Scrapbooking is a hugely popular hobby in North America, and while it hasn’t quite caught on here in Ireland, it’s an excellent way of preserving the memories of your special day. You’ve probably got a bunch of leftover wedding bits and pieces lying around the house right now. Rather than putting them in a Wedding Memories Box where you’ll probably never look at them again, or worse yet, throwing them all in the bin, why not try making a scrapbook?
Where do I even begin?
Well, you’ll need some supplies. Check your local art supply store, or stationery shop. Failing that, there are TONS of places online that sell scrapbooking supplies, from albums and papers, to stickers and transfers, to fancy scissors and decorative hole punches. The sky’s the limit!
One important note, though: When buying supplies, be sure they are acid free! Acid (often found in some papers) can damage photos and other embellishments, and you want your scrapbook to look its best for years to come!
Okay, I’ve got my supplies. Now what?
Think back to when you were planning your wedding. Did you have an idea of how you wanted the day to feel? Was your wedding formal and elegant? Casual and easygoing? Thinking back to your wedding day, what stands out to you? The location? The colours? The people?
Anything can be used for inspiration! Your wedding scrapbook should be a treasured memory that reflects you and your new husband who you are, what you were feeling, the story of your love – after all, you could be showing it to your grandchildren many years from now!
Need some ideas to get those creative juices flowing? We‘ve got you covered!
When we were young
Why not start with some photos from your childhood? If you (or your parents) aren’t too keen on the thought of cutting up those beloved memories, you can always have them colour photocopied. Start off your scrapbook with a The way we were section, and include memories like where and when you were both born, your early memories, and likes and dislikes.
Image Courtesy of Impack Design Wedding Stationery
Love at first sight
You could follow your childhood section with a page about how you met your husband-to-be. Did you work together? Why not include your business cards, or a bit of your company’s headed paper? Did you meet on a night out? You could revisit the place you met, and keep items like a business card, beer mats, brochures, or photos you took on that first day. What were your first impressions of the man who would eventually become your husband? What are some of your favourite restaurants? What songs are your songs? You could write them down as a background, to complement photos of the two of you together.
The way we were
Continue on with a history of your relationship. Do you have anything lying around the house from memorable dates you went on? Cinema or concert tickets? Cocktail umbrellas? If you’ve been on holidays together, do you still have your boarding passes, tourist brochures, maps or memorable trinkets?
Be sure to include memorable days: do you remember the first time you kissed? The first time you said I love you? You could also write down funny memories from disastrous dates, or highlights from your favourite or most romantic dates.
The Proposal
Where were you when he popped the question? How did you celebrate? Again, if you’ve saved anything from that memorable day, include it!
Do you remember what he said when he proposed? Why not write it down, so you can always remember it?
Wedding Day
Here’s where you can get really creative. Include every single keepsake from your day, and consider devoting at least a page to each aspect of the day: preparations, the ceremony, the reception, and the afters. Be sure to include your own thoughts and feelings from the time were you nervous getting ready? Excited? If they weren’t too long, you could write out your vows on your ceremony page it would make a lovely background for some beautiful ceremony photos!
Some ideas on what to include in this section? A copy of your invitations, menu cards and table decorations, copies of your readings, a copy of your marriage certificate, copies of any memorable speeches and toasts, pressed flowers from your bouquet, cards from your guests… and of course, lots of photos!
Images Courtesy of Give Us A Goo Photography
The Honeymoon
Again, a scrapbook is a great place to stick all the bits and pieces you collected on your honeymoon, like boarding passes, entrance tickets, brochures, cocktail umbrellas or anything else! Maybe include some stories from your trip too!
Still stuck for inspiration?
There are loads of websites out there that are entirely dedicated to scrapbooking. Try a Google search, or better still, a Google image search, and see what other crafty people have come up with. Then try something similar yourself!
Remember, just like wedding planning, scrapbooking is meant to be fun! Enjoy it!
Have you created a wedding scrapbook you’re especially proud of? Why not share it with us and the missies? Send your photos to [email protected].
