Matted Wedding Albums

We get this questions ALL the time, so we knew it was time to share the magic that is Matted Albums! Back in the day, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation because matted albums were wedding albums. The history of wedding photo albums as we know them starts around the 1940s. Before then, photo albums looked like scrapbooks with black pages, white chalk writing and photo corners.

And then around the 1940s, wedding albums became much more common. But they were still built similarly to a scrap book with photo corners. But these photos were placed in a mat to give them a more polished look. 1940s wedding albums also included metal corners and leather covers.

A little photo album timeline:

1940-1950: Black & White Photo Albums with slip in mats, metal corners, and leather covers.

1960-1970: Color Photo Albums, sticky pages, plastic overlays “magnetic albums”

1980-1990: Large glossy prints & candid, photo journalism, storytelling moments - albums are still made with mats with satin or velvet covers. Covers with inset photos are introduced.

2000-2010: Digital cameras = Digital Albums. Coffee Table style albums, Magazine style pages, full page spreads are the new luxury standard. Leather covers are out of style, but acrylic & metal covers are trendy.

2020s: After two decades of digital, diy online photo books, couples are looking for something more like mom & dad’s album… the matted album is making a comeback! But since the 40s, the matted album has evolved with the times. A legacy piece with modern elements.

Let us help you create your first family heirloom :)