Concord is the state capital and a hub for weddings across central New Hampshire, from State House photos to farm venues and lakeside inns in the surrounding towns. Photographers here serve couples who often invest in a quality album, but only if the process is easy. Here is a workflow that keeps it simple.
Albums in a seasonal business
Wedding photography in New Hampshire is highly seasonal, with a rush from late spring through fall. That makes time the scarcest resource. If album design competes with shooting, it will not happen, so the process needs to be quick enough to fit around the busiest months.
The winter months are the opportunity. Use them to deliver albums from the previous season, while the wedding is still fresh for the client. Plan to have the proofs out within a few weeks of the gallery.
Concord offers some distinctive portrait settings, including the grounds around the State House and quiet paths and rivers nearby. If your clients want one of those, remind them to check access and any rules, since public buildings and grounds can have restrictions on events and equipment.
Selling the album
Show clients an album early. A real sample on the table at a consultation does more than any photograph of one. Let them open it, feel the cover and see how a lay-flat spread opens without a seam.
Price with your design time in mind. Our costs include 15 spreads and a photo cover, with leather at $25 and acrylic at $39, so you can add your own margin. Offer two sizes and two bindings, and let the clients choose.
Finally, think about a simple annual routine. Review your outstanding albums each January, send reminders to anyone who has not ordered and schedule your design evenings. A little discipline makes album revenue steady rather than occasional, and it turns each past client into a repeat opportunity.
Design in less time
Begin with a clean, selected set of images. Upload to the online designer and let Smart Auto-Layout produce every spread, then spend your time on the pages that need an eye: the opening, the ceremony and the closing. Moving, resizing and replacing are all quick.
Send the client a proof to approve. They see every page, and we print exactly what they approve. If you want to keep your hands off the layout entirely, the design-team polish hand-off is $99. Whatever your workflow, write it down as a short checklist, from selecting images to ordering, and follow it for every client. A checklist makes the process repeatable, and it makes it easy to hand parts of the job to an assistant when your calendar fills up.
Keep notes on what clients change. Over time, you will see patterns, such as a preference for fewer portraits and more candids, and you can build those into your first drafts.
Choosing sizes and binding
Albums come in 12x24, 16x24, 15x30 and 20x30 inches. Classic bindings run $240 to $340, and lay-flat $275 to $375. Extra spreads are $8 to $18 each depending on size and binding, up to 40.
New Hampshire clients tend to appreciate simple, durable products. A classic book with a leather cover suits a traditional customer, while a lay-flat with a large photo suits couples who love landscape and fall color.
In a market this size you will keep running into the same planners and venues. Offering a small stack of albums or magazines as a thank-you for referrals builds goodwill and shows off your work in places new couples visit.
Delivery and the next step
Printing takes 5 to 7 business days after approval and payment. Tracked shipping ships anywhere in the US at $60 Express, $32 Standard or $12 Economy. It is easy to schedule an album to arrive near a first anniversary or a holiday, which is an effective way to prompt reviews and referrals.
The photographers page explains how professionals design client albums online, and the contact page is there for any questions. If a book reaches your client 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.
Questions
Can clients approve albums online?
Yes. You can send a preview, and every page is approved before printing.
What sizes can I offer?
Albums come in 12x24, 16x24, 15x30 or 20x30 inches, in classic or lay-flat binding.
Is there a way to save time on layouts?
Smart Auto-Layout drafts every spread, and the optional design-team polish hand-off is $99 per album.
Planning an album from your Concord photos? Design it online; you approve every page before it prints. See wedding album sizes and prices or the 20-page wedding magazine.