From a sample guestbook featuring Brienna and Kyle

      In the new year, I plan to emphasize photo guestbooks as one of my favorite products. I love these books, and I’d like to make enough beautiful samples to show my clients how great they are. The idea is that couples use their engagement portraits in custom photobooks, which they display at their wedding reception. Guests sign in the white spaces surrounding the photos. Guests love looking through these books, and after the wedding, the couple is left with a beautiful photo book filled with greetings from their loved ones.

      Here are the layouts from a book I designed last week. It will be a 20-page, matte, fine art book.

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      Enjoyed very much your guestbook photos!!

      These are so great! I totally need to take my kids there this weekend!! And seriously, we do need to get together for coffee!

      Such beautiful pictures & a wonderful couple :). I loved their engagement pics too!

      Thanks! I use Photoshop for all my book designs. ๐Ÿ™‚

      This is such an excellent idea.
      I’ve seen people make their own versions of this sort of thing- but to do it professionally- it looks fabulous!

      Can I ask, what software do you use when you design these & the books you do of wedding pictures?

      Yes! They’re an ugly beige color but I’m convienced it keeps guests from swiping them. ๐Ÿ˜‰

      Hi Brienna! It’s great to hear from you! You must miss Kyle like crazy. I hope the weeks are going by faster than you’d imagined. It’s wonderful to know that my photos can help you with the distance, at least a little bit.

      I’ll take photos of the finished book to show you when it arrives! Please let me know if you’d like me to make a photo book for you. ๐Ÿ™‚

      I’m so glad you found such a great use for your engagement pictures!

      Thanks!

      I do my layouts in Photoshop, and then I order them online to have them printed by top-notch book manufacturers.

      That’s right–scrapbook Micron pens is what I’d recommend. Do you agree?

      Whooooa is that the same bar from the movie?

      That’s cool. ๐Ÿ™‚

      and is there still a big bear statue in front of Paddington station?

      Charlotte,

      I still check your blog a few times a week to see what you’ve been up to. It was a wonderful surprise to see our pictures used for your new idea. I’ve been thinking really hard lately about having you put a book together for us. Since Kyle is gone, I turn to your photos everyday. I have the one of me touching his face framed on my nightstand. You will never know how much I appreciate what you did for us. Thank you, Brienna

      what a GREAT idea! i love that i did that w/ all of your amazing photos from our engagment session.
      a lot of ppl didn’t sign it though, including dan’s mother who will sign it this wknd.
      lol.

      LOVELY! your ideas are so fantastic!

      may i ask what program you’re using to do your layouts? and do you have them printed up locally or online?

      That’s such a great idea, and lovely pictures! I think you’ll have a lot of orders for those, but that’s just my guess.

      Holy wow! That’s a fantastic idea! Have them using an archival pigment-ink pen, right?

      So true! Thanks for understanding!

      I can’t wait to see the pictures from the wedding, though!

      Oh, I totally understand! You guys don’t really take much time for yourselves, so any time you can is precious!

      At least that makes the decision for me, though ๐Ÿ˜‰

      haha, don’t know why i said “or something or something” ๐Ÿ˜› anyway, i’ll try and get in touch when you’ll be in the area and hopefully we can do that, even if it’s not around our actual anniversary it’ll still be really special.

      thanks!

      Oh gosh, I’m sorry. That is one of the few weekends I don’t work. I spend Thanksgiving weekend with my family each year. :-\

      I’ll talk to Matt about it! We have the date and the location locked in, but you might not even want it (just because of the date)…we’re getting married the Saturday after Thanksgiving next year (2007). Louisiana is a bit out of your way, but would you consider it?

      What a wonderful idea! They’d love that!

      yea, i would absolutely love it. we actually got married on my grandparents anniversary and i’d love to take some pictures with them on our anniversary or something for a gift or something.

      I do! I travel often, and if I’ll be available for photo shoots while I’m there, I post it on my blog to let people know. I love doing photo shoots in various cities.

      I see that you’re in Hoboken… my cousins live there, and I visit the NYC area about once a year. ๐Ÿ™‚

      that’s awesome, they get so many great ones!! lucky them ๐Ÿ™‚

      i was wondering… do you do anything like, if you’re traveling to a certain area, let others know that you’ll be there who could either possibly share in your travel expense and/or just give others in that area an opportunity to hire your services?

      I charge by the hour for my engagement shoots, so the duration is up to the clients. Usually it’s an hour, and I take a few hundred pictures. I show them about 75 proofs.

      That would fantastic. I’m not that expensive… it’s always possible. ๐Ÿ™‚

      the site just went live two months ago sadly! i wish it could have been around for you though. ๐Ÿ™

      wow, i wish i’d known about that 9 months ago!

      hope you don’t mind me asking these….
      how much time are you usually w/ a couple for an engagement shoot? about how many pictures do you take of them?

      Oh man, I so wish I could afford you for our wedding!! I fear I’ll never find someone whose style I like as much as yours!

      fabulous idea … wish it had been an option almost 3 years ago!

      they being bill and his dad. it’s a joint project. not quite perfect yet but it’s getting there!

      they’ve had quite a few vendors ever sign up for the year long membership already. *knock on wood* kind of crazy!

      i just love the idea of the brides being able to use google maps for their wedding. i think it’s a great idea and i’ll be interested to see them develop this.

      Oh cool, thanks! Wow, he has been working hard. I’ll sign up, after I get some sleep. ๐Ÿ™‚

      i love it! i want one! haha.

      have you seen the new site bill has been working on?

      http://www.greatweddingnetwork.com/Default.asp?reset=1

      you can sign on as a vendor for free to advertise.

      Wow, that is an awesome idea – I love it!

      Charlotte Geary

      CHARLOTTE GEARY

      Lifestyle, event, and portrait photographer with a vibrant, joyful style and 17 years of professional experience.

      Located in Reston, Virginia near Washington, D.C. and available for travel.

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