You’ve heard it before: Your wedding day is the most important day of your life. But with all that’s going on during your big day, how do you ensure you’ll be able to keep all of your memories for the future? Here are a few ideas to help you carry your memories and mementos with you for years to come.
Freeze your wedding cake.
A good tip for newlyweds: Take a piece of wedding cake home with you after your wedding. This will be made especially easy if you happen to have a tiered wedding cake for your big day. Have your cake decorator bring a separate small box for the smallest tier on top, and you and your new spouse can take it home and put right into the freezer. Then eat the piece together on your one year anniversary, and look fondly back over your first year of marriage together. To keep your cake fresh for a year, make sure you follow these steps.
Don't toss the bouquet.
Despite being a common tradition, a lot of brides regret throwing their wedding flowers away. If you still want to throw your bouquet to the single ladies in attendance, at least consider holding onto your centerpieces or other flower decorations at the wedding reception. You can press them, create a preservation box, or get them professionally freeze-dried.
Use your custom signs as art.
Many newlyweds have custom signs made up for their weddings – including displays featuring the name of the couple or cute love quotes. These signs might have a singular purpose in your wedding plans, but they don’t have to be tossed when the big day is over. Try hanging them as art around your home. The entryway or living room is a great place to display this symbol of your love, and remind you and your loved ones of your wedding day. And this memory will be easy to store until you move into your first home together – just be sure to get a climate controlled unit to keep it safe.
Give memory boxes as gifts.
It may seem like a lifetime now, but your first wedding anniversary won’t be that far away. Start planning your gift before the actual wedding. A memory box is a great way to not only preserve your own memories of your special day, but also to show how much you care about your spouse’s happiness. Save things from the wedding like a program, the pillow from your rings, maybe the glasses from your first toast. Place them all in a hand-engraved box with your initials on it, and you’ll simultaneously have a touching gift, and a tangible way to hold on to your memories forever.
Make a custom arbor for a future garden.
If your wedding has an outdoor component, put a DIY spin on it and create a custom arbor. It can serve two purposes. One, it will give you a great backdrop for the moment you say “I do.” Two, you can take it home with you to decorate your backyard or outdoor space. Imagine how it will feel to look out on your patio or garden and replay the happiest moment of your life. Not to mention, it’s a beautiful piece of outdoor furniture.
Get disposable cameras for every table.
Wedding photographers capture perfect memories on your big day, but what about the less perfect, more realistic memories? Disposable cameras left for your guests can help. Place a few cameras at each table and let your guests go wild, snapping photos of whatever it is they see. The kid’s table making silly faces? Your grandma dancing to pop songs? Those are the memories you’ll want to keep, and this is a great way to do so.
Your wedding is one of the most important days of your life, so it’s important to save some of the mementos that will remind you of this time. Prepare yourself for the day by going in with these ideas; you’ll be able to collect the important items as the day goes on, and enjoy yourself.
This post originally appeared on the Extra Space Storage blog.