I love The Signing Book and at Saturday’s wedding I was reminded several times why they’re so special.

Earlier in the day I had asked the groom what he thought of it as only the bride and her mom came by the studio to pick it up and take a first peek. His comment….. “It was way beyond what I expected”. I get that kind of comment a lot from my clients. They’ve seen my sample albums and signing books. They’ve looked at a proof of their own before it goes to press. But, to see a finished album or book and hold it in their hands is something special. They thumb through the pages and see a portrait of their life,  a “forever” piece that captures a very, very special time.

It made me think of wedding albums, too. I feel sorry for today’s couples who forego the album for a “disc of images and copyrights please”.  They miss the real “art” of their day, the final piece that keeps it fresh forever. Sometimes it amazes me that they will drive around in a $ 25,000 car that will be a bedraggled heap of rust in 50 years. But, the wedding album which would have been loved by them, their parents, their children and their children’s children, never was. It just doesn’t make sense. It’s such a small investment in comparison.

Anyhoo, back to the Signing Book. It was the end of the day and the bride and groom had been sent off by all their family and friends. I wandered back up to the reception venue and to the table where the signing book had been for the evening. I thumbed through it and, despite the fact that I knew it intimately, the last time I had seen it it hadn’t been loved yet, at least not thoroughly loved. As I went from page to page, I noticed it was completely full. Not just signatures with “Best Wishes”, but messages of love, affirmation, encouragement, remembrance and  reflection.

So, there it was. The flowers were stunning and made for a spectacular day. But, soon they were to be no more. The food was amazing and everyone raved about it as they enjoyed the evening, but now there were only empty plates, balled up napkins, and ice melting in the glasses. The band was awesome and everyone danced the night away. Now they were packing it up to head home as the party was over. Yet, over in the corner the Signing Book was still there, better than ever; filled with beautiful photos, memories, and words that will last forever. And in my bag with used up batteries, sweat soaked napkins, lens caps strewn galore, were the photos that will be crafted into the story of their day. The beautiful custom wedding album awaits the rest of their life.

So worth it :)

Kemper

These books ROCK!

I just made a guest signing book for Jenni and Josh who are getting married on June 7th and they chose the latest addition to my product line.

What has totally blown me away about this book is the color reproduction on both the cover and the inside pages. I always get great color from prints, but book production is a totally different process. I’ve seen lots of coffee table books where the printing was horrible; nothing that I would want to put my name and reputation on at a wedding reception. I was anxiously waiting to see how this book turned out because Jenni and Josh’s eSession was in the fall and I took full advantage of all of those beautiful fall colors when I styled all of the images for this book. When the book came today I kind of took a deep breath and opened the box. What was inside AMAZED me. The color accuracy and saturation were incredible and the book was perfect in every way.

Take a look at what’s new!

I am super excited about the newest album product I am offering this year from Finao. This is an incredible opportunity to offer clients just about anything they could possibly want in an album, and the selection seems to be growing every day. There are basically three lines in the Finao product lineup. The featured flush mount custom designed and bound album (which will be an option on all of my packages if you would rather have the Finao over the Zookbinders album) is the Finao One with its incredible cover options, cameo options, combined materials options, as well as page and spine options. That is A LOT of options! You’ve got to check out all of the cover materials they are offering. Not only are there silks and leathers and synthetic imitations, but they have created several cover options that simulate the look of leather and hide but are completely animal friendly! Plus, you can combine fabrics and leathers on the same cover for a look that will blow you away.

Then there are the Finao Elements (fabrics and such) and Finao Upper Elements (leathers) albums that offer the perfect product for parents albums as well as seniors, babies, and lifestyle albums as well.

I created a pdf file here (it’s a little big so it may take a few seconds to download) that shows all of the various covers available throughout their line. Not all of them are available on all of the lines, but that may be coming down the road. This is an innovative company and I welcome any company that can bring my clients a product with quality, options and style. My samples look fantastic and if you would like to see a few just give me a shout.
More to come on Finao later…..as well as a few other products that I am adding to the lineup this year!