Create a Wedding Memory Book

Wedding memory books are great for commemorating the special moments that were captured in photographs and mementos from the wedding. Sort through the photographs you have and pick out your favorites, as well as photos that tell the story of your wedding and should be included. You can create a handmade scrapbook using cardstock, adhesive, and embellishments, or you can design the wedding book online.

Steps

Sorting Through the Photos

1. Pick out 20-30 of your favorite photos. These should be the ones that jump out to you as ones that must be in the album and that you truly love. They can be of people, the wedding cake, a candid moment—anything goes.
   • For example, you might love the photo of the flower girl walking down the aisle, or a candid picture of your family.
   • If there are photos that you love but aren’t sure about including in the album, go ahead and put these in the pile as well. You can always weed them out again later.
2. Select pictures for each category. The categories might include getting ready, the ceremony, cocktail hour, and the reception. If you want to include pictures from before the wedding, such as the engagement party or dress shopping, you can group these into categories as well. Try to even out the categories so that there are a similar number of pictures for each group.
   • Sub-categories might include cutting the cake, dancing, speeches, and the getaway or honeymoon.
3. Ensure that all of the key people, moments, and details are included. Your wedding memory book should tell the story of your wedding, and pictures are the main way of doing this. Check to make sure you’re including pictures of all the important people that made the day special, as well as other important things like the wedding cake or a picture of your rings.
   • Be sure to include photos of the newlyweds, bridal party, groomsmen, and special guests.
   • Other essential pictures might include snapshots of the flowers, the venue, and the décor.
4. Vary the size of the photographs for an aesthetically-pleasing look. When you’re sorting through photos, pick out or print ones of different sizes so that you can place several pictures on one page and focus on one larger picture on another page.
   • For example, you might have an {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} picture of the exchange of vows on 1 page, and a few {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} pictures of the ceremony on the opposite page.

Putting Together a Scrapbook

1. Purchase a scrapbook in a style of your choosing. You can find scrapbooks of varying sizes and designs at a local craft store or online. Since you’ve picked out your pictures, you should have an idea of how many pages you’ll need in the scrapbook. Choose a book with elements that you like, such as a leather cover or beaded embellishments.
   • Choosing an album that goes along with the theme of your wedding will make the scrapbook go well with the pictures you’re including.
   • For example, if the wedding was elegant with a blue and white color scheme, you might pick out a white satin album with a blue ribbon.
2. Choose a design theme to tie the whole book together. This includes the color scheme you want to incorporate throughout the book as well as the font and any embellishments. If you’re going for a minimalist book, you might want more muted colors and few embellishments, or maybe you’d like to use your wedding’s color scheme in the memory book and lots of scripting.
   • For example, if your wedding colors were red and gray, you’ll want to pick out cardstock and embellishments that go with these colors.
3. Pick out the supplies you’ll need for each page. Your supplies might include different colors and patterns of cardstock, stickers, adhesive, punchers, and other embellishments. If you’re going to back the photos on other paper, write with pens on the pages, or attach mementos in the book, make sure you purchase the supplies you’ll need to do all of this.
   • Consider purchasing a package of scrapbook cardstock, as these have lots of different patterns that all go together as one theme.
   • Decorative stickers are great for adding a little bit of flair and personality to your book.
   • Look for acid-free tape or glue so that your pictures and mementos don't get damaged.
4. Gather together the memorabilia from the wedding. Things such as the text from speeches, the program from the ceremony, wedding invitations, or the food menu can be included in your wedding book. Gather all of these special mementos together so that they’re ready to be taped or pasted into the book.
   • Handwritten mementos add a personalized touch—see if the people who wrote the speeches would consider writing them down for you so that you can put them in the book.
   • If you can’t find a memento that you really want to include, reach out to others that were at the wedding to see if they have one you can have.
5. Lay out each page before cutting or adhering the photos. It’s a good idea to do all of your photo cropping and paper layering before you actually attach the photos onto the album’s pages, just in case you need to move things around. Place the photos and embellishments on the page to space them all out.
   • Add an accent paper under a photo to make it pop, or write a description of the photo on a piece of paper and place it beneath the photograph.
   • Take a picture of the layout once you create one you like so that you can easily replicate it.
   • This will also give you an accurate idea of how many photos will fit in your wedding book.
6. Attach the photos and embellishments to each page. Once they’re placed where you’d like them to be, it’s time to start adhering the pictures and other things to the pages. Go slowly and place the glue or tape on the back of each picture, memento, or embellishment so that it’s not visible after it’s placed on the page.
   • If you’re using glue, it’s best to use just a few dabs as opposed to a massive amount so that the glue doesn’t leak through.

Creating the Book Online

1. Choose a website that will help you create your memory book. There are lots of different websites that will let you put together a wedding memory book without having to actually purchase any scrapbooking materials. These websites will let you design the book however you’d like, and then you can order copies of it to have printed.
   • Check out sites like Shutterfly, Snapfish, or Mixbook to find a company that you think will produce a great photo book.
2. Upload the pictures to the website. If you already have your photos in a digital format, you can simply upload the pictures you want to use directly onto the site. If there’s memorabilia that you want to include, you can scan these items and upload them as well.
   • The website will walk you through the process of uploading the photos once you choose the type of book you want to create.
   • Pick out all the photos you want to upload beforehand and put them in their own folder so that you can easily transfer them to the website.
3. Select a design theme for your online book. The website will have lots of theme options for you to choose from, such as different picture layouts, color schemes, and embellishment themes. Try to choose a theme that goes with your wedding and the pictures you’ve gathered together so that it’s all one cohesive book.
   • For example, choose a few bright pops of color and a simple layout for a laid-back beach wedding.
   • You could add lots of rose embellishments and fancy scripting with pink and red accent colors, or use gold lettering and blue accent colors with minimal embellishments, depending on the style of your wedding.
4. Customize each page until you’re satisfied with the results. When you’re creating your book online, you’ll be able to personally design each page exactly how you like it by placing pictures on the pages and adding text and pictures, if desired. Use the layout tools to help you design the pages so that they look put-together and show your personality.
   • Place embellishments like pictures of flowers or hearts next to the photograph, or layer a bunch of photographs so that they're slightly overlapping to create a collage.
   • Make sure you save the work you’ve done so that you can always come back and finish it at a later time.
   • Take your time and really give each page some attention to detail.
5. Order copies of the book, or share it with others. Once you’re satisfied with the layout of the book and all of the pages, save your work and submit your payment information so that you can order a hardcopy of the wedding book. Some websites will also have an option for you to share the book, meaning you can send the digital file to others.

Things You'll Need

• Wedding photos
• Wedding memorabilia

Putting Together a Scrapbook

• An album
• Cardstock in different patterns and colors
• Scissors
• Acid-free adhesive
• Pens
• Embellishments (stickers, flowers, etc.)
• Page protectors

Creating the Book Online

• Scanner

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References

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