How Long Until You Received Your Professional Album?

Sharpschruter22

We ordered our photographer's largest package which included a professional album for us and our parents. I ordered it 8 weeks after our wedding (when we received the photos to proof online) and now 7 months later still do not have it. I have emailed, called, and text multiple times and keep getting a "the company is backed up" answer. Originally this should have taken 8 weeks and we are now close to 8 MONTHS. 

The photographer had some medical issues this past summer in which she cancelled ALL of her summer weddings and now after 30 years of doing them, she no longer does weddings, sold her studio, and now only does commercial and portrait work out of her home. I wrote her a long email telling her how unprofessional she has been to me (for multiple reasons) and that I feel like she is never going to get the album to me. She apologized, finally gave me a proof of the album and ordered additional copies of the album for grandparents to make up for it. 

How long did it take for you to receive your professional wedding album from your photographer? 

lc07

After selecting the photos and submitting them to our photographer it took about 1 month to see the design. We had minor changes which were done and we were able to review them about a week later. After we approved the album design it was about 3 weeks before the album was shipped to us from the manufacturer.

jenna8984

Is that picture of yours in Arkansas? It looks just like a place my friend always photographs weddings...

(I haven't been married yet so can't answer your question. I plan on ordering my own book from Walgreen's for $50 instead of paying the photographer $500 for the same product) 

lc07

I highly doubt that your professional photographer supplies professional grade albums from Walgreens. If they do, I would strongly suggest reconsidering your choice of photographer.

jessicabessica

We didn't order an album from our photographer.  I made Costco albums for our parents and grandparents, and we've been meaning to get ourselves an album from a nicer DIY place, but just haven't yet (married July 2011...).  It did take our photographer several months to get us all the photos, but that wasn't such a big deal for us, and we knew when we hired her that she did photography on the side and was also an art teacher.  

8 months does sound like a long time, but it sounds like your photographer has had some major personal issues and has explained those to you.  She's throwing in additional albums to make up for some of the delay.  I wouldn't be that upset in light of the circumstances.  

OliveOilsMom

We had our album about a month after we approved the final proof.  We did marry in March, so it was off season a little bit, so everything our photographer was to provide to us came a lot quicker than her normal timeline.

JoanE2012

lc07 said: I highly doubt that your professional photographer supplies professional grade albums from Walgreens. If they do, I would strongly suggest reconsidering your choice of photographer.
This.  The way I see it.....I already paid a few thousand for my photographer.  I'm not going to go cheap on the final result.  I factored the professional albums into my budget.  If someone wants Walgreens, that's fine......but please, don't compare Walgreen's to a professional album.....they are leagues apart!

jenna8984

lc07 said:

I highly doubt that your professional photographer supplies professional grade albums from Walgreens. If they do, I would strongly suggest reconsidering your choice of photographer.

I agree it's not "exactly" the same but to me an album is stuffed in it's nice velvet pouch and put away and never looked at again. So I personally don't find it important to have the best of the best. I'm much more interested in the actual large prints that will be framed and hung around my home. 

Sharpschruter22

jenna8984 said:

Is that picture of yours in Arkansas? It looks just like a place my friend always photographs weddings...

(I haven't been married yet so can't answer your question. I plan on ordering my own book from Walgreen's for $50 instead of paying the photographer $500 for the same product) 

Yes. Eureka Springs, Arkansas at Thorncrown Chapel.

jenna8984

Sharpschruter22 said:

jenna8984 said:

Is that picture of yours in Arkansas? It looks just like a place my friend always photographs weddings...

(I haven't been married yet so can't answer your question. I plan on ordering my own book from Walgreen's for $50 instead of paying the photographer $500 for the same product) 

Yes. Eureka Springs, Arkansas at Thorncrown Chapel.

I knew it! I live in Boston but my photographer is a friend flying up from Rogers, AR and this building is in a ton of her portfolio. I think it's stunning!