Honeyfund Blog by Honeyfund.com, the free honeymoon registry - Wedding, honeymoon, and cash gift tips and etiquette

This entry is from our Expert Guest series where wedding and honeymoon professionals share their best tips on creating memories that last a lifetime.

If you’re a bride or groom on a budget or a couple who just wants to make sure the wedding funds are handled practically, you might be wondering if there’s any room to economize on things that come after the wedding, like honeymoons and wedding photo albums.

Since you’re on this website you already know that it’s absolutely possible to gift yourself a honeymoon and not break the bank with Honeyfund. But what about those little luxuries, like a wedding album? Oftentimes, photographers will offer a package that includes album creation, but this seemingly small add-on can add up to big bucks.

I recommend letting the photographer do her job (take amazing photos) while you save some cash to spend on your honeymoon. How, you ask? By designing your own cherished wedding photo album!

I can hear you now: “I’m not creative, I don’t know how, I’m too busy,” etc., etc. But I’m here to tell you that creating your own album is much easier than you think. And if you’re wondering why you should even create an album instead of just housing the photos on your computer, here’s why:

A Wedding Album Is A Permanent Record

Although nothing is totally permanent, paper tends to last longer than laptops and compact discs. Think about it: walkmans turned to discmans, VHS turned to DVDs an then Blu-ray, flip phones turned to smart phones, and the list goes on. But paper – paper never goes out of style. When you create a wedding album, you won’t have to worry about being able to access your photos. Your most precious ones will be right there between two gorgeous covers.

A Wedding Album Offers A Personal Experience

Just as reading a book on a tablet is different from reading a physical book, there’s something special about holding a wedding album and looking through the pages. Would you rather click through all your wedding photos on your laptop on your first anniversary or sit down, pop some champagne, and relive those precious moments in storybook style?

Plus, a wedding album gives you something to share with friends and family, and perhaps even grandchildren in the future! It’s hard to call a USB stick an heirloom, but a bound book that tells your love story through photos? Absolutely!

Creating A Wedding Photo Album

So now that you know why you should say yes to a wedding album, here’s what you need to know about creating one.

When you design your wedding album you get to choose how it should look based on your likes and style. The easiest and most affordable way to do this is to use an online album design software.

This kind of software allows you to choose the type of album you want (square, landscape, portrait) and the size (12×12, 10×10, 11×8.5, etc). It also gives you the freedom to choose the cover material, design, and paper style.

Wedding Album Cover and Paper Styles

For example, you could choose from the softcover and hardcover book styles. Softcover books are perfect if you are looking for something simple and inexpensive or as a giveaway to family and friends. The hardcover book is sturdier and looks professional and polished. A layflat album style is one of the best wedding album styles, as it offers panoramic displays of photos without any cuts or folds and has sturdy page options. The pages lay perfectly flat offering a stunning display of your wedding images. The flush mount album is a top of the line layflat wedding album offering very ridged page thickness and the best quality photographic papers.

Designing Your Photo Display

Creating your own wedding photo album means you get to design it however you want. Perhaps you’ll go for a clean, classic layout with white pages and no image overlays or use elegant patterns and art elements that can create a very unique look to your book.

Or maybe you’ll love the look of a modern layout with blended images and overlays. You could also choose different styles of backgrounds to match your photos to your wedding colors and/or theme.

It’s entirely up to you, and that’s the best part about creating your own wedding photo album. Sure, saving money is great (more for the honeymoon!), but it’ll also feel wonderful to have a unique keepsake to look back on and share with family. Display it on your coffee table, by your bedside, or bring it out on your first anniversary and relive the special moments all over again.

Bio: Founded by Carol Sejd, My Bridal Pix offers wedding photo books that you can create yourself ‘ using our software and template, By creating your own album, you can save money and while producing the custom album you really want. Check out your options at www.mybridalpix.com.

This entry is from our Expert Guest series where wedding and honeymoon professionals share their best tips on creating memories that last a lifetime.

Why Thursday Is The New Saturday

While to some, it may seem strange or even crazy to have a midweek wedding, many modern couples are finding the benefits outweigh the costs. These couples may be onto something: there are, in fact, many benefits to taking the path less traveled in terms of your wedding day, from major financial (SAVINGS) to being able to book your dream venue without having to wait two years for an open date, weekday weddings make sense.

And, with the increased popularity of lavish dessert bars brimming with macaron towers and geode cakes, multiple wedding dresses, and Instagramable flower arrangements, being able to budget other aspects of a wedding without compromising style can be incredibly helpful. To do this, couples are starting to look towards one of the newest wedding fads: a weekday wedding.

Choosing Your Day

With a whole new world of dates opened up, it may be overwhelming to figure out which weekday could work for you. While there are benefits to all of the choices (yes, even Mondays) it is important to figure out which one is right for you. Especially if you are planning on having a daytime affair with, perhaps, an exciting pre-party as opposed to a late-night reception,

Monday is a perfect day. Especially if you have guests that are traveling, this could make for a great long weekend event. And anyway, who doesn’t want an excuse to turn a typical Monday into a reason to celebrate?

For great deals and, dare I say, a built-n theme, Taco Tuesday is the day for you! Break up the dreaded work week slump with some festive music and Mexican fare in celebration of your love.

Entering the heart of the week is not a bad option either: who wouldn’t want to get married on Hump Day? From providing your guests with some much -needed relaxation as well as myriad puns to spruce up the festivities, why wouldn’t you make your special day a #weddingwednesday?

Thursday, on the other hand, comes with its own set of benefits. First of all, many people are willing to go out and celebrate on a Thursday night to begin with. With the end of the week in sight, you will probably find that your guests are a little more willing to stay late and let their hair down. A Thursday wedding can be a great kickoff of a weekend of excitement and fun. With great options for each day, takeaway is that there is no wrong day to celebrate your love.

Something To Consider

Before jumping on all these good deals, however, it is important to consider and come to terms with some the of the potential drawbacks of having your wedding midweek. One of the largest challenges is your guests. Will they be able to make it if they don’t live close? Will they have to come late or leave early? Although many people now work remotely from home or have nontraditional hours, it might be that some guests won’t have as much flexibility as they would on a weekend. That being said, if they can get some time off, a wedding would be a great excuse for a long weekend!

Benefits Galore

Beyond the deals you can score on your venue (up to 50% off!), you may also be able to snag great prices on things like hair and makeup, catering, and hotels. In addition, honeymoon costs like flights, resort rooms, and activities may be lower as well. With this added flexibility of wedding day, you can also find a fun or meaningful date to celebrate your anniversary on. Watch out, because with all the bonuses of a midweek wedding, this trend is sure to become a tradition.

Make your Vegas dreams a reality with a Honeyfund honeymoon registry.

Bio: Based in Newport Beach in Southern California, Wish Wonder Dream serves all of California, Great Britain, and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico with wedding planning and coordination services. Visit the website or call to set up a complimentary consultation.

Create Your Own Wedding Photo Album and Save Money