Morgantown weddings often mix university-town energy with the quiet beauty of the surrounding Appalachian hills. Whether you married in a church downtown or at a farm outside the city, the photographs are only half finished until they are printed. Here is how to choose between an album and a magazine, and how to share them with family.
What the album gives you
An album is the complete version of your day. With up to 40 spreads, you can include the preparation, ceremony, family portraits and reception, with room for scenery and detail. Sizes run from 12x24 to 20x30 inches.
Lay-flat binding is worth considering for hillside views, because the pages open completely flat and images run across both sides without a break. Classic binding is the more economical option with the same designer and sizes.
If you choose a larger size, you give panoramic frames and group portraits more presence. A 20x30 album gives a panoramic frame the most room, and a 12x24 is easier to display and store. Both use the same designer and the same approval step.
What the magazine gives you
The wedding magazine is 20 pages at 8.5x11 inches, with an editorial layout and 15 original styles. It costs $70 and you preview every page before you order.
It tells a shorter, punchier story. That makes it good for friends, wedding party members and relatives who would enjoy it but may not need a heavy heirloom.
Magazines also work well as a thank-you. A page of the wedding party, a page of parents, and a page of the ceremony make a thoughtful gift that costs far less than a full album.
Choosing for your situation
If you are only buying one thing, buy the album. If you want to give many copies, choose the magazine. And if you have a large family and a long guest list, the combination of both is hard to beat.
Consider where it will live. A lay-flat album on a shelf is a keepsake for the long term, while a magazine on a table in a Morgantown apartment or farmhouse gets picked up regularly.
Budget is a legitimate factor. A 12x24 classic album starts at $240, and a magazine is $70. Some couples choose a magazine now and an album later, once the first wave of wedding expenses has passed.
How to pick photos you will love
Start by marking every photo that makes you feel something, then reduce. Look for variety: wide, medium and close; posed and candid; quiet and loud. Avoid a run of near-identical frames.
Give the people who traveled to be there a place in the story. A page with great-aunts and cousins is often the one relatives look at the longest.
Morgantown weddings often involve students, former classmates and relatives from other states. Make sure the friends who traveled farthest appear in the story, because they are usually the ones who ask to see it.
Gifts for parents and grandparents
A printed copy is a thoughtful gift, especially for relatives who rarely scroll through galleries. Order extra magazines and tuck in a handwritten note.
Standard delivery is $32 and arrives in 7 to 10 days, Express is $60 for 5 to 7 days, and Economy is $12 for 15 to 18 days. Folio Forever is a Florida-based studio that ships anywhere in the US, so it is simple to send copies straight to relatives.
Before you order, read through each page one more time for names, dates and anything else printed on a cover. Everything you approve is exactly what we print, so a quick proofread saves a reprint.
Questions
How many spreads can an album have?
Albums include 15 spreads and can be extended to 40. Extra spreads are $8 to $18 each depending on size and binding.
Can parents get their own copy?
Yes. You can order a second album or several magazines from the same photos and ship them directly to family.
What if I want help with the layout?
Smart Auto-Layout builds a draft for you, and an optional design-team polish hand-off is available for $99.
Planning an album from your Morgantown photos? Design it online; you approve every page before it prints. See wedding album sizes and prices or the 20-page wedding magazine.