After the wedding, you'll want to relive special moments of the big day, and having tangible keepsakes can help you trigger those pleasant memories. If you're planning to fill a memory box of your wedding details, make sure you'll be preserving your memorabilia properly. See below for tips on keeping your souvenirs safe.
Wedding Gown
Don't make the mistake of neglecting your wedding dress by simply packing it in a box or hanging it in the closet. Proper steps, albeit painstaking, will pay off in the end. Who knows, after a couple of years, you might be able to wear your gown again for your renewal of vows? Ask a professional to clean your gown, but do remember to prep the gown for cleaning before you hand it over. When you get your dress back from the cleaners, fold it properly and store it in a box.
Bridal Shoes
If your shoes were scuffed from too much dancing on your wedding day, you can have them cleaned at a reputable shoe repair shop. Otherwise, you can use clear packing tape to lift scuffs and stains away from the fabric by placing the tape over the stain and pulling it away after a second. You may do this repeatedly to clean an area. The last of the stains can be removed by a professional liquid fabric cleaner. To keep shoes in pristine condition, store them in the original box with packets of silica gel to prevent moisture. Remember to stuff the shoes with crumpled sheets of paper to preserve the shape of the shoes. Store the box in a clean, dry place and you may take your shoes out of the box from time to time to air it.
Fabric details
Your veil and cord can be stored much the same way as your gown, though you don't have to bring these to the cleaners if the materials aren't delicate. You can place these keepsakes in the same box as your dress.
Bridal Bouquet
There are several ways by which you can preserve your bouquet, and among the methods that are manageable to do at home are drying and pressing. These methods are pretty easy and cheap, but they won't keep the original shape of the bouquet. You can also ask a professional to preserve your bouquet with chemicals--with such treatments, you can display your bouquet in a shadow box.
Paper Details
You can preserve your invitations, escort cards and guests' notes by placing them in an album, and taking out these souvenirs from time to time. It is best to purchase albums that have acid-free pages to prevent moisture and acid from yellowing your paper mementos. You can also keep the album in a box with packets of silica gel.
Wedding Cake
While it can be unconventional to preserve your cake, some couples (as a tradition) store a slice of their wedding cake to be eaten on their first year anniversary. The topmost layer of the cake should be frozen solid first, then wrapped tightly using a cling plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil, then a cake box. You can store the cake at the back of the freezer (where it will stay at the most consistent temperature) and after a year, you can eat the slice together as a way to relive your wedding day.
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