If you were married in Naperville, you probably have a gallery that spans a church or garden ceremony, a Riverwalk portrait session and a big reception with family from across Illinois. Here is how to turn it into the right keepsake.
Two keepsakes, two jobs
A wedding album and a wedding magazine do different work. The album is the full, formal record of the day, with generous spreads and room for dozens of photographs. The magazine is a shorter, editorial telling of the story, built to be read in one sitting and shared.
Neither one is a lesser choice. If you are asking which belongs on your coffee table for the next thirty years, it is the album. If you are asking what to send to the cousins in another state, it is the magazine. Many couples find the answer is both.
What an album looks like in practice
Folio Forever albums are 12×24, 16×24, 15×30 or 20×30 inches, in classic book or lay-flat binding. Each includes 15 spreads and a photo cover, with up to 40 spreads in total. Leather covers add $25 and acrylic adds $39, and prices start at $240.
Lay-flat binding opens the pages completely flat, so photographs can run across both pages. That is especially useful for a group photo of the whole family or a reception hall shot where the details span a wide frame. Classic binding is a good fit when most of your images are single portraits.
What a magazine looks like in practice
The wedding magazine is 20 pages, 8.5×11 inches, with editorial layouts and a choice of 15 original styles. It is $70, and you preview every page before it prints. It reads like a feature story, with a cover, a few full-page images and curated groupings.
Because it costs less and ships easily, the magazine is a natural gift. Parents often want a copy to share with neighbors and friends, and siblings like having one for their own shelf. You can design a single version and order as many as you need.
Selecting the photos that deserve a page
Open your gallery and mark every photograph that makes you feel something. Then edit hard. Remove near-duplicates, test shots and frames where a guest blinked at the wrong moment. Keep the ones where the emotion is plain: a parent's expression, a first dance, a joke during the toast.
Give your story a shape. Open with the setting, move through the ceremony, then the portraits, then the party. The designer builds the spreads automatically, and you can rearrange as you like. Step away for a day and return to catch anything that feels out of order.
Making the book feel like your wedding
Suburban weddings often involve large guest lists and many family branches. Use the book to honor that. Include a group portrait for each side of the family, add a page of friends and colleagues, and take care to show the people who helped plan the day. These pages are rarely the most glamorous, but they are the ones relatives look for first.
Pick a cover photograph with warmth over perfection. A candid laugh or a quiet moment between the two of you will outlast a stiff pose. If you add a leather cover for $25 or an acrylic one for $39, the photograph inside the cover matters even more, since it is the first thing a visitor sees.
Gifting to parents and grandparents
A second album for parents is among the most appreciated gifts a couple can give, especially with a handwritten note on the first page. Grandparents often prefer something large and easy to hold, with a clear sequence of faces they know.
We ship from Florida to Illinois with tracking, and you can send directly to a relative's address. Standard delivery is $32, Express is $60 and Economy is $12. If an album arrives with a print or binding defect, is damaged in transit or does not match the proof you approved, tell us within 14 days and we will reprint it free or refund it in full. The refunds page has the full terms, and the FAQ covers common questions.
Questions
Is the magazine a replacement for an album?
No. The magazine is a shorter, shareable story at 20 pages, while the album is a larger record of the whole day. Many couples choose both.
How many photos fit in an album?
Prices include 15 spreads, and you can add more, up to 40 spreads. The number of photos per spread depends on your layout.
Can I ship an order to a relative?
Yes. We ship anywhere in the US with tracking, so you can have a copy sent directly to a parent or grandparent.
Planning an album from your Naperville photos? Design it online; you approve every page before it prints. See wedding album sizes and prices or the 20-page wedding magazine.