How Can I Store Keepsakes From My Wedding?

Be sure that the photo album you use to store keepsake wedding pictures is acid-free.

A once-in-a-lifetime event like your wedding will likely have many keepsakes that you would like to last a lifetime, if not longer. But did you know that, if you do not store these keepsakes in the proper conditions, they can deteriorate quickly, and you could lose those precious objects and memories permanently? Some keepsake storage boxes and albums can even destroy your wedding keepsakes faster than normal because of high acidity in the materials. Be sure to store the keepsakes from your wedding in the right spot, so that they do last for generations to come.

Things You'll Need

• Shoe box
• PVC and acid-free box or photo album
• Large acid-free box
• Acid-free tissue paper

Instructions

1. Create a special keepsake wedding box to hold memorabilia, such as special candles, party favors and serving ware. A box can be made from a simple shoe box that's decorated with stickers and ribbon, or it can be a specialized "wedding memories" box that you purchase from a store.

2. Store items--such as pictures and paper keepsakes--in an acid-free keepsake box or album to help avoid any deterioration as the years go by.

3. Keepsake clothing items--such as your wedding dress, veil or gloves--should also be stored in an acid-free box. Many dry cleaners offer a wedding preservation storage system that you can purchase, where your dress is cleaned and then stored in a keepsake box that preserves the dress. The Minnesota Historical Society suggests storing your dress in an acid-free box lined with acid-free paper within your home, to best preserve your wedding dress.

References

• Minnesota Historical Society: Wedding Dress Preservation