You wish to keep your wedding memories forever? Don’t rely only on wedding photos. You can have a wedding keepsake box to store all those little things that will remind you of this day years after. Brides all over the world used similar bride boxes for centuries, so you’re welcome to join them and create your own memorabilia box. What to put in it? How big should it be? Where to get a wedding keepsake box? Let’s find out.
First of all, a wedding keepsake box shouldn’t be too large or too tiny, obviously. You should be able to put there quite a few items. Usually, the size is about 9x12 inches (23x30 cm), 5x8 inches (12.5x20 cm), 5x25 inches (12.5x63.5), or something like that. The size depends on your personal preferences and the number of things it will contain. Most often, such bride boxes are rectangular or oval shaped, but there are round and square boxes, too.
The box should have your names and the date of the wedding on its top so that you didn’t forget what this is and accidentally throw it away. At the same time, the design of this box can be anything you like, just choose something that matches your personality.
Women are sentimental creatures, we tend to keep various items that represent our memories – photos, cards, flowers, small gifts, etc. But in the age of technology and virtual personal life, it can be hard to find some actual physical memorabilia to keep. That’s why we love weddings – they are full of items with sentimental value.
So, what do you put into your bride box?
- printed wedding invitation (if you had them);
- dried or pressed flower/flowers from your bridal bouquet (only pick a small one);
- groom’s buttonhole or boutonniere;
- cards with your wedding vows;
- USB drive with a copy of your wedding photos;
- a few printed wedding photos;
- wedding cake topper;
- guest book;
- place cards from sweetheart table;
- wedding favor you made for your guests (often, they’re small and have the Mr and Mrs names and wedding date on them);
- any items from wedding dinner table with the date of the wedding and your initials (cup holder, napkin, thank you card, etc);
- groom’s tie or kerchief (ideally, with his cologne scent from the wedding);
- souvenirs from your honeymoon;
- wedding veil or wedding hair accessories;
- good luck gifts (people might give you some kind of good luck charms or items as wedding present);
- wedding dinner menu;
- or any other things you consider memorable.
It’s up to you and your honey as to what to keep in a bride box. You might choose different items altogether. You can keep just a few things or fill the whole box with trinkets – if it works for you, great. Anything that reminds you of the wedding and your love for each other is worth keeping.
Curious example of vintage bride box from The Met Museum. European bride box from around 1787 made from cedar, with painted man and woman on the lid
Finally, where do you get a wedding keepsake box? There are a few options. First, you can make it by your own hands if you like to DIY. But make sure you both like the result. Also, you can buy or order a custom-made casket in your favored design and style. Today, there are dozens if not hundreds of bride boxes available online and in stores. And the price is very reasonable – for $30-300, you can buy a nice memorabilia box. Lastly, you can put a wedding keepsake box on your wish list of wedding gifts and hope one of your guests will pick or maybe create a lovely box for you.
In case you’re a romantic and sentimental person, definitely think about having a wedding keepsake box. You won’t regret it and it doesn’t require a lot of effort to gather stuff you can put in a bride box. Years after the wedding, you’ll be able to open this casket and show your kids these tiny pieces of your love story.
