After you’ve said your vows, the cake is gone, and the frenzy of wedding planning is over, your wedding photos are there to help keep all the memories of your special day alive. If you’ve ever looked at old wedding albums, though, or gone through boxes of vintage photos, you’ve probably noticed that they are often faded, discolored, or damaged. By storing your wedding photos properly, you can prevent that from happening, and you will preserve the memories for generations to come. 

How to Keep Your Wedding Albums In Perfect Condition

1. Use Proper Storage

Although your wedding photographer will likely include a personalized wedding album of photos as part of your photography package, you’re likely to have a stack of additional photos that didn’t make it into the “official album.” To preserve these photos, place them in protective sleeves in an album. If you place them in a self-stick album, it can cause discoloration. Use an acid- and lignin-free photo storage to protect them. 

2. Avoid Sunlight & Humidity

Water and sunlight are detrimental to photos, causing them to ripple, warp, and fade. Always store your photo albums and boxes in cool, dry areas where they won’t be exposed to excess humidity, and keep framed photos away from bright sunlight. 

3. Keep Them Clean

The oils and moisture from your hands can damage your wedding photos, so be careful when handling them. Wash and dry your hands thoroughly before touching photos or wear clean cotton gloves when handling them. Check on your albums and storage boxes every few months to they aren’t too dusty. Remove photos from frames occasionally to dust behind the glass. 

4. Keep Digital Copies

Most wedding photographers shoot digital images these days, and they will provide you with a CD or online gallery of the pictures. If your printed images are lost or damaged, you can order fresh prints from the files. Even if your photographer shoots with film, you can request digital files, which should be stored with an online photo service or cloud-based storage service so you’ll always have them.

5. Create a Scrapbook Responsibly

If you want to make a scrapbook of your wedding, only use copies of photos, and use acid and lignin-free papers and supplies to ensure the photos don't fade or discolor. Only write on the back of photos with pens labeled “archival” or “photo safe” so they won’t damage the photo or fade. Store all of your wedding albums flat so that the spines won’t be damaged over time. 

Preserving your precious memories in a wedding album begins with exceptional photo printing. For the highest quality prints, albums, and photo gifts, turn to NuImaging Professional. Centered in Covington, KY, they offer both a state-of-the-art CMYK® printer and a high-quality professional lab to produce stunning images.  Learn more about their services and pricing online, and call (859) 261-7427 with any questions.