Year in Review Photo Book: The ultimate guide to creating your 2025 yearbook

Why creating a 'Year in Review' Photo Book is a tradition worth starting

Creating a yearly photo album is more than a fun project; it’s a beautiful year-end ritual. 

It's your chance to pause, reflect, and transform a fleeting year into a tangible treasure. It’s the best photo album tradition your family can start.

How to create your yearly Photo Book in 3 easy steps

If the thought of sorting through a year’s worth of photos sounds overwhelming, we have the perfect solution. 

We created our yearly Photo Book app to do the hard work for you. Think of Journi as your personal, on-demand designer.

Here’s how it works:

1. Gather your memories: Simply select your favorite photos from the past year. Pull them directly from your phone's camera roll, Google Photos, or even pool memories with friends and family using a shared album. You can choose up to 1,200 photos at once. 
2. Watch AI work its magic: This is where the magic happens. In seconds, Journi's AI instantly sorts your photos by date and location, and designs a beautiful, chronological first draft of your book.
3. Perfect your story: Now for the fun part. Refine the layouts, add heartfelt captions or funny quotes, and choose from over 40 designer themes to give your book the perfect feel. When it’s just right, your masterpiece is ready to print.

5 creative ideas for your 'Year in Review' Photo Book

Your year in review should be as unique as you are. Here are five inspiring ideas to get your creativity flowing:

1. Chapter by Season: The classic approach. Organize your book into four sections: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. 

✨ Pro Tip: Start each chapter with a full-page "hero shot" that captures the essence of that season, like a snowy landscape or a sunny beach day.

2. The "A-Z" of our year: A wonderfully fun and creative method. Assign a memory to each letter of the alphabet: "A is for our trip to the Aquarium, B is for Billy's first Bike ride..." It gets the whole family involved!

3. Top 12 moments: A highlight reel of your year. Dedicate a two-page spread to each of your top twelve memories, one for each month. Use a large photo on one side and a short story about the moment on the other.

4. A "Letter to Our Future Selves": Turn your yearbook into a time capsule. Pair your favorite photos with captions about your hopes, dreams, and what you learned this year. It will be an incredibly emotional read in five, ten, or twenty years.

5. Just the highlights (monthly edition): The simplest and fastest way to build your book. Just pick out your 5-10 absolute best photos from each month to create a beautiful, easy-to-digest summary of your year in review.

Designing the best Yearbook Photo Book

Once you have your photos and theme, it's time to bring your yearbook style Photo Book to life with some design flair.

1. Pick a cover that shines 📚

Your cover sets the tone for the whole photo yearbook. Choose a great action shot or a smiling group photo, and add the year in your favorite font. A Hardcover Photo Book gives it that classic, durable yearbook feel that’s built to last.

2. What to write in your Yearbook ✍

Your words are what turn a collection of photos into a real story. Here are some text ideas to inspire you:

• An opening letter: Write a short, heartfelt letter on the first page about what the year meant to you or your family.
• Memorable quotes: Jot down the hilarious things your loved ones said throughout the year and add them as captions.
• Key takeaways: For a personal book, note down your biggest lessons, achievements, or favorite moments.

3. Use Journi's unique features to tell your story ✨

• Use maps to show your journey: If you traveled this year, use Journi’s smart map feature to create a beautiful visual of your adventures.
• Mix up your layouts: Combine full-page photos with collage-style pages to keep things interesting and dynamic.
• Choose the perfect theme: Explore our designer themes to find one that reflects your year. ‘Smart Pastel’ can add a pop of color, while ‘Classic Hills’ adds a modern touch.

A tradition that lasts a lifetime

Your Year in Review Photo Book is destined to become one of your most treasured possessions. 

Our commitment to quality means your memories will look just as vibrant for decades to come.

With this level of quality, your story is safe for a lifetime.

Yearbook Photo Book FAQs

Do I need to sort through all my photos before I start?

Not at all! This is where the magic of Journi comes in. You can select a whole year's worth of photos at once. Our AI will automatically sort them chronologically, detect and remove blurry shots or duplicates, and lay them out into a beautiful first draft. 

Can I add photos from my computer or from family and friends?

Absolutely. Your story is rarely in just one place. You can start on the Journi app with your phone's camera roll, add photos from your computer using our desktop website, and even ask friends and family to contribute their pictures via a shared album. It's the perfect way to get a complete picture of your year.

When is the best time to make a Year in Review book?

While many people love creating their book in January as a New Year's tradition, there's no wrong time! Some people make it in the summer when they have more downtime, or even create one for the previous year if they missed it. The best time to start is whenever you feel inspired to relive your memories.

How many pages should be in a Yearbook?

A Journi Photo Book can have anywhere from 25 to 349 pages. For a year in review, most people find that between 50 and 120 pages is the perfect length to tell a detailed story without feeling cluttered. Our AI will suggest an optimal length based on the number of photos you select.

What Photo Book is the best for a Year in Review?

The best Photo Book maker for a Year in Review is one that makes the process easy. An AI-powered app like Journi saves you hours of work so you can focus on enjoying your memories. For a true Yearbook feel, we recommend a Hardcover Photo Book.