The short answer
A wedding album costs what your photographer’s quote or price list sets for the size, spreads, cover and design, plus any extra spreads, parent albums, shipping and tax, so there is no single price to rely on. Read whether an album is included or offered as a credit, whether print credits expire, and whether the prices hold until you order.
Is the album included in the package or a credit?
Read the package description closely. "Includes a 10x10 album with 15 spreads" describes a specific product. "Includes a $500 album credit" is an amount you apply toward a product chosen later from a price list. "Album available" or "album options" may mean nothing is included at all. Copy the exact wording and note which of the three your package contains.
Check the size, the number of spreads or pages, the cover options included, and whether design is part of the price. A spread is two facing pages; some price lists count spreads and others count pages, so confirm which your quote uses before comparing two photographers. If one quote says 15 spreads and another says 30 pages, they may describe the same album.
- Album included, a credit, or not included
- Size and number of spreads or pages
- Cover options included
- Design and revisions included
- Price for each extra spread
How much do extra spreads and parent albums add?
Build the price from the list rather than from memory. For example, suppose a hypothetical price list shows an album at $1,200 with 15 spreads, extra spreads at $60 each, and a smaller parent album at $450. If you want 20 spreads, that is 5 extra x $60 = $300. Two parent albums add 2 x $450 = $900. The total is $1,200 + $300 + $900 = $2,400, before shipping and any sales tax.
Ask whether parent albums must match the main album’s layout or can be shorter, and whether a cover upgrade on the main album is charged again on each copy. Ask whether the extra spread price changes if you add spreads after the design proof rather than before. Put each line in your worksheet so the invoice can be checked against it.
How much does it cost to print wedding photos?
The cost to print wedding photos depends on whether you order from the photographer’s price list, use a print credit, or print elsewhere. A print credit is an amount you spend through the photographer’s gallery or lab. Check whether it expires, whether it covers shipping and tax, whether it can be used toward an album, and what happens to unused credit. For example, with a hypothetical $300 print credit and an order of $420, you would pay $420 - $300 = $120, plus any shipping and tax the order adds.
If you plan to print images elsewhere, check the usage wording in the contract for what printing is permitted and whether a print release is needed. The photographer can confirm in writing what the contract allows; for what it means in law, rules vary by state and a qualified attorney licensed in your state can help.
Is there a deadline to order or approve the album?
Look for three dates, each set by your contract rather than a general rule: when you must choose images for the album, how long you have to review a design proof and request changes, and when unused credit or an album offer expires. Some contracts say the album is forfeited or the price changes if you do not order by a certain date.
Work out each date from your own delivery date. For example, if a hypothetical contract gives you 60 days from gallery delivery to choose album images and the gallery arrives on January 9 in a year when February has 28 days, the selection is due by March 10. Put that date on your calendar alongside your final payment dates.
- Image selection deadline
- Number of design revision rounds
- Proof approval period
- Credit or album offer expiry
- Production and delivery time after approval
Can album prices change between booking and ordering?
An album is ordered after the wedding, and the gap between signing and ordering can be long. Check whether the contract fixes the album prices you were quoted or refers to a price list "in effect at the time of order." If it refers to a later price list, ask whether the quoted prices will be honored until a stated date, and have the answer written into the contract or an addendum.
Ask the same about shipping. A quote may say shipping is included, charged at cost, or charged at a flat rate per item. Whether sales tax applies to albums, prints or shipping depends on your state and how the charge is described, so ask the photographer to show tax as its own line.
When do you pay for the album and prints?
Some contracts include the album in the package payments; others invoice extras when you order. Record when each payment is due, whether the album goes into production before the balance is paid, and what the invoice will list. When the invoice arrives, compare the album size, spread count, cover, parent albums and credit applied with your worksheet before you pay.
Album and print order worksheet
Use one row for a decision or deliverable. Keep unanswered items visible. Download the blank worksheet to open in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets.
On a small screen, swipe the worksheet sideways to see the remaining columns.
| Item | Included in package | Extra price from the list | Quantity | Line total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main album, base spreads | — | — | — | — |
| Extra spreads | — | — | — | — |
| Cover upgrade | — | — | — | — |
| Parent or duplicate albums | — | — | — | — |
| Prints or wall art | — | — | — | — |
| Print or album credit applied | — | — | — | — |
| Shipping | — | — | — | — |
| Sales tax, if shown | — | — | — | — |
A message you can make your own
Change the wording to suit you, fill in anything in brackets and keep the questions that apply. You decide what to send and send it yourself.
We are reviewing the album and print options in our quote and want to be sure we understand the pricing. Is the album in our package a specific product or a credit toward one, and how many spreads does it include? What does each extra spread, a cover upgrade and a parent album cost? Could you also confirm whether these prices hold until we order, the deadline to choose images, how many design revisions are included, and how shipping and tax are shown? Thank you.
Common questions
Is a wedding album worth adding to the photography package?
Whether a wedding album is worth adding to the photography package is your choice, and a priced list makes it easier. Price the album you would want from the list, including extras and parent albums, and compare it with ordering later. Note whether the quoted prices are fixed, since a later order may use a newer price list.
Is album pricing per page, per spread or per sheet?
Album pricing may be per page, per spread or per sheet, depending on the price list. A spread is two facing pages, so 15 spreads and 30 pages may describe the same book. Confirm which unit your quote uses before comparing two photographers, and ask which unit the extra-page price uses as well.
Do wedding print credits expire?
Wedding print credits may carry an expiry date set by the contract, and they may or may not cover shipping, tax or albums. Check the wording, record the date on your calendar, and ask whether any unused amount is lost when it expires or can be applied to something else.
Can you design the wedding album yourself to lower the price?
Designing the wedding album yourself is something to ask the photographer about. Some offer a lower price if you choose the images and layout, while others include design in the album price. Ask how many revision rounds the lower price includes, what the deadline is, and get any change in writing.
Can you print a wedding album somewhere else?
Printing a wedding album somewhere other than the photographer depends on the usage wording in your contract, which may say what printing is permitted and whether a print release is needed. Ask the photographer to confirm in writing what the contract allows. For what it means in law, rules vary by state, so ask a qualified attorney licensed in your state.
How long does a wedding album take after you order?
The time a wedding album takes after you order is set by the contract and the steps it lists: choosing images, reviewing the design proof, making revisions and production after approval. Ask the photographer for each step in writing, then work out the likely delivery date from your own order date.
What if the wedding album arrives with a mistake?
A wedding album that arrives with a mistake should be compared with the proof you approved. Then write to the photographer with photos of the problem and a copy of the approved proof. The contract may describe how corrections or reprints are handled, and who pays for them if the error was in production.