What's a Wedding Memory Book?

Your wedding day is something you will want to remember forever, and while we’re sure your memory is good, it probably isn’t quite good enough to recollect how the day unfolded minute by minute. Even if you can recall it that way today, you probably won’t be able to later. Plus, your children and your children’s children will want to cash in on the memories, too.

So, how do you memorialize this moment in time? A wedding memory book will allow you and your family—and your future family—to reminisce about the best day of your life, as well as the days leading up to it. The concept has been around for a long time, but this is one tradition you won’t want to do away with. There’s nothing quite like having a physical book full of your beautiful wedding photos and mementos. Plus, there are so many options of modern wedding books to choose from, so you’re guaranteed to find one that matches your style and does your wedding justice.

What Is a Wedding Memory Book?

A wedding memory book is a keepsake for your wedding memories. This can be a photo album filled with images from your wedding day, but it can also be an addition to a wedding album and feature photos not only from the wedding, but from the wedding season as a whole. It usually includes personal items and paper goods as well.

A wedding memory book is also a bit less formal than a wedding album, because it includes both professional and non-professional images. What’s more, it doesn’t have to be a book at all—it can be a binder or box to hold all your most cherished wedding items.

What to Include in a Wedding Memory Book

There are many wedding memory book ideas, and it’s up to you to choose what to include, but the more the better. This is the place to store any and all of your wedding possessions (those that will fit in a book or small box, at least). Don’t feel the need to edit out funny photos or dump the final rose from your bouquet, there’s a place for that here.

Photos From Other Wedding Events

The memories from this time in your life are made up of so much more than just your wedding day, so your wedding memory book should reflect that. Because there are fewer rules to crafting a memory book than a traditional album, you can (and should) include photos from any and all wedding-related events. The proposal? Heck, yes. The showers? Uh-huh. The honeymoon? Absolutely. When you look back on your memory book and see the photos with family at your wedding shower or the silly selfies you took when you picked up your marriage license, you’ll remember not only the picture-perfect moments, but also the most meaningful ones.

Photos Taken by Guests

Don’t limit yourself to professional photos when you’re creating your wedding memory book. Reach out to your wedding party and guests to get the best candid shots from before, during, and after the wedding. Did you have a photobooth? Include a few of your favorite photo strips from that, too. These organic shots will surely make you smile.

Vows

Whether you wrote your own or not, you said vows for a reason, and they may be the most important thing to remember from your wedding. Include your vows or a handwritten copy in your memory book to remind you and your spouse what was at the very heart of the celebration—the commitment you made to one another.

Speeches

The heartfelt words of friends and family members will be some of your most cherished memories from your wedding day and season. If you can, ask your MOH, best man, and anyone else who gave a speech you loved and appreciated for a copy of their words or a quote that you can include in your memory book.

Florals

You spent a lot of money on your florals, so there’s no reason they should only last for one day. When the petals begin to fall on your leftover arrangements, save them and dry them, or press them when they’re still fresh, and use them as decoration in your wedding memory book.

Stationery

Hold onto your invitations, save-the-dates, programs, menus, and any other stationery items from your wedding and include them in your memory book. They will remind you of important details like when and where your wedding was and what you ate, but will also reflect the theme and tone of your wedding. You can even use decorative stationery, like maps or envelope liners, as background patterns if you go with a wedding scrapbook format for your book.

Tokens

You can also include sentimental tokens from your wedding that you may not know what to do with, such as ribbon from your dress or bouquet, your garter, bow tie, handkerchief, etc. These items will add a personal touch to each page of the book. Plus, they’ll be kept safe in case they can be another bride’s “something borrowed” or “something old” down the line.

Cards

When you look back on your wedding, the people who were there will be one of the sweetest memories. You’ll want to remember who attended your wedding and the cards you received are a great way to do so. Plus, you will be able to re-read the thoughtful messages they wrote and be reminded of how many people love and support you.

Love Story

Just like the little details of your wedding day will fade away, so will the small moments that make up your love story up to this point. Did you write out your love story on your wedding website or program? Include that depiction, or write a new one, in your wedding memory book, so you will always be reminded of what led you to the altar.

Wedding Memory Book Styles

There are a variety of memory book styles to choose from. Depending on your personal taste and how much work you want to put into it, choose the one that suits you best. Here are a few of the most popular variations:

Keepsake Box

Considering so many of the elements to include in a wedding memory book are tangible items, a keepsake box is a great option for your wedding memory book. It will easily house photos, tokens, cards, and vow books all in one place. Plus, it removes the added work and stress of combining all the elements into one cohesive book. The con is that it’s less appealing to go through and less organized, but if you only want to revisit these memories from time to time, or you have way more mementos than you know what to do with, a keepsake box is perfect.

Scrapbook

For the DIY-savvy couple, a scrapbook is a sure way to hone your crafting skills and honor your wedding memories. You can pick up a beautiful album that ties into your home or wedding theme from a craft store or online; the options are endless, from wooden and lace binders to leather-bound books.

Once you have the book in your possession, have printed all your favorite photos, and collected the mementos you want to include, you can get to scrapbooking. The process in and of itself is time-consuming, but will let you relive all of your wedding memories. Once all is said and done, you’ll have a handcrafted memory book to look back on for years to come.

Semi-Custm Wedding Book

If creating a memory book from scratch doesn’t suit your busy schedule or you’re DIY-averse, you may want to consider a semi-custom memory book. You can find a variety of styles on Etsy that can be personalized but also come with pre-designed pages that make filling in the blanks easy.

Opt for a monogrammed fabric-covered book complete with pages that help you tell the story of your wedding, from when and where showers were held to who was in the wedding party. There’s even space to include guest lists and family histories.

Digital Photo Book

You can also create a memory photo book digitally. If most of your photos are already on your phone or computer, this can be an easy and efficient way to go about it. If you have paper objects you want to include, such as written vows and stationery, you can still include them—you’ll just need to scan and upload them onto the digital platform in order to do so. If you choose to create a digital photobook and you have mementos you want to include, make sure you are able to add pages with pockets, so you have a place to put wedding memorabilia.

A wedding memory book is one of the best ways to immortalize your wedding memories and pass them down to future generations. If you’re still in the throws of your engagement, now is the perfect time to start building your memory book. Add to it after each event to keep track of all the special memories from this season and make less work for yourself later.