A photo memory book doesn’t have to be comprehensive or long to make people feel all the feels—it simply needs to tell stories that matter.

For that to happen you need to do two things well:

1. Curate your photos. Choose not only the best in terms of image quality and spiffed-up subjects, but also the images that convey a message and together focus on one theme.

2. Add meaningful stories. By that I don’t mean cinema-worthy dramas or eloquently written tales—I DO MEAN stories that connect to your theme and evoke an emotional response.

“What theme?!” you may be asking, panic-stricken at the thought of Pinterest–board planning.

Stop worrying and go a classic and straightforward route! Choose one of the three universal themes below and you’ll surprise your loved one with a gift that oozes with love and lets them know just how special they truly are.

Each of these is fairly easy to put together yourself, but if you’d like to hand it off (and take all the credit on gift day!), then shoot me a note to see how I can help.

3 Ideas for photo book gifts that say “I love you” loud & clear

1 - Top 20 Reasons We Love You

Photo storybook theme:

Top 20 Reasons We Love You

Choose photos of:

In this case, choose your stories first—then select photos that illustrate or match up in some way with the stories you have told. There will almost certainly be occasions when you don’t have a picture of something you listed as a “reason you love” them—don’t worry about it and simply include a photo of them (or you, or your family, or your family pet, lol) that makes you smile. It’s all about bringing joy, after all!

Elaborate with stories about:

Exactly what the title says: Tell them why you love them. Be as specific and as silly or sincere as you want! A few samples to inspire your own thinking:

• We love you for your generous spirit—and we don’t mean just paying for ice cream after every baseball game, but for offering to help any and every time we need it.

• We love you because you are the epitome of a Southern dad—always handsomely dressed (those bow ties!), always a gentleman (you’d never walk out of an elevator before a female!), and always up for a good barbecue (wearing your striped apron at the grill).

• We love you for your stupid nicknames (Stefanie is “Pickle,” Alexander is “Ali Baba,” and Marcus is “Delirious”) that somehow always seem to make it into family lore.

• We love you because there is not a soul in this family you would not do anything to protect.

• We love you for your courage in serving our country for all these years.

• We love you for sneaking us mac-and-cheese (the kind from the blue box) for dinner whenever Mom’s out of town.

Every one of these declarations would be made better—and more powerful, more emotional—by elaborating with a quick remembrance or two. They don’t have to be in-depth stories, just quick memories that your loved one will recognize.

Ideal gift for:

• a mom or dad on their birthday

• your child or sibling as they go away for college for the first time

• a grandparent any time at all (trust me, we never say “I love you” in these meaningful ways enough to our elders!)

2 - We’ll Always Remember…

Photo storybook theme:

We’ll Always Remember…

Choose photos of:

Curating images for this book is a fun family history endeavor! Pull out the oldest photos you have—you know, the ones in the old magnetic albums, in drawers and boxes…the ones you actually printed before our photos lived exclusively on our cameras! Try to select images from different periods of your subject’s life: a cute baby photo, a few childhood shots, awkward pictures from the teen years, and on and on. You get the idea: This photo book is a mini-retrospective of your subject’s life, highlighting milestones and favorite memories along the way.

Elaborate with stories about:

These stories should be reflective and fun: Get the whole family in on the act of remembering and sharing memories of your loved one. Consider the title: What will you always remember? Perhaps a sibling remembers skipping stones in the creek or learning to shred at the local skateboarding park. Perhaps a parent recalls moments that made them most proud, from their first steps learning to walk to the day of their bat mitzvah. Suggestion: Select about 30-50 photos you think you might want to include, then sit around the table together talking about the memories they invoke—I promise the best stories will make themselves known.

Ideal gift for:

• a son or daughter who is engaged to be married and move on to the next chapter of their life

• a loved one’s 50th (or 60th or 70th…) birthday

• an anniversary of a longstanding friendship

• a family who is selling their home filled with a lifetime of memories.

Any life transition is an opportune time to reflect in this way and honor someone with your collective memories.

3 - A Living Tribute for _________ (Just Because)

Photo storybook theme:

A Living Tribute for _________ (Just Because)

Choose photos of:

Select photos of the person you are honoring that show them at their best—not just physically, but in spirit. Show them laughing, participating in their favorite hobby, visiting beloved places. Most importantly: Try to include a photo of the subject WITH each of the people writing the tributes.

Elaborate with stories about:

Solicit tributes from friends, family members, and colleagues that describe what makes your gift recipient so special. Check out this post for specific ideas for writing meaningful tributes, and remember: Always be specific. It”s boring (and too easy) to say: “I have loved you forever, Charlie.” Instead, say, “I knew from the moment you cooked me a chocolate soufflé in your tiny Greenwich Village kitchen that I wanted you to be in my life forever.”

Ideal gift for:

• absolutely anyone who you want to know is special and loved

The beauty in this book is that you are doing it for no occasion at all—you are simply honoring them because they are important to you, and telling them is a generous and loving thing to do. Not convinced? Imagine their awe—and joy!—upon receiving such a gift. Such moments are truly priceless.

Remember: The key to creating a most meaningful photo book gift is to go beyond pictures and add stories!

The ideas above should help you generate stories easily. If you speak from the heart and share memories that matter to you, trust me—they will matter to your loved one, too! Get ready for some happy tears…