How to Pick Photos for Your Wedding Album (Expert Guide)
Sitting comfortably? Have a glass of wine or a cup of tea handy? Great stuff, this is a longer read but a good one. I think some great advice for current couples and couples who are still in the planning stages.
Do I have to design my own album?
Let me start by saying this: you are not expected to know how to design a wedding album. That’s my job.
I’ve explained this process hundreds of times over email, WhatsApp, and Messenger, so it made sense to finally put it all in one place — with examples — so you can enjoy choosing your album images instead of dreading it.
One thing I’ve learned over the years is this: the longer you leave choosing your album photos, the harder it becomes for you. When you’re still buzzing from the wedding, everything feels easier. Months later, it suddenly feels impossible. It’s just procrastination — sometimes the easiest tasks feel like a mission the longer you leave them.
So my first piece of advice is simple:
👉 Choose your album photos while the buzz is still on.
How many photos should I choose for my wedding album?
First things first - think in stories, not photos. From your wedding, you might receive 1,000+ images. Trying to pick your favourites by scrolling and overthinking every photo is a fast route to madness.
Instead, I design albums using pages and stories.
Each album spread is two pages facing each other — I call that a story.
A 30-page album = 15 stories
A 40-page album = 20 stories
Once you think in stories, the whole process becomes much easier.
📸 A really bad sketch of what your album looks like on a coffee table. (Open album with left and right page. 2 pages in total.)
Throughout this blog, I’ve included lot’s of examples of album design stories. It might be a bit odd looking at them as they are digital versions. Imagine looking down at the open album on a table with a left page and a right page with a subtle spine in the middle.
How a Northern Ireland wedding day flows and how it translates to your album
This isn’t a rulebook — it’s a guide. Every wedding is different, and I’ll help tailor this to yours.
Wedding Story 0 – Optional wedding details page
I just like throwing a spanner in the works, don’t I? Most albums begin with the preps of the bride or groom but I love adding a details page. I take a macro photograph of the engagement ring inside the bouquet of flowers and I like to pair it with a picture of your invitation. Totally not necessary but it’s a great way to begin the album. Get me in a good mood (when am I not!?) and I’ll probably throw this story into your album for free as I think it’s a nice bonus.
📸 An example story of the details pages from Jenny & Eamon’s gorgeous Redcastle wedding. (Open album with left and right page.)
Wedding Story 1 – Groom prep
Bad news, fellas… from all those great photos, you’re probably getting about six images of yourself in the album. That’s just how it goes sometimes. We all know it’s your day as well but it’s all about the bride.
In addition to the example below, you can choose to have this part of the morning completely different. Some fellas would rather their part of the day be told in a more documentary style with little or no posed getting ready shots. Sometimes, parents are involved as well. It’s all up to you and what you want from your day. You can add more stories for groom prep (and some couples do), just know this is out of the norm and usually means extra pages at an additional cost.
Wedding Albums Northern Ireland
📸 An example story of groom preps from Aideen & Lee’s beautiful Castle Leslie wedding..
Wedding Stories 2 & 3 – Bride prep
This is where things get busy: PJs, champagne, hair, makeup, details, nerves, laughter and sometimes a few tears.
Some couples love seeing lots of prep photos in their album. Some prefer less. There’s no right or wrong — just remember that more prep stories means fewer stories later in the day, or more extra expense.
What if I can’t decide between photos?
📸 An example story of bride preps from Orlagh & Jordan’s gorgeous Lough Erne wedding..
📸 An example story of bride preps from Catherine’s Roe Valley Resort wedding.
📸 An example story of bride preps from Orlagh & Jordan’s gorgeous Lough Erne wedding..
Wedding Story 4 – Getting into the dress
A full story just for this moment. It’s always worth it. These are beautiful moments to have in your album. (This is usually the point where the groom is scratching his head thinking, how come my photos didn’t make the cut? The truth is, no matter how nice the groom photos are, the bride photos will always take up more space in the album.)
Wedding Story 5 – First look & family at home
First looks, hugs, and a few family photos before heading to the ceremony.
At this point, for this example, we’re already at 10 pages or 5 stories, which is completely normal. Your own album might be more or less at this point. If you are at this point and in the middle of choosing your photos for your album and you are with lots more stories, it might be time to rethink and cut it back a bit.
📸 An example story of a first look from Emma & Davog’s stunning Redcastle wedding.
📸 An example story of a first look from Rikita & Jordan’s beautiful Redcastle Hotel wedding.
Wedding Album Advice Northern Ireland
Wedding Story 6 – Groom at the ceremony
The groom, all suited and booted, with family and guests arriving. A great part of the day to remember. It’s also the last chance for the groom to make a runner. Don’t worry, brides — I’m there to make sure he goes nowhere 🙂 Some couples like to include family photos with the groom at this point too or include some of the guests arriving.
📸 An example story of the groom before the ceremony from Sarah-Marie & Adam’s big day. 📍St. Mary's Church, Limavady
Wedding Story 7 – Bride’s arrival
Car window shots, stepping out, the walk to the ceremony — all fantastic moments. There will be loads more images living in your digital files. The best ones go into this story.
📸 An example story of the bride’s arrival from Aimee & Paul’s gorgeous Lusty Beg wedding. 📍St. Mary's Church, Altinure, Park
Wedding Story 8 – Walking down the aisle
This story is always different. Some couples like to include the bridesmaids. Some go with just the bride and her daddy. I think less is more but most couples go for something like below.
📸 An example story of the bride walking down the aisle from Tylor & Jamie’s beautiful Killyhevlin wedding. 📍St. Patrick’s Church, Claudy, County Derry
Wedding Story 9 – Ceremony & vows
The emotion, the reactions, and the moments you didn’t even realise were happening. This story usually includes shots of your speakers, bridal party, and important family members. If you have children at your wedding, be prepared for them to steal the show with a candid moment.
The easy way to choose your wedding album photos
Wedding Story 10 – Signing the register
A nice group photo with your celebrant and witnesses, sometimes with parents included. Often paired with detail shots of hands signing.
Wedding Story 11 – Walking back up the aisle
Usually one big image with a couple of smaller ones. This is where you throw your hands in the air and think we did it, while I do my best impression of speed-walking backwards. If I fall over, I promise it’s just to make you laugh. Confetti chaos encouraged — but don’t tell the minister I said that 😉
Most couples skip the handshakes. If you include them, they’ll need their own story — and the page numbers can climb very quickly.
Try to keep the most important stories in your album. If you don’t mind the extra expense, include them — it’s another lovely part of the day. Plus, you’ll be able to identify who clattered the groom in fake tan and makeup.
(Pro tip: bring a second shirt. This happens a lot.)
Wedding Story 12 – Bride’s family formals
Usually one story, unless you have a very big family.
Immediate family, grandparents (if you’re lucky enough to have them), plus extra combinations like bride with mum, bride with dad, etc. These extra images don’t need to go into the album, but they’re perfect for framed gifts.
Wedding Story 13 – Groom’s family formals
Exactly the same as above.
Tip: Try to keep the bride’s and groom’s family stories balanced. If there are twenty photos of the bride’s family and two of the groom’s… cue the family drammmmmmm-a. (You definitely read that the second way.)
📸 An example story of the the groom’s family formals from Orlagh & Jordan’s stunning wedding inside the church after the wedding. 📍St. Mary’s Church, Dunnamore, Cookstown
Wedding Story 14 – Bride & groom portraits in the church
These are great but not always necessary to include in the album. These usually end up in the family homes. A bit more classical and mums and dads will gush about them. Makes a fab present.
📸 An example story of the portraits taken from Orlagh & Jordan’s stunning wedding inside the church after the wedding. Sometimes this is across two stories with the bride getting a story and the couple getting another. 📍St. Mary’s Church, Dunnamore, Cookstown
Wedding Story 15 – Bride portraits in the church
Some of my signature images and personal favourites.
The album won’t miss them if you leave them out, but they’re gorgeous — so why not include them? Think of these as bonus pages.
📸 An example story of the portraits taken from Rikita & Jordan’s stunning wedding inside the church after the wedding. Sometimes this is across two stories with the bride getting a story and the couple getting another. 📍St. Mary’s Church, Limavady.
Wedding Story 16 – Bridal party
Usually one formal and one fun shot.
I always say: less is more.
This is one of the hardest parts to choose from because you’ll have loads of great images. Be ruthless and pick the best — you’ll always have the rest digitally.
📸 An example story of the bridal party portraits taken from Shannon & Mark’s stunning Roe Park Resort wedding. 📍Roe Park Resort, Limavady
Bonus Wedding Story – Bridesmaids
I almost always try to get the bridesmaids with the bride on her own. These aren’t popular for the album but they are always loved. They make great pictures for presents and for nice frames around your home.
If you are interested in having these in your album, here are three different spreads of the same photos to show you how you can personalise your design
This of course is done with the boys as well. Lovely to have, but remember: extra stories = extra pages, and these images are often perfect as gifts or standalone prints.
📸 An example story of the bridesmaids from Tylor & Jamie’s beautiful wedding. V1. 📍Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen
📸 An example story of the bridesmaids from Tylor & Jamie’s beautiful wedding. V2. 📍Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen
📸 An example story of the bridesmaids from Tylor & Jamie’s beautiful wedding. V3. 📍Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen
📸 An example story of the bridesmaids from Tylor & Jamie’s beautiful wedding. V4. 📍Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen
Bonus Wedding Story – Groomsmen
Same as before, I almost always try to get the groomsmen with the groom on his own. Again, these aren’t popular for the album but they are always well liked.
📸 An example story of the groomsmen from Jenny & Eamon’s fantastic wedding. 📍The Redcastle Hotel, Donegal
Wedding Story 17 – Bride & groom portraits
This could be two images or eight — it depends on how you want your album to feel.
It’s tempting to add extra stories here. I wouldn’t bother unless you really want to. Unless, of course, you’ve won the Lotto and fancy a million extra pages.
📸 An example story of bride portraits from Shauneen & Emmett’s amazing day. 📍The Redcastle Hotel, Donegal
Wedding Story 18 – Venue arrival & cake cutting
Often includes a ballroom shot or a quiet moment together.
We’ll usually do a staged cake cut at this point. If I’m there later, I’ll also photograph the live cut — but couples generally prefer the staged version.
📸 An example story of the staged cutting of the cake from Naomi & Petie’s fab day. 📍Inishowen Gateway, Buncrana, Donegal
If your coverage ends here, this is often the end of your album — typically around 36 pages.
Wedding Story 19 – Speeches
One of the few sections where extra images really shine — laughs, reactions, top table moments, and guest candids.
Some couples actually prefer speech photos to video. No audio means you don’t have to relive the best man’s jokes that he found on the internet.
📸 An example story of the speeches from Naomi & Petie’s fab day. 📍Inishowen Gateway, Buncrana, Donegal
Wedding Story 20 – First dance
Usually one full page story, bringing us neatly to a 40-page album.
How big should your own wedding album be?
30 pages (15 stories) is the norm
40 pages is large
Some couples have ordered 100-page albums
You’ll always have an agreed number of pages included in your package, and if you decide to add more, extra pages can be added at an additional cost.
No pressure. No surprises.
In Summary: The easy way to choose your Northern Ireland wedding photos
Here’s how I guide every couple through it:
Decide how many stories you want
Choose photos story by story
Send your selections via the online gallery
I design your album digitally
You can add or remove pages at this stage
We confirm the cover and any parent albums
Job done
And if at any point you think, “I haven’t a clue what I’m doing” — that’s completely normal.
👉 That’s where I come in.
I’ll guide you, advise you, and help you shape an album that genuinely tells the story of your day — without stress, overwhelm, or second-guessing.
People Also Ask - Wedding Album FAQs From Real Northern Ireland Wedding Couples
How many photos should you include in a wedding album?
Try not to think of it in photos. Think in stories and in the amount of pages you have as part of your package. Follow this blog and you’ll be flying.
What photos or stories are essential in a wedding album?
It’s not just any wedding album, it’s your wedding album. What stories matter is entirely up to you. I design bespoke albums tailor made to the couple.Of course, there are core moments that create a natural beginning, middle, and end to your album but everything is up to you.
Did you say over 1,000 photos? How do you narrow down 1,000 wedding photos?
Again, break the day into stories. So for groom preps, start by favouriting your 12 best pictures. It’s easy when you think about the album like this. Then go back and remove duplicates or very similar shots. If you have two nearly identical images, choose the one with the best expression and emotion.
What order should wedding album photos go in?
Wedding albums follow the timeline of the day so ascending order. Organising your photos chronologically creates a natural flow and makes your album feel like a story instead of a random set of images.
How long does it take to choose wedding album photos?
Everyone does this differently and everyone has their own way of going crazy. Leave it a year, go it alone and you’ll probably make yourself go crazy. Follow the tips in this article and you’ll breeze through it. Maybe set aside an evening with a bottle of wine for the both of you and turn it into an event.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever given a Northern Ireland wedding couple?
Read this article. Haha
What’s the second best advice you’ve ever given a Northern Ireland wedding couple?
I tell everyone this: How many pages are in your album? Let’s say it’s 50. That’s 25 stories. Grab an A4 page, write a list like:
Story 1, Story 2, Story 3… All the way up to Story 25. Next to each write the stories you want in your album. So Story 1 - Groom Preps, Story 2 - Bride Preps etc.
One this is done, it’s easy to go through your digital images and choose your favourite images for each story. Beside each story, scribble the numbers of the photos you want or use it as a guide to go through your gallery. From a Northern Ireland wedding photographer, trust me, this works and it’s fast.
Final word
Do this while the buzz is still there. It makes everything easier, quicker, and far more enjoyable.
And remember: you’re never left to figure this out on your own — I’m with you every step of the way.
Where do I go from here?
If you are still considering your wedding photographer, pop over to my contact page to see if I am available for your wedding day.
Want to browse some more? My wedding portfolio is available here. Want to read and look at real wedding stories from Donegal and Northern Ireland? Visit here. If you are still consider why you should pick a wedding album or go with digital only, visit here.
If you are in the middle of just about to start choosing your photos for your own wedding album, hopefully you are better prepared after reading this blog post.
If you found this useful, I’d appreciate it if you can share it with anyone you think might find it helpful. Cheers.
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