A friend sent me this article today and I could not agree more! A few years ago I wrote a post called The Argument for Wedding Albums. The article in at huffingtonpost.com echoes my exact sentiments:
"Today, a lot of couples think just getting the disc of images is 'good enough.' Here's the problem with that thinking: it's not true. Not by a long shot....
But of all the things you spend money on for your wedding, your wedding photographs are the ONLY thing that will increase in value over time. As the years pass, you'll be more and more glad that you have them. Especially, if you can experience looking through them by flipping through a gorgeous custom-designed album instead of sitting in front of your computer and clicking "next" with your mouse.
So, figure out a way to make it happen. Figure out a way to afford that album. Forgo a centerpiece. Cut back on your guest list. Opt out of the vintage car you'll drive in for all of 20 minutes.
Don't just do it for you. Do it for your children. Do it for your grandchildren. Because when they root around in your attic in 2075, they will have no idea what do with a USB key anymore than they would with a laser disc player." Kathleen Trenske, huffingtonpost.com
Figure out a way to get the album, you won't regret it. Even if you wait five or ten years to have it made, it's never too late! I love it when people contact me while pregnant with their first baby because they know it's an heirloom they'll want to pass on.
Kathleen writes, "My parents have exactly 18 professional images from their wedding. Eighteen. I know them inside and out. I could describe each image to you so well that a sketch artist would be able to recreate them. How do I know them so well? Because I've looked at them hundreds of times. I've looked at them hundreds of times because they were on display, in an album. An album that was made by a professional, filled with prints made through a professional lab and bound in a book available only to professionals."
I can certainly relate to that! I love looking through my parents' wedding album and even my grandparents' album. But it's not just important for the future generations. It's a priceless reminder of the excitement, love and vows you and your spouse shared that day. And in my opinion, those are things you'll want to revisit and relive and recommit to every single day.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Friday, March 1, 2013
New Year's Eve Wedding
What's better than a winter wedding? A New Year's Eve wedding! Two special occasions on the same day equals twice the reason to celebrate.
These stunning pictures are from the amazingly talented averyhouse team, based out of Chicago. Every album project with them is pure joy. Opening their image folder to design is pretty much comparable to Christmas morning around here.
The details for this wedding are a designer's dream. Probably the only thing that could make me happier is actually getting to attend the reception!
Counting down to 2013!
Happy New Year!
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Praise for Winter Weddings
I'm a midwest girl who grew up with changing seasons, and I truly love what each one has to offer. But after two years of living in Grand Cayman, this Cincinnati winter has been a bit of a reality shock. Then pictures like these come along and remind me just how beautiful this season can be.
Winter has a bad reputation of being dreary, causing depressing, and just generally over-staying its welcome. But man, when that perfect white snow falls and those happy strands of lights twinkle, something truly magical happens.
I actually had a winter wedding myself, and was blessed with probably the warmest, sunniest December 15th Cincinnati can remember. If I could have picked any season, I most likely would have done a fall wedding, but winter is what we ended up with. And it was awesome. Venues were already dressed up for the holidays, so we spent very little on flowers or decorations. The colors of the season - gold, ivory, champagne, silver, and glitter - give your day a natural air of sophistication and elegance.
Winter is generally considered "off-season" for weddings so photographers, venues, and contractors might offer lower rates to fill their calendar. Plus, as a final bonus, family and friends will all cast an envious eye as you whisk away to a sun-filled honeymoon! You can't beat that!
Winter has a bad reputation of being dreary, causing depressing, and just generally over-staying its welcome. But man, when that perfect white snow falls and those happy strands of lights twinkle, something truly magical happens.
I actually had a winter wedding myself, and was blessed with probably the warmest, sunniest December 15th Cincinnati can remember. If I could have picked any season, I most likely would have done a fall wedding, but winter is what we ended up with. And it was awesome. Venues were already dressed up for the holidays, so we spent very little on flowers or decorations. The colors of the season - gold, ivory, champagne, silver, and glitter - give your day a natural air of sophistication and elegance.
Winter is generally considered "off-season" for weddings so photographers, venues, and contractors might offer lower rates to fill their calendar. Plus, as a final bonus, family and friends will all cast an envious eye as you whisk away to a sun-filled honeymoon! You can't beat that!
Photography by Zev Fisher
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
The New "Skinny" Flush Mount
When I first started KruBooks, I did a lot of research on printing companies and who I wanted to use as my main suppliers. Probably 90% of my business is design only, but I like to offer brides and photographers a "whole package" option as well that covers design, print, and bind. My plan was to keep it simple with two offerings - a premium flush mount album and a more budget-friendly coffeetable style option. I picked industry leaders for both and have been very happy with the finished products I've seen through the years. But, as I mentioned in this post from 2009, I've continued to keep an eye on other companies and new suppliers as they come up. There's plenty of new developments in the album industry!
For my premium flush mount albums, I have been using Leather Craftsmen's 3500 Flush Series. I absolutely love their craftsmanship and customer service. I will continue to offer these albums in 2013, and will blog soon about some new "frills" they have to really make your album stand out from the crowd. I am also happy to announce that there will be no price raise on these albums this year!
BUT the real news is that I will no longer be offering a coffeetable style option in 2013. Shocking, I know. The thing is, while I loved having a less expensive offering for my brides, the simpleness of the album never seemed quite up to par for one of your most treasured heirlooms. I started recommending it for guest books, engagement, vacation, or portrait albums, but steered brides away from using it for their weddings. In 2012, I learned about Finao's new playBOOK album. The playBOOK is a flush mount with a "skinny" page design...still thicker than a normal art book, but not quite as thick as the premium Leather Craftsmen.
I'm excited to say that I will be replacing my coffeetable album options with these "Skinny" Flush Mount Albums in 2013. Here's why I love them:
1) No more press printed pages! Coffeetable albums have the designs printed right on the page, usually at much lower quality. Finao's playBOOK albums are real photographic prints, mounted to thick pages.
2) See ya, gutter! Traditional coffeetable binding causes you to loose a good portion of your design in that annoying center gutter. I hated the discontinuity this brought to the design, and how it limited the panoramic feel of those big gorgeous images. In contrast, the playBOOK has a seamless construction and layflat design.
3) More bang for your buck! The playBOOK has the quality of a flush mount, but is cheaper than the coffeetable! As I looked over the pricing, I couldn't believe that I could offer this upgrade AND have it be less expensive than my current coffeetable album offerings. The playBOOK has many fun cover options to choose from as well, all PVC free, eco-friendly, non-leather materials.
If you want more information on the pricing for these new "Skinny" Flush Mount Albums, shoot me an email (krubooks@hotmail.com), and I will send the revised 2013 pricing pdf.
For my premium flush mount albums, I have been using Leather Craftsmen's 3500 Flush Series. I absolutely love their craftsmanship and customer service. I will continue to offer these albums in 2013, and will blog soon about some new "frills" they have to really make your album stand out from the crowd. I am also happy to announce that there will be no price raise on these albums this year!
BUT the real news is that I will no longer be offering a coffeetable style option in 2013. Shocking, I know. The thing is, while I loved having a less expensive offering for my brides, the simpleness of the album never seemed quite up to par for one of your most treasured heirlooms. I started recommending it for guest books, engagement, vacation, or portrait albums, but steered brides away from using it for their weddings. In 2012, I learned about Finao's new playBOOK album. The playBOOK is a flush mount with a "skinny" page design...still thicker than a normal art book, but not quite as thick as the premium Leather Craftsmen.
Photos by Zofia & Co. Photography
I'm excited to say that I will be replacing my coffeetable album options with these "Skinny" Flush Mount Albums in 2013. Here's why I love them:
1) No more press printed pages! Coffeetable albums have the designs printed right on the page, usually at much lower quality. Finao's playBOOK albums are real photographic prints, mounted to thick pages.
2) See ya, gutter! Traditional coffeetable binding causes you to loose a good portion of your design in that annoying center gutter. I hated the discontinuity this brought to the design, and how it limited the panoramic feel of those big gorgeous images. In contrast, the playBOOK has a seamless construction and layflat design.
3) More bang for your buck! The playBOOK has the quality of a flush mount, but is cheaper than the coffeetable! As I looked over the pricing, I couldn't believe that I could offer this upgrade AND have it be less expensive than my current coffeetable album offerings. The playBOOK has many fun cover options to choose from as well, all PVC free, eco-friendly, non-leather materials.
If you want more information on the pricing for these new "Skinny" Flush Mount Albums, shoot me an email (krubooks@hotmail.com), and I will send the revised 2013 pricing pdf.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Welcome 2013!
I have completely lost all blogging credibility. It's been seven months since my last post! The truth is, I thought about closing the blog down since I was worried sharing too many design ideas might invite imitators. But I have some fun things in store for 2013 and I don't want you to miss them! One of the things I am most excited about is mixing up my album offerings. But more to come on that soon!
First, I just wanted to say what an awesome year 2012 has been for KruBooks. Thank you to all the brides, photographers, and etsy clients who helped make it such a success. One reason I truly love my job is that I work with the BEST people. I love my repeat photographers who are sweet, understanding, encouraging, funny, and just truly the most quality people. I can't wait to continue our friendship in 2013!
2012 was an exciting year for us personally as well. My husband and I finished the last six months of our Grand Cayman adventure, and moved to Cincinnati in July. We are happy to be back in good old America, although we definitely miss our island life and friends. If you want to read more about our Caribbean escape, your can catch up on our Grand Life blog.
Finally, a couple fun stats: In 2012, I had 117 album orders! This is compared with 84 album orders in 2011, and 38 album orders in 2010 (when I was doing KruBooks part time). I also had 108 etsy orders - wahoo! I love staying busy, and now that I no longer have that amazing weather and clear blue sea tempting me, I hope for even more in 2013.
Best wishes to all my friends for the new year! Can't wait to see what's in store!
First, I just wanted to say what an awesome year 2012 has been for KruBooks. Thank you to all the brides, photographers, and etsy clients who helped make it such a success. One reason I truly love my job is that I work with the BEST people. I love my repeat photographers who are sweet, understanding, encouraging, funny, and just truly the most quality people. I can't wait to continue our friendship in 2013!
2012 was an exciting year for us personally as well. My husband and I finished the last six months of our Grand Cayman adventure, and moved to Cincinnati in July. We are happy to be back in good old America, although we definitely miss our island life and friends. If you want to read more about our Caribbean escape, your can catch up on our Grand Life blog.
Finally, a couple fun stats: In 2012, I had 117 album orders! This is compared with 84 album orders in 2011, and 38 album orders in 2010 (when I was doing KruBooks part time). I also had 108 etsy orders - wahoo! I love staying busy, and now that I no longer have that amazing weather and clear blue sea tempting me, I hope for even more in 2013.
Best wishes to all my friends for the new year! Can't wait to see what's in store!
Monday, May 28, 2012
Giveaway Winner!
Thanks to everyone who stopped by and left comments for this giveaway. Time to announce the winner! Lucky #16, Rachel!
Congratulations, Rachel! Send an email to krubooks@hotmail.com to claim your prize!
Monday, May 21, 2012
Who likes GIVEAWAYS?
New prints in the Etsy shop seem like a good excuse to do another giveaway! I have five new "Favorite Things" pieces to add to my collection. Keeping with the theme of my other Favorite Things prints, these all feature favorite lyrics, quotes, or movie lines. Unlike my other pieces these each come with a color scheme option. Here's a brief intro...
Winnie the Pooh Quote Print:
Sweet lines spoken by Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh. Perfect for any nursery or playroom.
As I mentioned, each of these prints come with two color options, choose either the "bold" and "bright" scheme.
Movie Quote Prints:
There are two new prints inspired by famous movie lines. Shown on the left is a quote from Braveheart and on the right is a quote from Moulin Rouge.
Somewhere Over the Rainbow Print:
How have I not already put this in my collection? Classic!
Blessings Print:
Last, but certainly not least, is probably my favorite of the newbies. My dad used to say the same bedtime blessing to us every night, based off the Numbers 6:24-26 bible verse. This is such a meaningful message for me, everything I desire for my someday-kids. And because I believe in the power of praying a specific blessing over your child, this one can be personalized with your little one's name as well.
So that's the five new prints, now time for the giveaway! One lucky winner will be getting a free print from my etsy shop. This can be a City Subway Sign, something from the Favorite Things Collection, or a "Letter is For" Print. It gets better - you can increase your odds with THREE chances to win! Leave a separate comment below for each task you complete:
CHANCE #1) Check out the Etsy Shop then leave a message on this blog post saying which print you would pick if you won.
CHANCE #2) While you are in the Etsy Shop, pin one of my wall art prints on Pinterest. Then leave another comment on this blog post saying you've completed this step.
CHANCE #3) Share the link to this giveaway blog post in some way - on Twitter, facebook, or your own blog. Don't forget to come back and leave another comment saying you've completed this step as well!
**Note: You can leave a separate comment for each task you complete so you have three chances to win!**
Giveaway closes at 12:00 PM EST on Monday, May 27th. The winner will be announced that same day - make sure you check back to see if it's you! Must have a US mailing address to be eligible.
Good luck!
Winnie the Pooh Quote Print:
Sweet lines spoken by Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh. Perfect for any nursery or playroom.
As I mentioned, each of these prints come with two color options, choose either the "bold" and "bright" scheme.
Movie Quote Prints:
There are two new prints inspired by famous movie lines. Shown on the left is a quote from Braveheart and on the right is a quote from Moulin Rouge.
Somewhere Over the Rainbow Print:
How have I not already put this in my collection? Classic!
Blessings Print:
Last, but certainly not least, is probably my favorite of the newbies. My dad used to say the same bedtime blessing to us every night, based off the Numbers 6:24-26 bible verse. This is such a meaningful message for me, everything I desire for my someday-kids. And because I believe in the power of praying a specific blessing over your child, this one can be personalized with your little one's name as well.
So that's the five new prints, now time for the giveaway! One lucky winner will be getting a free print from my etsy shop. This can be a City Subway Sign, something from the Favorite Things Collection, or a "Letter is For" Print. It gets better - you can increase your odds with THREE chances to win! Leave a separate comment below for each task you complete:
CHANCE #1) Check out the Etsy Shop then leave a message on this blog post saying which print you would pick if you won.
CHANCE #2) While you are in the Etsy Shop, pin one of my wall art prints on Pinterest. Then leave another comment on this blog post saying you've completed this step.
CHANCE #3) Share the link to this giveaway blog post in some way - on Twitter, facebook, or your own blog. Don't forget to come back and leave another comment saying you've completed this step as well!
**Note: You can leave a separate comment for each task you complete so you have three chances to win!**
Giveaway closes at 12:00 PM EST on Monday, May 27th. The winner will be announced that same day - make sure you check back to see if it's you! Must have a US mailing address to be eligible.
Good luck!
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