What Should I Put in My Wedding Memory Box?

A memory box is a special ritual to include on or after your wedding day, and a great opportunity to plan a future reminiscing session with your spouse a few years down the line! There are so many ways to do it, and loads of different options for what to include. It’s a good idea to plan for when you’ll open the box – one, five or even ten years into the future!

Some couples even incorporate their memory box into their ceremony, as a symbolic ritual. You can ask your guests to write a wish or piece of advice for your marriage and place it in your memory box, or even nail the box shut together as a safeguard against peeking before the chosen day!

You can order a personalised memory box in any style you like these days, as they’ve become a really popular, but perfectly unique, way to commemorate your wedding day.

Here are some ideas for what to include in your memory box.

1. Love Letters

Many couples write letters to each other on their wedding day. I know my day kicked off with me crying my eyes out as I read the card my soon-to-be husband wrote for me! But you can also write a letter for your partner to open after several years of marriage, sharing your feelings about your wedding day and your hopes for your future together.

2. A Bottle of Wine

A great idea for a proper reminiscent evening, you can choose a bottle from the year you’re getting married, or just your favourite tipple. This is extra special if you’re having a wine ceremony as part of your wedding day; drinking your wedding wine will bring back all the memories of the day.

3. A Wedding Memento

There’s no stronger sense of nostalgia than when you find something you’ve made yourself. A perfect piece of memorabilia to place in your memory box could be something you hand-crafted for your wedding day; an invitation, place card, order of service or even a small centrepiece could be just the thing to get those happy feels, as you remember all the hard work you put into your special day.

4. Your Ceremony Script

Your ceremony script is the most important service a humanist celebrant provides. Keeping a copy of it in your memory box is a perfect way to preserve it; after all, you’re less likely to read through the script regularly than you are to admire a wedding photo on your wall! But rereading it together is a special reminder of the promises you made to each other on your wedding day, especially if you wrote your own vows!

5. Advice for the Couple

One of my favourite pieces of memorabilia from my own wedding is a stack of cards with advice and wishes from our guests. It’s such a nice reminder of how happy everyone was on the day, and the hopes they had for your future. This is really easy to include in your ceremony or reception; have your cards (or ribbons, leaves, bits of cloth – you can use your imagination!) next to your guestbook, where guests can write you a little message as they’re coming in or out. If your memory box is a part of your ceremony, this can be a beautiful way to include your guests in the proceedings, too! Each guest can place their wish or advice in the box by hand before you close it. It’s lovely to read them all again after the wedding day.

Little Extras

1. An eraser – to rub out any little mistakes you make along the way!

2. An elastic band – to remind you to be flexible and compromise

3. (Non-perishable) sweets or chocolate – to remind you that your love is sweet!

4. A box of matches – since you’re the perfect match!

5. A paper clip – to hold everything together if it starts to fall apart

Whatever you put in your memory box, it’s sure to spark some lovely memories of your wedding day. Take the time to really think about what would be meaningful to you, and ask your celebrant if you need some inspiration!