8 Creative wedding keepsake ideas

Many married couples say that their wedding day passed in the blink of an eye; one moment make-up is being applied and buttonholes fitted and the next moment it’s ‘last orders’ at the bar and the DJ is packing up his decks.

Top tips for wedding day keepsakes

Make sure you remember each element of your big day with these original wedding keepsake ideas.

1. Lipstick kiss
It would be a shame to never wear your wedding day lipstick past your big day, just to have it as a memento. Why not get one of the pretty napkins from your wedding breakfast table (which if they’re personalised with your names and wedding date will be even better), give it a kiss while wearing your chosen lippy and keep it in a trinket box or stick it in your wedding album?

2. Bottle of wine
This keepsake is especially fitting for those who are interested in wine and have taken their time choosing the perfect wedding tipple. Keep a bottle of your welcome drink or the wine you drank with your wedding breakfast to enjoy at a later date – perhaps an anniversary. Alternatively, just keep the bottle and use it as a candle holder for romantic meals at home or simply keep the cork. Or, collect the corks from all the bottles and you have yourself the ingredients for a quirky art piece – place them all in a clear vase with fairy lights for a mantelpiece marvel.

3. Name cards
Something that every wedding has such as name cards may seem a little mundane to have as a keepsake. But when you think about it, having the names of the most cherished people in your life, all displayed on individual, pretty little cards, is a lovely way to remind you of the fun you shared with everyone on your big day. You could perhaps make a collage of them and frame it.

4. Wedding shoes
To get the most out of your (perhaps very expensive) wedding shoes, you could have them dip-dyed after the wedding in a colour you will be more likely to wear, such as black or nude. You could also use an indelible marker pen an d ask your relatives, or perhaps just your bridesmaids and mother, to write a message on the sole. Give this a coating of sealant and keep the shoes as a quirky memento in your wardrobe.

5. Sheet music or lyrics
The first dance a married couple has to their special song is a wedding day moment to be treasured. Turn this moment into a wedding day keepsake by getting a copy of the musical score of your special song and having it framed. Or if this is too tricky to come by, then simply print off the lyrics in a cute font as a lasting memory of this moment.

6. Time capsule
Don’t worry, you don’t have to source a time and weather-hardy box and dig a hole in your garden. Simply buy a patterned card box and then fill it with small items to remind you of the time of your wedding planning, wedding day, honeymoon and early married life. Hide it away in the attic or in the back of a cupboard and bring it out every couple of years or so to be reminded of this happy time in your lives. From dress fitting appointment cards to the groom’s speech notes, a time capsule preserves these memories.

7. Photo booth
Look into hiring a photo booth for your big day. Not only will this keep your guests entertained while you’re having your professional photographs taken, but it will make for some priceless keepsakes too. The dinky strips of snaps of your family and friends will supply you with lots of laughs post-wedding. It’s an unwritten rule that when in a photo booth you must pull a funny face, so the results you’ll get will be hilarious.

8. Fingerprints
Ask your guests to make prints of their fingers and thumbs and then sign their name once dry. Use finger paint to match your wedding colour scheme and of course supply some wet wipes – the last thing you want is paint-splattered wedding outfits. As a keepsake, this would work well either on individual pieces of card per person or per family, or even as a large art piece; get a large print of a leafless tree and ask guests to press on their fingers and thumbs to create the ‘leaves’. This can then be framed and hung at home.