Couples who marry in Missoula often have photos worth keeping: the Clark Fork River, the hillsides above town and a lively downtown that makes a great backdrop. Once the gallery arrives, the question becomes how to turn hundreds of images into something you will actually hold. This guide compares an album and a magazine so you can choose with confidence.
What an album does best
A wedding album is the heirloom. It is built for slow, page-by-page viewing, with large images, generous spreads and a cover you choose. At Folio Forever, albums come in 12x24, 16x24, 15x30 or 20x30 inches, and you choose between a classic book and a lay-flat binding.
Lay-flat pages open completely flat, so a panoramic frame of the river or a long processional can stretch across two pages with no gutter in the way. If your wedding was about scale, the outdoors and the wide shots, this is the format that shows them off.
A Missoula day often moves between indoor and outdoor settings, from a church or hall to a riverside park, so choose images from each so that the album follows the route you took. The contrast between a warm interior and open Montana sky makes for varied, interesting pages.
What a wedding magazine does best
A wedding magazine is lighter, quicker to finish and meant to be passed around. Ours is 20 pages at 8.5x11 inches in an editorial style, with 15 original styles to pick from, for $70. You preview every page before it prints.
Think of it as the story of your Missoula wedding told in headlines, pull quotes and a few big images. It is a great way to share the day with people who were not there, and it reads well on a coffee table in a way an album does not.
If you plan to display the album, think about the cover now. A photo cover is included, and a favorite portrait from the river or the hills makes a personal choice that guests will recognize before they open it.
Choosing between them, or choosing both
If you want one object to keep forever and you have a large gallery, start with the album. If your budget is tight, or you want something to send to relatives quickly, start with the magazine. A common pairing is one album for yourselves and a few magazines for family.
Budget is simple: an album starts at $240, and the magazine is $70. Extra album spreads add $8 to $18 each depending on size and binding, so you can grow the album if you find you have more to say. Both can be designed online in an evening.
Whichever you choose, finish it within a few months of the wedding. Memories are sharpest then, and it is much easier to remember who the people in the background are.
Picking the photos that tell the story
Start by sorting your gallery into moments rather than by quality: getting ready, ceremony, family, portraits, reception. Then choose the best two or three from each group. Include a few photos of the people, not just the places, since those are the ones your family will go looking for later.
Add detail shots, such as rings, flowers or a handwritten note, to break up the pacing. In a Missoula wedding, a few landscape frames of the hills or river give the album a sense of place. Smart Auto-Layout will arrange the spreads, and you can swap any photo you like.
Resist the urge to include every near-duplicate. Two similar frames side by side look like a mistake, while one strong frame at full size looks like a decision.
Display and gifting for parents and grandparents
Parents and grandparents are the people most likely to treasure a printed copy. A second album in a smaller size, or a magazine for each household, is a thoughtful thank-you. Add a short note on the first page so they know why the photos mattered.
For display, keep the album on a shelf or a low table, not in a closed cabinet. Upgrade the cover to leather for $25 or acrylic for $39 if it will be on show. If a book arrives with a print defect, transit damage or a mismatch with the approved proof, report it within 14 days of delivery for a free reprint or a full refund. The refunds page has the full terms.
Questions
Is a lay-flat album worth the extra cost?
If you have wide landscape or group photos, yes. Lay-flat adds about $35 at the start and lets images cross both pages without a seam.
Can I preview my album before it prints?
Yes. You approve every page before printing, and we print exactly what you approve.
How long does shipping take to Missoula?
Printing takes 5 to 7 business days after approval, and delivery is Express in 5 to 7 days, Standard in 7 to 10 or Economy in 15 to 18.
Planning an album from your Missoula photos? Design it online; you approve every page before it prints. See wedding album sizes and prices or the 20-page wedding magazine.