What's the difference between a wedding photo album and a wedding photo book?
The main difference between a wedding photo album and a wedding photo book lies in their construction: albums use thick, mounted pages with individual photo prints, while photo books are digitally printed onto paper pages, making them lighter and more affordable.
Comparing Construction and Materials
Wedding photo albums are traditionally crafted with rigid pages where each photograph is separately printed, then mounted. The pages are typically thick and made to last, often using acid-free materials to preserve image quality. Binding is usually robust, allowing albums to endure years of handling.
In contrast, wedding photo books use digital printing to place images directly onto thinner, paper pages—commonly using high-quality matte or glossy finishes. Photo books are bound similarly to regular books, resulting in a product that is lighter and more flexible but may not be as durable as a traditional album.
Design and Personalisation Options
Photo albums often offer more tactile customisation, such as inset covers, textured leathers, or fabric finishes. Albums tend to provide fewer layout flexibility options per page, as the physical prints must be arranged beforehand. This method is suited for those seeking a classic, archival presentation of select, high-impact photographs.
Wedding photo books support a wider range of creative layouts, backgrounds, and captions as part of the digital design process. Many services, including Artifact Uprising, allow for hundreds of images to be included, multiple template choices, and personal messaging. This makes photo books popular for storytelling and larger image collections.
Cost, Longevity, and Use Cases
Albums are typically more expensive, with premium materials contributing to a higher price point—often over £200 depending on size and custom features. Their sturdy construction makes them a preferred heirloom or presentation for key family members. Photo books, meanwhile, are more cost-effective, usually ranging from £30–£100, making them suitable as gifts to friends or additional copies.
Both options preserve memories, but the wedding photo album is ideal for archival quality and tradition, while the wedding photo book is optimal for accessibility, visual variety, and budget considerations.