When you find out you’ve been given a space at a wedding fair, you have to make plans and start thinking about your stand, what photos you’re going to show, which photos from which wedding are going on what and where. Which chocolates do you want to bribe people with (Cadbury’s for me) and which wedding album is going up front for all to see in its mighty glory!
After a chat with Voyteck in London, we had a chat about albums and their importance, long and short of that conversation, having been shown some epic printed wedding albums and photos is that it’s very important! Having spent 10 years as a fully paid up designer, I love a bit of print. That feeling you get when you have a new limited-edition print arrive at the house, or that package from a particular brand you love arrives. I love all that and the only thing I’ve been missing from a wedding point of view is that feeling of printed specialness!
I knew what I wanted and got numerous recommendations from a few photographers so it was a really difficult decision of what to do and where to get it printed!
After much deliberation I decided on a wicked little company called Queensberry, they’re based in New Zealand, so quite some way away but my god are they good and I say that as a massive understatement! They are actually somewhat epic!
I had to get this album printed rather quickly and wasn’t sure I could get it done in time so posed them the question and the challenge was promptly accepted. Not long after all was agreed with stocks, covers and photos did it get shipped – You always question something when it’s done quickly so I was somewhat apprehensive at this stage, but I needn’t have worry.
What I received was such a beautiful product, the first thing that happened before that huge smile on my face was a rather loud “oooooooooooo”.
I ordered it to come in a big display box so I knew it would be safe from all elements, albums aren’t cheap so best to take some precautions before the white gloves come out. Honestly, it really does feel like a museum piece! The build quality of the box alone is wonderful, super lush materials and super sturdy. Once the magnetic catch comes free your presented with a note from Queensberry on how to take care of it, a lovely little touch if I do say so myself!
Under the note you find a super sexy velvet bag which holds your album, it really looks like a quality product as far as wedding albums go (because it is, duh!) before you’ve even got your mits on it.
After carefully lifting the bag out, I cautiously (making sure may hands were super clean) I pulled out my wedding album, a Cherry Red, Leather book – I try and link the colour to the wedding so the bridal party flowers had a deep red ribbon, so I’ve tried to match to this as a detail!
The quality is just wonderful, soooo pleased with it which is just what you want when you receive your pristine wedding album. The attention to detail is unreal, I can’t quite get my head around the turnaround from start to finish with this kind of quality!
Opening this wedding photography feast, there’s a transparent page with the bride and grooms name which is overlayed on top of one of my photos – This bringing me onto the colour. I’ve spent years matching colours to Pantones (A colour system used all over the world), so I was always conscious that the colours you see on the screen are matched in the book. I originally wanted to go for a Fine Art Paper stock as I have always love the feel and quality of a cotton ‘wrag’ above anything else. However, the lovely folk over at Queensberry suggested I use their Silver Halide Photographic Print on their Premier Lustre paper stock. Again, I wasn’t sure at first but took their advice and I’m super glad I did. – Back to my point, the colours a bloody marvellous. The wedding photos are sooooooooo bright, exactly as I wanted them to be. I’ve got this thing that weddings are usually bright and colourful, lively events so having dark moody images (unless that’s the style your after then fine) doesn’t appeal to me! So, you can imagine how pleased I was so see some rather vibrant pages!
I’d order a Flush mount book – I generally only really like these personally as it means you’re not crushing the spine trying to keep the pages flat, the more you do this, the quicker your book gets damaged and dies. It’s a personal thing so I’m sure others with disagree! As you can see from the detail, its built really well and I’ve got zero doubts this wedding album wouldn’t last a lifetime – given the care note that is!
As you can see, like me, the paper stock is a bit thick – just how I wanted it to be! Nothing like self-deprecation ‘ey? The print quality generally is really brilliant. I take my hat off to the peeps at Queensberry, I really do! They pulled the rabbit out of the hat, dropped jaws and made everyone feel all warm and fuzzy inside! I’m really very excited about getting the next wedding album on order!
I’d love to hear what you, dear reader, thinks of my book! Leave a comment below if you fancy it and let me know!
Thank you Queensberry. You are awesome!
Also, whilst I’m here, Thank you to John Old of the rather delicious Kinetic Studios for letting me use such an epic space to take the photos of my tasty wedding album, super helpful and saved me trying to clear space in the office at home! Check out Kinetic Studios website if your in need of either a photography space or even a photographer for that matter! I thought I may as well take a self portrait whilst I’m at it to! https://www.kinetic-studios.co.uk
