How to Make a Wedding Memory Book

Remembering your wedding reception is something you are not likely to forget, but after a few years the details start to fade. If you don’t videotape the whole thing, you can always rely on pictures. If you plan ahead of time, you can have your guests help you put together a wedding memory book that will be cherished for a lifetime. Read on to learn more.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Disposable cameras
• Computer
• Microsoft Word
• Printer
• Stationery
• Thin specialty paper
• Scissors
• Pens
• 2 Baskets
• Scrapbook with inserts
• Adhesive

1. Purchase a disposable camera for every table at the reception. Use Microsoft Word to create a message for the guests, asking them to photograph everyone at the table and use the rest of the photos to capture their favorite moments of the reception. Explain to them that the photos will be used to create a special memory book of the day. Print out one message per table on the stationery.
2. Buy thin scrapbooking or specialty paper. Cut each sheet up into squares large enough to write messages on. Put all of the squares into a basket. Place this basket on a table or flat surface near the entrance to the wedding ceremony. Make sure there are multiple pens available. Have an attendant ask each guest to sign a square, discarding them in a separate basket.
3. During the ceremony, be sure the bride and groom visit each table and takes pictures with their guests with the disposable cameras. Make sure all of the photos and the baskets with the used and blank squares are collected before the wedding is over.
4. Develop the film from the disposable cameras. Match the pictures of the guests with their signed squares.
5. Remove each of the inserts from the scrapbook, one at a time. Arrange the photos and their squares on the page before affixing them to the page. Once satisfied with their placement, apply adhesive and stick them to the page. Continue until all of the photos and squares are included in the scrapbook.

Tips & Warnings

• Use stationery that reflects the color or theme of the ceremony. It will add to the ambiance.
• Craft stores sell sheets of all colors and textures of paper for scrapbooking. Make sure to buy paper that has very little design so you can read the names of the guests, and is not so brittle that it can’t be written on it.
• Try to collect photos from your guests. Many guests, especially family members, will probably have their own pictures and will be glad to make copies.
• If there is a theme to the wedding, decorate the pages in your memory book with stamps, stickers and adornments that reflect that theme.
• Use the memory book instead of a traditional guest book.
• Only put one camera per table. Many guests will be put off if you ask them to take too many pictures.