Do the parents album have to be the same?

Will both of your parents ever be in a situation to compare albums? I don't think it would be a big deal either way, but I also don't think they'd be checking with each other to see who got what pictures.

I would do what you are proposing. Certain pictures are more important to your mom and to his mom. I think you have the right idea.

I agree with Amber that a comparison is extremely unlikely in the first place, but if it happens they will likely understand why the pictures are different and even be appreciative that you took the time to find the pictures that are the most meaningful to them as opposed to copying and pasting albums.

Assuming your husband didn't spend the same amount of time getting ready that you did, of course there aren't as many photos. I also don't think your parents will sit down side by side and compare pictures. It should be fine.

I made albums for my mom and stepdad, my husband's mom, and my husband's dad and stepmom. My dad isn't a big album guy so I just printed him a few framed pictures. All 3 albums are very different in what pictures are in them. My mom's is the biggest, because she would love pictures of all the details & flowers & everything, while his mom's is a lot smaller because she would more want pictures of family instead.

We plan on making minor changes to our parents' respective albums. Why would my mom want a picture of FH's cousin? Why would my in-laws want pictures of my family unless it's a portrait?

We made different albums for each sets of parents! For my mom, it was heavily focused on me, pictures with her helping me get ready. For my dad, it was the “daddy/daughter reveal,” him walking me down the aisle, his reception speech, and our dance. My IL’s was focused more on H and had the processional with he and his mom, photos with him, his dad, and his brother getting ready, and his dance with his mom. We included a lot of the same pictures in all three, but they each had certain things that the others didn’t.