8 Wedding Keepsakes You’ll Want to Hold Onto After the Big Day

Once your big day has come to a close, there are a few things you won’t want to let go of. We’ve figured out all the essential wedding keepsakes so that you know what not to toss.

Alice Prendergast

30 of July, 2020

Once the cake has been cut, the bouquet has been tossed and the last dance has been danced, your wedding festivities will have pretty much come to a close. While there may not be anymore partying done, that doesn’t mean you have to kiss the memories of your big day goodbye. Of course, you’ll have your wedding album and your wedding video to remember it by, but you may also want to hold onto a few of these wedding keepsakes.

Here are a few wedding keepsakes to hold onto after your big day.

Wedding vows

You probably put a lot of TLC into writing your wedding vows, so of course, you’ll want to keep a copy of them. This wedding keepsake could be in the form of vow booklets, a framed display or even a wedding tattoo. Looking back on them will remind you of how in love you are with your partner and also remind you why you got hitched in the first place (super important if you’re going through a rough patch). Plus, you can turn to them when you do a vow renewal years in the future.

Love letters

The tradition of trading love letters with your soon-to-be spouse is rising in popularity and won’t be going out of style anytime soon. If you follow suit on your big day, hold onto a copy so that you can look back at it and see just how much your S.O. cares for you.

Something from your ceremony ritual

If you do a special ceremony ritual, like a sand ceremony or wine box ceremony, on your big day, hold onto a piece of it as a wedding keepsake. Keep it tucked away in a safe space or display it in your home so you’re always reminded of your wedding day.

Bouquet and/or boutonniere

If you’re head-over-heels for your wedding flowers, save em! Look into preserving your bridal bouquet and/or boutonniere so that you can look back on their beauty for years to come. From preserving with special solutions to pressing, you’ve got a few options to choose from, so you can find something that suits your style.

Wedding dress (and accessories)

Even though you probably won’t rock your wedding dress again, you may not want to ditch it. If you plan on keeping it, you’ll want to properly preserve it (most likely with the help of a professional gown care specialist) so that it stays in mint condition. You’ll probably want to keep your shoes, veil, jewellery and other accessories, so make room for those in your closet, too.

Wedding cake topper

Freezing the top tier of your wedding cake to eat on your first anniversary is a solid tradition, but after a year it’ll be gone. If you want to look back at part of your wedding cake, you can totally hold onto your topper (provided it’s not perishable).

Wedding invitation

Don’t send out every single last one of your wedding invitations to your friends and family. You’ll want to keep at least one copy for yourselves that you can add to a scrapbook, wedding keepsake box or to put on display in your home. If your invitation includes a handpainted illustration, you’ll definitely want to keep the original, too.

Wedding favour

Sure, your wedding favours are meant for your guests, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t sneak one for yourself as a wedding keepsake. Order a few extras for good measure, that way you’ll have one to keep and a few bonus favours on deck in case any go MIA or get lost on their way to your wedding venue.