Your wedding is going to be phenomenal!
You have picked an amazing wedding location where you, your closest friends and your family will celebrate the big day in style. The two of you will look sensational, the food will be epic and your best man is going to deliver a first-rate speech (because he read How to write the perfect best man speech: the rules that spell success, of course).
Your meticulous planning these past few months means it couldn’t be anything less than an unparalleled triumph! You are going to have so much fun that you wish the day could go on forever.
But sadly, it can’t.
Instead, you are going to have to rely on your memory to capture as much of the happiness as possible. Your memory + whatever keepsakes that will transport you back to this magical day. To help, here are a few wedding keepsake ideas that will keep the memories fresh as you settle into married life together.
A wedding day love letter will be cherished forever.
1. A love letter between you and your bride / groom
As you are very aware, your wedding day is going to have a lot of moving parts: from getting dressed to getting photographed, from the first kiss to the first dance. But it is important that you take a moment during the day to pause and reflect on this momentous occasion. One way to help focus the mind is for you and your spouse to write each other a little personal note. A love letter, if you will. It should say something about the other person (obviously) – how they make you feel, and what you are looking forward to when you transition from bride & groom to husband & wife.
Arrange for both you and your future wife / husband to write these letters ahead of time, giving them to the maid of honor / best man on the morning of the big day to pass along to your future other half… And then be sure to take a quiet 15 minutes to read your letter and reflect a little.
Once read, put the letter somewhere safe; because it will be a wonderful wedding keepsake from this spectacular day.
You spent so long strategizing the delicious meal, so why not frame your wedding menu as a reminder of your special day together?
2. Frame your Wedding Menu
Brides and grooms spend an inordinate amount of time during wedding preparations pondering things they’d never normally give a passing thought to. Truly, you’ll be scrutinizing every detail to make sure your day is as amazing as humanly possible.
This goes beyond ivory vs. white wedding dresses or whether to have steak or fish…
- We’re talking about if enough time has passed for Cousin Joey to be on the same table as his old flame Sarah?
- Do you need to have two different types of wedding cocktails, in case someone doesn’t drink vodka?
- How many cars should be ordered to pick up close family to get to the ceremony? Should you just get a minibus?
You’re going to be pouring over every element of your wedding. And food is going to take up a fair amount of your time, particularly if you want to go the eco-friendly route.
Why not celebrate all your efforts by framing the menu from the day? Such a straight-forward idea that reflects not only all the work you put into the day, but what a fantastic success it was too.
3. Wedding book signed by all your guests
This is a very easy keepsake. As the guests arrive at the reception simply direct them to a table where they can write personal notes to the happy couple in a special wedding book. Looking back on your guests comments will be a source of great happiness – and perhaps amusement – in the years to come.
And if some of your naughtier guests bypass the book in their rush to attack the canapés, you should ask your best man to quickly go round the tables / guests with the book during dinner to make sure everyone signs it. And you know he’ll do this, because you read our guide to helping you make the right choice in best man!
4. Photo booth frolics
Photo booths are a great addition to any wedding. Even the shyest guests won’t be able to stop themselves from grabbing an oversized sombrero and striking an absurd pose alongside their pals.
If you do opt for one on your big day, we recommend setting the machine up so that it always prints one extra copy of each strip of photos, which the guests are asked to then place in a basket next to the booth. The bride and groom can then take these “extra” shots and put them in a photo album or create a framed collage with them.
These wacky photos are a terrific reminder of how much fun everyone had at your wedding, which is something you will definitely want to look back on.
Use a personalized cocktail shaker at the wedding, and continue using it as husband and wife. This one is made by Becky Broome.
5. A cocktail to remember
At many weddings, the bride and groom offer their guests a glass (or two!) of a customized cocktail, made specially for the day. Sometimes a vat of these delicious drinks are made ahead of time to ensure quick and easy distribution; however, often a barman is tasked with making fresh drinks each time. If this is the case, then you could ask him or her to use a personalized cocktail shaker, which you would then take home afterwards for use during married life!
6. Giving a plant a new home
With many brides and grooms looking to make their weddings as eco-friendly as possible, many couples are electing to have wedding plants that can be reused after the big day is over, and married life has begun.
Imagine you chose rosemary as one of your wedding plants, and afterwards you take a pot home to live in your kitchen. With a little water and not a whole lot of effort, you could keep it alive for years! And every time you reach for a fresh sprig to add to your lemon chicken casserole, you’ll be transported back to the sensational day you’re planning right now.
As keepsakes go, not much can beat a framed photo of a perfectly captured wedding moment…
7. A superb wedding photo
Alongside all of these ideas, it is important you hire a first rate wedding photographer (and videographer) to ensure you get an awesome photo to be framed and put somewhere pride of place.
A couple of things to remember when briefing your photographer: tell them who they must get shots of (e.g. Great Grandma Doreen), make sure they have a shot list for all your family and group photos (bride + bridesmaids, all the in-laws, etc.) so none get forgotten, and – absolutely critical – try to get some “real” photos of you and your guests. Because these will make the very best framed keepsakes.
- The mother-of-the-bride hooting with laughter at the choreographed father-and-daughter dance.
- The groom praying for kindness as the microphone is passed from maid of honor to best man.
- The uncontained giggles as the single ladies line up for the bouquet toss.
- The look of unbridled adoration as the groom sees the bride making her way down the aisle.
When all is said and done, not much is going to come close to your wedding day, with all your friends and family around you to celebrate; however, with a few well-considered keepsakes, you’ll be able to re-live the happiness over and over again.
The Crystal Plaza – New Jersey’s finest wedding venue
About The Crystal Plaza
The Crystal Plaza is widely regarded as one of the finest wedding and event venues in the US. Based in Livingston, NJ we offer impeccable white-glove service to meet the exacting needs of our guests. Please contact us on info@crystalplaza.com to learn more.
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