave anything out. It helps to remember what you're holding when it's done: your album is printed on fine art paper using archival, museum-quality inks, and bound by hand to last generations. Your contract has the details on what's included, and we'll talk through any additions at our follow-up.
How to Review Your Album Proof
Your album proof was sent to you in a separate email from me — check your inbox for that link if you haven't already. It's different from your main gallery link, so keep an eye out for it.
Open the email from me with your album proof link. It will take you directly to your album layout — no login or account needed.
Your album is presented as a series of spreads — each layout represents two facing pages. Scroll through from beginning to end to get a feel for how your album flows. Pay attention to the overall rhythm and story as much as you do the individual photos.
This is the most important part. When you see a photo you want to flag — whether you love it, want it swapped, or have a question — click directly on that photo in the proof. You can leave a note right there. This is how you communicate your feedback to me before we meet.
Examples of notes you might leave
"Can we include more photos from the first look?"
"I'd love a different photo of my dad here — one where he's smiling."
"We don't love this one — is there an alternative?"
"This is one of our absolute favorites. Please keep it."
There are no wrong notes. The more specific you are, the easier it is for me to come to our follow-up session with solutions already in hand. And good news — once you submit your notes, I'll get an email letting me know they're ready. No need to follow up with me separately, I'll see everything you leave.
What to Do Before We Reconnect
Here's your checklist for the week or two between now and your follow-up appointment.
Before you dive into the album proof, give yourself some time with your gallery. Look through it casually over a few days rather than all at once. The photos you keep coming back to are probably the ones that should be in your album.
Are there specific moments, people, or photos that absolutely have to be in the album? Make a mental note, or better yet, leave a note in the proof. These are your anchors — everything else gets built around them.
Go through the proof from start to finish and leave notes on any photo you have a thought about — don't edit yourself, more is always better. One tip: when referencing a specific photo, include the file name (it appears in the bottom corner of each image in your gallery). Something like "Can we swap DSC_1234 for a different moment here?" makes it much easier for me to find exactly what you're talking about.
Take a quick look at your contract to see what's included in your package, but don't feel like you need to stay within that number. Many couples end up adding spreads once they see how the album comes together — it's completely normal, and there's no pressure either way. Come to our follow-up with a sense of what feels right to you, and we'll figure it out together.
If you're both reviewing the album, try to do it together at least once. Albums tell a story, and that story belongs to both of you. It's easier to reconcile differing opinions in front of the proof than on the day of the meeting.
Our Follow-Up Appointment
When we reconnect — whether over Zoom or here at the studio — we'll go through the album proof together in real time. I'll have already reviewed your notes and will come to that session with suggestions, alternatives, and solutions wherever I can.
By the end of that appointment, your album should be fully finalized and ready to send to the printer. The goal is to leave that session feeling like the album is exactly right.
If you're joining via Zoom, have your proof open on your screen so we can look at it together. I'll walk through it on my end as well.
A Few Reminders
- The initial design is just the beginning What you saw at the reveal is a rich starting point — more than you might need, so you have plenty to work with. It will likely change before it goes to print, and that's exactly how it's supposed to work.
- Spreads ≠ pages Each spread is two pages. Check your contract if you're unsure how many you have, or just ask.
- Notes in the proof are your voice Leave them freely. There's no limit, and I read every single one before our follow-up.
- Upgrades are available More pages, a larger size, additional prints — all of it is on the table. Just ask.
- There's no rush on notes, but there is a deadline We'll set our follow-up in advance, so try to have your notes in before that day so I can come prepared.
Upgrade Your Album
Standard leather. Select your size and cover color — and if anything below catches your eye, just let me know at our follow-up.
Production & Delivery
Here's what to expect once your album is finalized and any upgrades are confirmed.
Once your album is finalized at our follow-up, I'll send an invoice for any upgrades — additional spreads, a size change, or blind debossing. Your album goes into production as soon as that invoice is fulfilled, so the sooner it's taken care of, the sooner we get the clock started.
Once your order is confirmed, your album heads to the printer. Production typically takes 2–3 weeks from the time payment is received. I'll keep you posted if anything changes on that timeline.
Every album ships to my studio first. Before it ever makes its way to you, I hand-inspect it — the binding, the color, the cover, all of it. Once it passes that check, I ship it directly to your door at no additional charge.
Questions?
Honestly, please reach out whenever something comes up. You don't need to save questions for the follow-up — I'm happy to answer anything along the way. Email is always the best way to get me, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
Your album is meant to feel like your day — warm, real, and completely yours. I can't wait to finish it with you.