Now that we’ve tackled a lot of the big decisions for our wedding like our invitations and flowers, I’ve moved on to thinking about the details, including what we’ll want to save from the wedding. I know about the more common ones like preserving your dress and bouquet, but I’ve discovered so many other creative wedding keepsake ideas.
I’m making a list of everything I want to save so we don’t miss anything. When in doubt, I’d save something and decide what to do with it later. You can always throw away a menu or cork a few weeks after the wedding. You can’t get it back once the reception has been cleaned up. If you’re also wondering what to save from your wedding, here are some sentimental wedding keepsakes I hope you’ll be glad you saved.
Save Your Wedding Flowers
I love flowers and knew I’d want to save my wedding bouquet, but I didn’t realize just how many wedding flower keepsake ideas there are now. You can have your wedding bouquet professionally pressed and framed, dried and displayed, or preserved in resin. I’ve seen companies turn wedding flowers into jewelry boxes, jewelry dishes, vases, trays, bookends, and other home decor. If you’re crafty, you can find great DIY tutorials. Also consider preserving other flowers like your partner’s boutonniere, a corsage, or flowers from your chuppah, ceremony arch, or sweetheart table.
If you know you want to preserve your wedding flowers, research your options before the wedding. Depending on the preservation method, you may need to ship or drop off your bouquet shortly after the wedding.
Save Your Wedding Invitation and Other Paper Goods
Set aside at least one pristine copy of your entire invitation suite before you send out your invitations. I registered for a double frame so we can frame a wedding photo on one side and our invitation on the other, but I’ve also found more unique ideas. For example, you can frame your entire invitation suite together, frame your invitation and pressed flowers, have an artist create a custom art piece, or make an invitation tray.
Don’t forget about other paper goods. I want to save our menu and place cards, but you can also save extras like customized napkins or coasters. These are the kinds of little things that could get cleared away before you think to grab them.
Save Your Wedding Cards
I want to save all of our wedding cards and use CardKive to turn them into a book. Instead of having dozens of individual cards sitting in a box, you’ll have one book you can easily pull out and flip through. This way, you can keep everyone’s original handwriting and messages without having loose cards in a drawer or shoebox.
Save Fabric From Your Wedding Dress Alterations
This is one of the sentimental wedding keepsake ideas I never would have thought of on my own. Ask your seamstress to give you any usable fabric, lace, or appliqués removed during your wedding dress alterations.
You can repurpose the leftover material. I’ve seen people add wedding dress fabric or appliqués to personalized sweatshirts, but you could also eventually use the material to create a handkerchief, tie, clutch, framed artwork, or another family keepsake. I love the idea of getting a piece of my dress sewn onto my fiancé’s wedding tie or suit.
Save the Shattered Glass From a Jewish Wedding Ceremony
One of the wedding keepsakes we’re already planning for is the shattered glass from our Jewish wedding ceremony. We’re planning to have the glass made into a mezuzah for our home. I love the idea of turning something from the actual wedding ceremony into something that will become part of our life together afterward.
Broken wedding glass can also be incorporated into other Judaica, artwork, jewelry, or decorative pieces. If you want to repurpose yours, make sure someone is responsible for collecting the pieces and keeping them safe after the ceremony.
Save a Slice of Your Wedding Cake
It’s a tradition to save the top tier or a slice of your wedding cake and eat it on your first anniversary. If you want to do this, make sure your wedding planner, caterer, or venue knows ahead of time so the cake gets packed up rather than thrown away at the end of the night. Wrap and freeze it properly when you get home so you can enjoy it a year later.
Save Your Vows and Speeches
If you write your own vows, save your vow books. I also love the idea of getting wedding vow art that you can display somewhere private like your bedroom.
I wouldn’t have thought of this before doing some research, but ask family members or friends who give a toast to send you a copy. You’ll cherish it forever.
Save the Little Personalized Details
You spend months choosing little details for your wedding. Save one personalized cocktail napkin, favor, coaster, menu, kippot, or other custom item you particularly love. You don’t need to take home a lifetime supply—just set aside one or two before the wedding so you’re not searching for them at the end of the reception.
Don’t forget to make sure someone brings home your guest book, too, especially if you’re doing an alternative guest book with individual notes, Polaroids, or other pieces that could easily get left behind.
Save Digital Mementos
Not all wedding memory keepsakes have to be physical.
Before you take down your wedding website, save screenshots or PDFs of the pages you want to remember. After the wedding, you can also create a shared album where friends and family can upload their pictures and videos. Your photographer will capture the important moments, but guests may have funny, candid photos and videos that you’ll want to keep too.
At my cousin’s wedding in the ’90s, she had a Polaroid camera on every table so guests could take photos. I think we’ll print a few QR codes at the wedding and invite guests to upload their photos to a shared album.
Save Your Wedding Signage
You probably don’t need a giant welcome sign or seating chart sitting in your house or apartment forever, but you may want to save smaller signs, especially if they include your names, wedding date, monogram, crest, venue illustration, or another custom design. You may be able to repurpose a sign into artwork for your home. At the very least, take good photos of larger custom pieces before you get rid of them.
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