Out of Office

I will be on vacation May 31 to June 7. We are spending the week with Brent's family in Lancaster, PA. I am so looking forward to seeing everyone again (especially these three adorable faces).

photography by Kristen Scott

At the end of the week we are meeting up with the extended family to celebrate Pop's 90th birthday. Should be a fun celebration! I will be sure to post pictures of the trip when we get back. Have a wonderful week everyone!

Layout of the Week

One of my favorite high school friends got married at the Cincinnati Nature Center one year ago tomorrow. I was beyond thrilled when she asked me to design their wedding album. Mary and Brad are still some of our closest friends, and we are blessed to have them in our lives. So, today's layout of the week is in honor of the Gaertners!


Happy Anniversary, Mary and Brad!

Honeymooners

Sorry my posts have been a little infrequent these last few weeks. Lots of exciting things happening here! My husband and I bought a house, which means an insane amount of packing. We are so excited for the new place, but just a little overwhelmed with all that's left to do before the big move on Saturday. It's been a crazy week! But what's even crazier is that after moving all our belongings into the house on Saturday, we leave the next day for Brent's family vacation. I've been a busy bee trying to wrap up albums and revisions before we head out.

Luckily I had a special treat to work on this week - a honeymoon album! This was just what I needed to get in the vacation-ing mood (yes, they went to Maui and I'm going to Lancaster, PA, but still...)! Claire and Paul had some awesome pictures - designing their album was a blast! Here's a peek a few of their spreads:

Cover (I dare you to look at that front picture and not be jealous!)


Snorkeling Cruise to Molokini and Turtle Arches


As much as I l-o-v-e weddings, it's fun to mix it up with some of this! If you would like more information on how to get your own vacation or honeymoon album, shoot me an email!

Layout of the Week

My last post was about how detail shots can really tell the behind-the-scenes story of your wedding. I love this spread for just that reason. Apparently the guys decided to play a pick up game of Taboo before the ceremony. Isn't that fun? I love the ring shot with the "wedding" card. Props to the wonderfully creative Brooke Schwab...

photography by Brooke Schwab

Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

It's All in the Details

My biggest weak spot when designing an album - detail shots! I just can't say no to those amazing flower close-ups, getting ready accessories, reception details, and of course, ring shots! I know from planning my own wedding, SO much time goes into arranging the "little things." Why wouldn't you want all that hard work featured in your album!?

Details shots are perfect for the opening pages of the the album. They quickly convey the color scheme and mood of the wedding. Check out all the pretty pink in this spread:

photography by Brooke Schwab

I love the bold blue in this one, and how the main image captures the intricacy of the dress hem. There are so many great "getting ready" details - the bouquets, the shoes, the dress, the hair, the make-up...the list goes on and on!

photography by Brooke Schwab

Set the scene for the reception section of the album with some more great detail shots. Here's the spread from my own winter wedding:

photography by Steve Lyons

Sometimes I like to put a bunch of detail shots on one page to capture how well everything fits together...

photography be Dede Edwards

And sometimes I like to feature just a few shots to make a strong and elegant statement.

photography by Elizabeth Dondis

It's easy to pick the formals and action shots for the album, but don't forget those all-important detail images! These pictures are what really tell the story of that unforgettable day.

Layout of the Week

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope you have a beautiful weekend waiting for you. This week's layout is brought to you by Huntington Images, based in lovely San Diego. I love how the spread captures the bride having fun with all her girls. And isn't that blue wallpaper the perfect touch?!

photography by Huntington Images

Recent Client Feedback

One of my photographers, Terence from Beautiful Capture Photography, recently received his finished studio album. Here's what he had to say:

"The album is perfect in every aspect. It's been a while since I got excited about pictures but seeing the pictures in a nice album makes a huge difference. I will definitely be bringing the album to the next client meeting and I am sure it will sell itself. :) Thank you for your beautiful work!"

Here are a couple spreads from the studio album:


Thanks for your business, Terence! It was a pleasure working together!

Happy Mother's Day!

Oh how I love my Mom! She has always been a huge encouragement to me, especially when starting KruBooks. In fact, I think I inherited my love for layout design from her...she was also the editor-in-chief of her yearbook! So thank you Mommy-O for all you've done for me and all you continue to do. I hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day!


My mom with three of her four daughters. I can't believe I don't have a more recent picture of all five of the "Behlert" girls together - this must be remedied!

It's a little late for this year, but if you are thinking a year in advance...imagine how thrilled your mom would be to get a photobook filled with pictures of her children (or grandchildren!) over the years. Just a thought... :)

Layout of the Week

This week's layout is brought to you all the way from North Carolina! I love all the layouts from this wedding (the two on my blog header are from the same album). I'm a sucker for weddings with pink! Steve Exum does amazing work...what a great idea to capture the bride and groom with all their wedding guests!

photography by Steve Exum

Use Your Words

It's true that a photograph is worth a thousand words. As a photobook designer, this is pretty much my life motto :) But one great way to add a personal touch to your album is to include some words. Lyrics, quotes, verses, and vows all help the "story" come alive. Here are some examples of how to incorporate words into your album. Don't forget you can click on the images to make them bigger (especially if you actually want to read the words).

Put your vows in your album: This is particularly meaningful if you wrote your own vows. Every time you look at your album, you will be reminded of those special promises (and the hours you spent writing them!).

photography by Brooke Schwab

Add a quote: Children and teen albums are a great place to incorporate your favorite little quote. If you can't find a quote to capture the essence of the pictures, write your own!

photography by Envision Video and Photography

Include lyrics: My favorite way to use words in an album is to put song lyrics with first dance pictures. What a wonderful way to transport your viewer right to that special dance!

photography by Huntington Images

Not Just for Weddings

I have one adorable nephew and three sweet nieces. I may be biased, but I have reason to believe they are the four cutest children on the planet. Recently we've celebrated a lot of birthdays - and had some great parties! Last night we spent the evening at Jack's 2nd b-day bash. As I was editing the pictures, I thought (of course) what an adorable album this would make. Much of my KruBooks work revolves around weddings (which I love), but there are so many other opportunities for albums! Vacations, baby books, senior pictures, family photo shoots, honeymoons, reunions, baby's first year...and of course birthday parties! These kinds of events are perfect for the coffee table style albums. Yes, you could make a scrapbook or put 4x6's in an album, but wouldn't a professionally designed and bound book be so much more fun?! I felt so inspired, I decided to make some birthday party layouts. As always, you can click on the images to make them bigger. Enjoy!

Jack Turns Two!


Savannah Turns One!


Lyla and Pressley Turn One!

Layout of the Week

I've decided to feature a "Layout of the Week" on my blog every Friday. What a great way to kickoff the weekend! Here's this week's spread:

photography by Neysa Ruhl

I love the simplicity of this layout. Even without borders or backgrounds, the clean, linear design makes a strong impression. Of course, Neysa Ruhl's incredible eye for photography doesn't hurt! The large ring shot on the left positively makes me swoon. I definitely want to spotlight Neysa soon...she's a fellow Cincinnati girl!