Product Highlight | Signature Album

A York Maine Wedding

Good morning friends!! Today I have a lovely summer wedding album to share!! Jason and Amanda came to me a few months ago wishing to create a wedding album. She had read several of my posts on why I absolutely LOVE albums and decided that was exactly what they needed to help remember their special day!! 

They went big (go big or go home right?!) and selected the Deluxe Album which includes 40 pages, an upgraded cover with an image and imprinting all bound together with lovely soft leather!! I thought I'd share their album in it's entirety so that you can see exactly what "fits" into a 40 page album. And though there is nothing to give scale to the album here, it's a 12x12 inch square which opens up to a 12x20 rectangle... it's big and guys this thing is HEAVY!! What a beautiful way to remember your wedding day!! 

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Alright onto the wedding album!! If you have any questions about the design process, please feel free to leave a comment below or check out this post here. If you'd like to get an album started for YOUR wedding day or portrait session email me today!!

Product Highlight | Signature Album

My Favorite Wedding Album Spreads

As you know by now I absolutely love creating wedding albums for my clients! I love giving my clients tangible memories from their wedding day! But before we can even get to that step the album has to be designed! Early on I tried, quite pathetically to design albums for my clients. They were crude, unprofessional and just plain ugly. I had no idea what I was doing and yet here I was trying to pretend that I did!! After a few months of trying it on my own I knew that the only way possible to get my clients the best albums possible was to work with a designer.  

I started out working with several different designers until I found one that just clicked with me! Enter Erica of Summer House. Erica just gets me, my style and the needs of my clients. She has this brilliant ability to take my images and piece them together to create beautiful album spreads! Looking back I just wish that we had connected sooner!! You can read more about our design process here.  

As a photographer it is so important for me to be thinking ahead to the album design while I'm actually shooting the wedding. I want to give my designer AND client variety in their images as well as images that are cohesive. So often I am taking images of the same pose from different angles and different view points. The same thought applies to the details. As you'll see below that variety helps to create a more dynamic album design!  

It's also important to remember that less is more. Just because you might be able to cram hundreds of images into a wedding album doesn't mean that you should. There should be a delicate balance between simplicity and the design. While some spreads might call for multiple images another might lend itself well to just one. A couple should be able to open their wedding album years from now and be taken right back to their wedding day. And not distracted by poor design.  

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And because what post isn't complete without pictures I thought I'd share some of my favorite spreads that Erica has designed for me over the years. Simple, elegant, and clean. Enjoy!

Product Highlight | Signature Album

ARE YOU READY??!!! Snowmaggedon aka NEMO (who names a storm NEMO??) is here! Apparently there is a no driving ban throughout the entire state of Massachusetts starting at 4pm! Hard to believe that we could possibly get two feet of snow in the next 24 hours!! We're loaded up and ready to go with bacon, ice cream and milk. All the necessary items needed for a blizzard of course :-P. How are you holding up?  

Well if you're stuck inside and need some pretty eye candy to devour and pass the time then you're in luck!! Today I'm sharing Megan and Kenny's beautiful wedding album with you!! Is there anything more classic than a black, leather bound, flush mount wedding album? I just about squealed when this thing landed on my doorstep and I couldn't wait to get it back out my door to my adorable couple! 

So it back and enjoy their beautiful spring wedding!! And revel in the snowless, GREEN, backdrop. Only a few more months right?! 

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If you're like me, I know you're in love with these albums!! I absolutely adore creating albums for current AND past clients so if you're interested in creating a wedding album (or portrait album!) make sure to get in touch with me THIS month (February!) I'm accepting all album orders until the end of the month to ensure that I can get them created before baby boy comes!! So don't wait and email me at deborahzparker@mac.com to get your album started!!

Product Highlight | Signature Album

A Love Affair With Wedding Albums

By now you should all know about my love affair with my album company Madera Books! I started working with them about two years ago and have been hooked ever since. The buttery leather covers, the clean simple lines, the beautiful craftmanship, these albums are just beautiful to look at!! It was a match made in Wedding Album heaven!  

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So when I received this new album in the mail I was elated...because this album is LARGE AND IN CHARGE!! It's the 12x12 Deluxe Album and features over 40 pages of beautiful images! (By the time this shoot was done my arms were jello;)). I thought by modeling the album you'd get a better sense of just how big this baby is! Oh I just can't get enough!Remember this adorable couple? Who could forget their amazing New Hampshire farm wedding?!When you open the book, you are welcomed to 24 inches of wedding day goodness. An impressive way to display your images and share your wedding day!I know I've said it before, but wedding albums are important. Images are never meant to stay online or in a hard drive. Elegantly displayed in an album, your images suddenly come alive telling the story of your wedding day. Albums are an investment in preserving your wedding day for years to come! Again, the pages lay flat so you're not distracted by any unruly pages or large gutter. All you see is big, beautiful images!I love how clean and beautiful full panoramic spreads look!Whether closed or open, this album is impressive from all angles!I truly didn't think I could love my album company more.... but then... then they launched a new website chock full of new content including this amazing video! Check out how Madera creates hand crafted albums from start to finish... I think you'll fall in love with them too! Enjoy! 

About Madera Books from Bellus Films on Vimeo.

I've Moved!! (to www.deborahzoeblog.com)

Welcome!Thanks so much for stopping by! This is the last post here on the old Deborah Zoe Photo blog. To see the most recent posts as well as more gorgeous engagements and weddings please click on over to the NEW Deborah Zoe Blog!

I can't wait to meet you there!

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Product Highlight | Signature Album

I've mentioned it before, but I believe it deserves to be repeated again and again. Wedding albums are important. In a world that values the NOW instead of the past, present and future, it seems like wedding albums are becoming less and less important to couples getting married. Once they have their images they store them away, sometimes never even printing them. These images are never experienced, never shared. They stay on a cd or harddrive and that is where they live. In short, these images are never ENJOYED. But as your wedding photographer that is NOT what I have in mind as I document your love story.

I envision a beautifully bound wedding album engraved with your names and your favorite picture. I envision you anxiously awaiting that precious package, your wedding album, to be delivered to your doorstep.  I see you rushing to meet the mailman and ripping open that box to then patiently eagerly awaiting for your husband to get home. I see each of you sitting at your couch, glass of wine in hand, ready to experience your wedding day again, together. I see you as you meticulously examine each page, laughing at each memory and reconnecting with each other. I envision you sharing your album with your children, your family, your friends. I envision you sharing your legacy of love.

As I document your love story, I envision what your wedding album will mean you.

Abby and Devin's wedding album arrived last week. And as I flipped through it's pages, I was reminded WHY I feel so passionately about wedding albums. I was reminded that THEY ARE IMPORTANT. And it's not just because of their beautiful craftsmanship, their quality, or their design. Because to me, and to you, it's more than just images on a page. It's an experience, it's a memory, it's an heirloom. Your wedding album is something to be shared, to be enjoyed and to be treasured. Every time you open the pages of your album, you are transported back to that day, your guests. Every time you open the pages of your album you relive your first dance, the toasts and exactly how you felt that day.

Isn't that worth the time, the effort and the investment? You bet.

Here are a few pages from Abby and Devin's wedding album. I hope you can relive your day for years to come!

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Product Highlight | Signature Album

Wedding albums are important. In a world that values the NOW instead of the past, present and future, it seems like wedding albums are becoming less and less important to couples getting married. Once they have their images they store them away, sometimes never even printing them. These images are never experienced, never shared. They stay on a cd or hard drive and that is where they live. In short, these images are never ENJOYED. 

But as your wedding photographer that is NOT what I have in mind as I document your love story. 

I envision a beautifully bound wedding album engraved with your names and your favorite picture. I envision you anxiously awaiting that precious package, your wedding album, to be delivered to your doorstep. I see you rushing to meet the mailman and ripping open that box to then patiently eagerly awaiting for your husband to get home. I see each of you sitting at your couch, glass of wine in hand, ready to experience your wedding day again, together. I see you as you meticulously examine each page, laughing at each memory and reconnecting with each other. I envision you sharing your album with your children, your family, your friends. I envision you sharing your legacy of love. 

As I document your love story, I envision what your wedding album will mean you. 

Abby and Devin's wedding album arrived last week. And as I flipped through it's pages, I was reminded WHY I feel so passionately about wedding albums. I was reminded that THEY ARE IMPORTANT. And it's not just because of their beautiful craftsmanship, their quality, or their design. Because to me, and to you, it's more than just images on a page. It's an experience, it's a memory, it's an heirloom. Your wedding album is something to be shared, to be enjoyed and to be treasured. Every time you open the pages of your album, you are transported back to that day, your guests. Every time you open the pages of your album you relive your first dance, the toasts and exactly how you felt that day. 

Isn't that worth the time, the effort and the investment? You bet. 

Here are a few pages from Abby and Devin's wedding album. I hope you can relive your day for years to come! 

The Importance of Your Wedding Album

I have to admit that when Dave and I got married six years ago, we didn't have a wedding album made. We were the "shoot and burn" couple who grabbed their DVD of images and never did anything with them. But being a photographer, there was always something in the back of my mind telling me that I needed to have a wedding album made. But days turned into months, months turned into years and we still didn't have a wedding album. Our images still continued to live on a DVD and on negative strips. Eventually I decided I had to put in the hard work of creating an album. It took several months to save up for, edit, design and order the book. And after I hit purchase I could barely contain my excitement to finally hold our wedding album in my hands.

When the album arrived I quickly ripped open the packaging and immediately started to poke through. There I was with my mom as we got ready. There Dave was as I walked down the aisle. There were all the memories of our wedding day.

Then it happened. As I stood in our kitchen I  unexpectedly burst into tears. It had been several years since we were married and so while I expected to enjoy having a wedding album, I never expected to feel all of the emotions and happiness that I had felt on that day come flooding back.

Our joy, our excitement, our love. With each page, more emotion overwhelmed me as I let the tears fall onto the kitchen counter. Dave and I wrapped each other in our arms and allowed ourselves to relive not just each moment, but each emotion of the day. How I felt the moment I put on my wedding dress. How Dave felt the first time he saw me. How happy I felt dancing with my Dad. How joyful we felt to be surrounded by friends and family.

I never expected our wedding album to have that effect, but now every time I pick up our album to leaf through it's pages, immediately I am transported back exactly how I felt that day.

To me that was worth all of the pennies we saved and all of the work we put in to create our wedding album. Yes, it's a way to display our images, but it's so much more than that. It's a time machine that takes us back to July 21, 2006. Our album will be shared with our children and grand children and will be treasured for years to come. And as our children leaf through it's pages, we'll be able to share with them the joy we felt on that day. That, that right there is precious and meaningful. To us, that is worth everything.

If you have yet to order your wedding album, I'd love to hear from you. Currently I am running a 10% off special on all album purchases made before the end of April 2012! Feel free to email me directly at deborahzparker@mac.com to get all the details!

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Product Highlight | Signature Album

It's that time of year when packages start appearing regularly on my doorstep. It's so exciting to come home to see a box sitting there just waiting to be opened. When Alicia and Eric's album appeared one day last week, I immediately got to work, tearing the box open. I was so excited I even sent her a photo to let her know it arrived! As you may know I use Madera Books to create beautiful wedding albums for my clients. Every time an album arrives I am never disappointed in the quality and craftsmanship of each album. There is just something special and timeless knowing that your images are displayed in a hand crafted, leather bound album. I get so excited knowing that many of my couples will have a way to cherish and remember their wedding day for years to come! So I bet you're dying to get a sneak peek in to Eric and Alicia's album huh?:) Take a look below for a glimpse into their beautiful and HOT fall wedding! If you have any questions about these albums please feel free to send me an email at deborahzparker@mac.com!

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Many thanks to Erica at The Summer House for taking on the task of all my album design work. You create beautiful pieces of art from each couple's day!

Product Highlight: Couture Wedding Book

It's here! My Couture Wedding Book is finally here! I'm so excited to share this product highlight with you! The Couture Wedding Book is such a unique way to display your wedding images. Sized at 10x13 the book features a vertical design. It has a soft fabric cover with thin pages giving it the look and feel of a coffee table album. Each album is handcrafted and printed with archival quality inks and uses the highest standard acid-free papers. I love just holding this album. There is such a textural and tactile element to the album that makes the product very unique. But don't just take my word for it, check out the album below! If you'd like to order a copy for your own, just contact me at deborahzparker@mac.com to get started on your design! For this sample album, I decided to use Jared and Kristen's beautiful seaside wedding in Rhode Island. It was the perfect fit for this book!

Product Highlight | Signature Album

Dan and Nicole's beautiful and BIG album made it's way to my doorstep on Tuesday night. Immediately I ripped open the packaging so I could examine their book. Since I am pretty much in love with Madera Books, the company I use to create albums for my clients, I knew I wouldn't be disappointed. Even in the dimly lit space of our living room, their album was gorgeous. The soft leather, the slightly matted pages. I am in love:) And to round out the whole thing is another fantastic design by Erica, who creates all of my album designs. What a great team! Enjoy!:)  

And here is their album and canvas all set to go home:)

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** I've lost several blog posts for some reason this week:( So I apologize for any missing comments or posts. I was however, able to restore yesterday's Bookworm. The winner of a copy of Pour Your Heart Into It is Erica Ferrone. Erica, send your info so I can get you your copy:) deborahzparker@mac.com**

The Importance of the Wedding Album

When I was a kid one of my favorite things was to look through old photo albums of my parents. I loved being able to experience their life before me, seeing them as teenagers, as young adults and eventually as young parents. I saw images of my mom's graduation, my dad playing the drums, my parents on vacation. But my favorite images are of my parents' wedding day. My parents married young and didn't have much money. Mom always jokes that they had an accordion player for their entertainment and served their guests tuna fish sandwiches. And in true 70's form, my dad donned a white polyester suit with black piping. My mom's dress was handmade. Things, it seems, were a lot simpler back then.

One of the things that they didn't have for the wedding was a professional photographer. Their wedding images are Polaroids, taken by guests and family members. Kept not in an heirloom album, but in little plastic bags tucked away in a drawer. Their wedding, their memories, were passed down to me in small little prints in small plastic bags.

Ever since I began my business, I knew that albums had to play an important role in the overall experience of my clients. Fueled by my early impressions of my parents wedding images, I knew how important a wedding album is to not only the couple, but the generations to which the album will be passed down.

In this digital age, it is so easy to skip over the album. It is a big investment in an otherwise very expensive day and can be easily overlooked when creating a budget. But a wedding album is not just a one time payment. A wedding album is a gift that will last far after the wedding is over.  It's an investment and gift to those that will come after you. An investment in a wedding album is an heirloom you give to your children and grandchildren. It's a way to immortalize the beginning of your love story for generations to come.

As you plan your wedding, think about how you want your wedding memories to be shared. In digital files? In 4x6 prints? Or in a beautiful heirloom album? I offer two kinds of wedding albums to all past, current and future clients. I can also create a custom quote to fit your needs and your budget. I feel VERY strongly that every couple should have a way to display their memories in tangible ways. If you are a past or current client, I would love to talk to you about how we can create an heirloom album for your family. Please email me at deborahzparker@mac.com.

I've recently begun offering Madera Book, a beautiful, handmade flush mount album. I am SO excited about this album.  If you would like more information, please make sure to contact me!

Product Highlight | Signature Album

Albums are a great way to display your wedding day images. More importantly, albums are a beautiful memory of your wedding day that will be passed down from generation to generation. In this digital age, albums have become second to a disc of images. But years from now, when the wedding day is over, what will be treasured more? A beautiful archival album or that outdated disc of images. Of course you need digital files, what would Facebook be without them? But don't be quick to overlook investing in a beautiful wedding album. You're grandchildren will thank you :-). I am so excited to now offer Madera Books as a wedding album option for clients. These flush mount albums are a beautiful way to display your images. Each album features lay flay design, thick archival pages, and the choice of a faux or real leather cover. Each album holds up to 40 pages and comes with a display box. If you would like more information on these wonderful albums, please contact me: deborahzparker@mac.com.

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Product Highlight: The Proof Box

Having a way to showcase your memories from your wedding day is so important. You're wedding images should be displayed and shared and proof boxes are a great way to do just that! I am very excited to begin offering these beautiful boxes. Each of proof box  contains 300 of your favorite images from your wedding day. Keep this box on the coffee table or bring it to lunch with the girls. Covered with a soft linen fabric and toped off with a delicate satin bow, these boxes are an elegant addition to your wedding package. If you would like more information about these proof boxes, please feel free to email me at deborahzparker@mac.com or leave a comment below!

Product Highlight | Signature Album

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I recently received the latest addition to my sample albums, the 12x12. This album is BIG and impressive. And I love it. The white, buttery leather is just to die for. Yum. In case you don't believe me here's proof:)

Product Highlight | Signature Album

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Stephanie and Erik's album arrived just in time for Christmas (thanks to the wonderful folks at KISS) and I was more than excited to send it off! But before I did, I made sure to take a few images of the album in all it's green glory. Enjoy!

Product Highlight: DVD Packaging

I have felt for a while that my DVD packaging could use a little pick me up. And with the launch of my new website, logo and branding, I felt that now was a better time than ever to start! But where to begin? There are SO many options out there and it can get VERY overwhelming at times, trying to pick and choose the best products to offer your clients. I loved, loved, LOVED, Cypress and their DVD folios, but their price tag made my wallet want run and hide in fear.

The Cypress folios are beautiful, but I wanted to see if there was a way that I could take that look and try to create something on my own.

So I headed over to Bay Photo to see what they had for DVD folios. I had originally ordered some leather folios from there a while back and wasn't to excited about the final product. But I remembered that they also offered a linen option and thought I'd give that a chance.

As soon as I received my order in the mail, I knew that I would love these folios. The linen is a soft, textural fabric that fits in great with my new re-branding. So with that I set to work, visiting several local craft stores until I found the perfect ribbon. Armed with some glue and scissors I busily cut and pasted the ribbon on. Here is the final product.

There ya go. With a little elbow grease, I created a look that was all my own. Is it exactly like Cypress? No, but I'm ok with that, and I really enjoy how each of these folios are slightly different and unique.

So, if I owe you a DVD, and I know who you are;), not to worry. Your handmade:) DVD folios are on their way, heading to your home soon! Enjoy!

Product Highlight | Signature Album

You may remember Amy and Salim from earlier this summer. You can view their wedding here and here and view their album design here. Well yesterday, I got home to find a little surprise in the mail. A package from Kiss Wedding Books! I ripped open the box to find Amy and Salim's wedding album inside. 8x8 of buttery, leathery goodness! Each album comes with it's own fabric slip cover and box to keep it save and sound.

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The thick, archival pages, really make this album stand out.

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The album also has lay flat design so that you can have big panoramic spreads without loosing any part of the image! LOVE IT!

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It's so, so important, to have a quality album that you'll be able to pass down as an heirloom remembrance from your wedding day. I feel so strongly that everyone should have an heirloom album, I am offering a 10% discount off albums prices if you mention this post. Sooooo what are you waiting for, get on it and order your album now!

Product Highlight: Fine Art Canvas

When you think of what to hang on your walls what's your first thought? Wall prints? A nice 8x10 framed image from your wedding? Well it's time to think outside the box! Canvases are the way to go! No framing needed, you just hang and go. It's a quick and simple way to add drama to your wall.

Here are two canvases I have displayed in my office. One is from Carolyn and Volker's fall wedding. The other is from Stephanie and Erik's spring engagement session.

If you are interested in adding a custom canvas to your wall display at home, contact me today! Mention this blog post and receive a 10% discount off your purchase total! (If you haven't had a portrait session yet or wedding date has yet to pass, not to worry. This special pricing is valid through November.)

Happy decorating!

Product Highlight: Engagement Guest Books

I am really excited to showcase these beautiful coffee table albums. They come in a variety of bright and fun colors to fit any personality and style. I personally LOVE the hot pink! The thick yet flexible pages are also a big bonus and the quality archival paper makes me drool, figuratively speaking of course;) So to introduce these albums to you I decided to take a risk, to make myself vulnerable and experiment. I made a video. Dun, dun duunnn. Ok, so making a video to many of you may not be a big deal, but I'm a photographer, I shoot stills. Video is like another world.

I thank you for all your patience in advance as I work my way through this whole multimedia thing. Your feedback, comments, suggestions would be so appreciated as we experience this together.

So now enjoy me, on camera, with minimal makeup and just-out-of-the-shower hair. I told you I was being vulnerable! Please be kind!