In a world where most of our memories live on phones, an heirloom refuses to be swiped past. It demands to be held. It slows you down. It asks you to sit.
I wanted our wedding album to feel like that — substantial, intentional, worthy of the characterization — but, while I believe in investing in the right things, I also believe in discernment.
The Album Chasm
If you’ve ever looked into wedding albums, you know the chasm.
On one side: ultra-luxury, fully bespoke albums quoted at $5,000 and up. Gorgeous, yes. But unconscionable in price.
On the other: plug-and-play online options, still pushing four figures, yet offering minimal customization and layouts that feel template-y.
And like any good Goldilocks, I wanted something substantial, beautiful, and personalized — but for less than a mortgage payment!
Enter Acroalbum — a Lithuanian company (serendipitous, as both Carter and I are Lithuanian). It felt like a wink from the universe!
Acroalbum
We ordered a 12x12 album for under $500.
Let me repeat that: our wedding album cost under $500.
The quality? Exceptional. Thick, lay-flat pages. Rich color saturation. Substantial weight. The kind of album you instinctively handle with care. The cover options are refined and elegant — linen, leather, velvet, custom finishes — without veering into anything overly trendy.
And the customization? Extensive, design-forward, and collaborative, all while still remaining price point accessible.
We loved it so much that we created smaller duplicate versions for our moms for Christmas (we opted for 10x10s). Watching them open those albums — their own heirlooms — was one of my favorite post-wedding moments. And we already know we’ll return to these designers for future milestones!
Here’s How It Works
Step 1: Purchase the album size and cover style.
We selected a 12x12 format for a classic, substantial look, but Acroalbum offers a variety of sizes and orientations.
Step 2: Design the pages ourselves.
We exported our high-resolution wedding photos to a digital file. We then designed each spread in Canva (you could use any design software). We treated it like a magazine layout — thoughtful pacing, full-bleed hero images, quiet white space moments. Once finalized, we saved the full album layout as a PDF.
Note: It was helpful to the designer to organize the image files in the same order as they appeared in the album layout.
Step 3: Send the images and PDF to the designer.
Acroalbum’s team reviewed, formatted for print specifications, and handled production.
Step 4: Add custom detailing.
We sent in our custom duogram — designed by Shuler Studio in Columbus, Georgia — and Acroalbum stamped it in gold foil on the cover. We also added complementary detailing to the binding, featuring our wedding date.
Other Heirlooms by Acroalbum
Keepsake Box (we also have this piece and printed our duogram on it!).
And so much more!
I have been looking an old school quality wedding album that isn’t thousands of dollars! This is such a helpful resource