I loved giving people gifts. I love even more getting to make said gifts. From age 5 onward, whenever I could, I handmade all family Christmas gifts, starting as early as June to ensure that everyone’s was completed on time.

So, to be able to incorporate gift giving into my business has been a real pleasure. My favorite product that I started offering last year was a parent album, a smaller version of each couple’s photo album showcasing almost exclusively the images that the couple, the parents and siblings are in. This way, each parent gets their own commemorative album tailored to them, highlighting the moments that they were a part of.

For Christmas this past year, Nicole and Chris gave the gift of memories (my favorite) by allowing me to create an album for each of their parents! I’ve included all three of their album videos here and will break down a few of the differences between the main bride and groom album and these parent albums.

Nicole’s Dad’s Album

The most obvious difference is that while the couple’s album is 12 x 12, these parent albums are 10 x 10. The idea is that these might not be the only gift albums they get (factoring in possible kids or puppies albums down the road) so I wanted to keep this line a little smaller to allow for multiple albums on the coffee table.

Many of the pages were similar, such as the ceremony spreads, but the family portraits and first dance images specifically featured images of each parent with just their child, as well as highlighted their interactions throughout the day.

For Nicole’s dad’s in particular, I included a memorial spread dedicated to her mom.

Chris’s Mom’s Album

While I did not include them in the bride and groom’s album, we opted to include a few engagement photos in the parents albums so that they could enjoy both pieces of their love story in one book.

The other notable difference is that while the bride and groom’s album has their vows written throughout the book, these parents albums are more simple, choosing to just showcase their photos.

Chris’s Dad’s Album

I also love to include a spread of individual portraits for each respective child, so I was glad our timeline last June ran so smoothly that I got extra time to take Chris’s portrait!

After getting to meet Nicole and Chris’s families on their wedding day, and spend a good bit of time with them during the celebration, it was really special to create these thoughtful gifts for them.