While your wedding may have been in the works for months or years, the big day can still blow by in a flurry of food, favors, and photographs. Because of this, we recommend having a few ways to sustain the magic when the dust settles. By stowing away some mementos from the ceremony and reception, you and your new spouse can relive your favorite moments for years to come!
In order to execute this properly (and to avoid scrambling under tables for unused napkins), however, you need to plan ahead. While it might seem daunting to add another task to your to-do list, we promise the following article will make it clear what to preserve. Anything you hold onto can be collected in what The Knot calls “a marriage box, a wedding box, or a wedding time capsule box […] This crafty project is exactly what it sounds like: a wedding box for keepsakes from your nuptials.”
Read on to see what elements we nominate for inclusion in your wedding keepsake box, and then deposit a few ideas of your own into the comments section below!
Flowers
Keeping some petals or blooms from your bouquet is a must! Grab a dried sprig from your centerpiece or corsage and press it within the pages of a hardback book. For a more advanced technique, dip the flowers in wax or silica gel to seal their shape and color, and then place them in an airtight container. The scent will be muted, but the look and feel of the flowers will whisk you back to your wedding day. For further tips, consult your florist, who may very well cite this article: “What Flowers are in Season for Your Wedding?“
Invitations
For the majority of guests, your Save the Dates and wedding invitations are “[their] first glimpse into your wedding day,” and by adding them to your keepsake box, you can rekindle that “sense of anticipation and excitement.” Both pieces of stationery set the tone for the entire event, cementing the theme, vibe, and color scheme of your wedding. As such, make sure to frame or laminate a commemorative copy of each for yourself, stashing it in your keepsake box for a future trip down memory lane.
Wine Bottle Labels
We know planning a wedding can be stressful, but hopefully you haven’t dipped into your day-of blend just yet. Saving that Chardonnay or postponing that Pinot Noir will set the stage for a gorgeous, celebratory ritual: when you and your spouse first toast your commitment to each other. For best results, personalize a wedding wine label with your monograms or artwork matching your theme. Then the entire package will become a keepsake that – appropriately – only gets better with age.
Photos
We don’t know the details of every engaged couple reading this article, but something we can say with certainty is that you will all be radiant on your wedding day. The most glamorous photos can be repurposed for your wedding thank you cards, which might end up in your guests’ own keepsake boxes. But to safeguard the whole collection, compile a personalized scrapbook or wedding album of each print. Alternatively, assemble a gallery of picture frames and wall art (as per “Zamazing Ways to Display Your Wedding Photos at Home“), and those happy memories will echo throughout the household!
Programs
Programs are important for any wedding as they help guests to navigate the ceremony, introduce them to the parties involved, and can even refresh their memory regarding song and hymn lyrics! Beyond that, however, a wedding program is one of the most comprehensive ways to “[re]capture the rhythm and spirit of your day.” Keeping your program as a memento is a must – even guests are likely to store a copy – and framing or laminating yours will ensure it doesn’t fold under the pressure of your mounting keepsake collection.
Guest Books
Your keepsake box might be heaving at this point, but even if you need to source a chest or hamper to fit everything in, it will be worth it, trust us! A guest book is one of the most poignant keepsakes you can take from a wedding. Simply station it in a visible location and encourage guests to leave their signatures, congratulatory messages, or even words of advice! On your next wedding anniversary, pore over their comments again, and let the experience transport you back to the date they were written. An excellent read, then – much like our article on “Alternative Wedding Guest Book Ideas.”
Napkins
Wedding napkins obviously serve a practical purpose at the event – cleaning up spills and catching crumbs – but they also serve an aesthetic purpose, spreading your theme to every square inch of the space. Cook up some cocktail napkins for your guests, setting aside a spare batch to melt your heart in years to come. Or, take the advice of Spruce Mountain Events: “[L]inens embroidered with your wedding date or initials are a subtle but elegant way to commemorate your special day.” Rather than maneuvering tablecloths or vandalizing bedsheets, customize some cloth napkins instead!
Favors
By the time your wedding day ends, you could have handed out a lot of favors – whether they be to your bridesmaids, your groomsmen, or even some of the vendors. As your wedding party arrives, soon to be weighed down by presents and freebies, remember to include yourself in the exchanges. Whenever you give someone a candle or customized tote bag, join in on the fun, and get yourselves one too! For further inspiration (and if your imagined wedding day keepsake box isn’t already packed to capacity), read “16 Wedding Favors That Will Wow Your Guests.”
Vows
The most touching part of any wedding is when the vows are read out – THEN the supposedly stoic dads start to tear up, and THEN the previously put-together BFFs become blubbering messes. When you and your betrothed composed a heartfelt message for each other, you probably channeled your inner poet. Once the wedding day is over (and with the help of Zazzle’s Independent Creators), summon your inner designer, this time, and customize a canvas print to host the text of your vows. Then you and your beloved can swoon over those romantic words again and again.
Dress
Although most brides are unlikely to ever wear their wedding dress again (and it’s becoming increasingly less common for children to reuse a dress belonging to their parents), the gown is still a fundamental part of your day. To keep yours intact, store the dress in a dark, cool place, and use a garment bag to prevent discoloration. Check on it every so often to ensure that you’re maintaining it correctly, and to give it room to breathe (not doing so can actually create dampness). Apply a little TLC, in other words, and your wedding dress will be secure for decades to come!
By now, your wedding time capsule should be – at least in theory – rather full. Our comments section below, however, is looking comparatively sparse. If you’d like to fill the text boxes below with your own suggestions and tips, we’d love to hear them; and in the meantime, check in on “2025’s Top Wedding Color Schemes and Personalized Product Trends” for even more one-of-a-kind keepsakes.
Eoin is a Content Specialist at Zazzle in Cork. He’s recently bought a house with his fiancée, and thus most of his time these days is spent trying to keep the walls from caving in and the wolves from the door. Still, he’s always open to book, game, and movie recommendations, so if you have some, let him know: he’ll add them to a very, very long list.
