Best Ways To Preserve Wedding Memories

by Zoe Yates | Feb 2025

Pexels/Katelyn Whitson

Hold your memories close with these preservation and care tips.

Every wedding day inevitably reaches its conclusion. The vows are made, the marriage license is signed and happy guests have departed. It’s a bittersweet moment. Yet, before one relaxes into a calm, post-marital bliss—consider how you’d like to preserve and showcase details from this special day in your love story.

As a wedding photographer and newlywed, I’m all too aware of the fleeting nature of our memories. I’ve put together some strategies to preserve, value and share these details. Take a look and make a plan before the wedding comes—many of these tips should be followed while the memory and materials are fresh.

If you’ve chosen to invest in floral arrangements, consider pressing flowers from your bouquet to preserve their beauty for years. Floral preservationists, like Caitlin Torrez of Pressed Flower Shop in White Bear Lake, specialize in creating lasting works of art from wedding flowers—including shadow boxes, floating frames, necklaces and ornaments. Artistry by Kendra, based in Jordan, preserves flowers in resin blocks or pressed frames. Remember: flowers should be preserved at their prime for the best color and results. Book your service well in advance, if hiring a professional. Or, set aside time after your wedding (or better yet, pass the responsibility to a crafty friend) to press your wedding flowers before they wilt.

Wedding days fly by and, unfortunately, so do our memories of the day. Consider taking some time to recount your memories for you to look back on. You could put pen to paper, record yourself on your phone’s recording app, or type out your impressions on your computer while they’re fresh in your mind. A year and a half out from my wedding, I’ve returned to my digital journal entry often to be re-immersed in a day whose intricacies are already lost to time. A hand-bound scrapbook filled with Polaroids, hand-written speeches and notes from family and friends is another favorite way to reminisce.

Wedding attire shouldn’t be forgotten. Heather Larson, general manager of Treasured Garment Restorations at St Croix Cleaners, recommends bringing your attire to a trusted cleaner as soon as possible post-wedding to remove stains, eliminate damage and prevent discoloration. “I’ve seen mold start within five days from just tucking it away [while] the train is still wet,” Larson says. While most suits can undergo a typical dry cleaning, a specialized cleaning service for a dress after the wedding will give the best value for sale. Choosing a full preservation (complete with acid-free tissue and a museum-quality box) by a trained preservationist will protect your piece for decades to come. Note: Treasured Garment Restoration is offered at the Stillwater location of St Croix Cleaners, and attire may be dropped off at 12 locations throughout the metro area.

Photography and videography are two of the most common ways to document one’s wedding day. But don’t let these artifacts live on your computer, alone. Take advantage of your vendor’s offerings, which could include custom albums or motion books. Parent albums (smaller versions of your custom album) are often available at a reduced price and make beautiful “thank you” gifts for your loved ones. Printed and framed family photos can be a thoughtful gift too—just remember to order some for yourself to display! At a minimum, print your favorites and preserve them in a box or safe. You don’t want to risk losing these memories, which will only continue to feel more precious as the years pass.