Once your wedding day is over, there a number of ways you can keep your memories alive. Your fantastic wedding album, photos and guestbook can be treasured forever, but there are a few other things you can hold onto as well.

the dress

Many brides won’t find an occasion to wear their wedding gowns again, but that doesn't mean you can't hold onto it. To ensure it remains in good condition, you will need to dry-clean your gown as soon as possible. You may not think your dress is very dirty, but sweat, make-up and tanning products take their toll on the delicate fabric, and  if the wedding reception went well, there’s probably going to be a couple of party stains too. A specialist dry cleaner can help restore your gown to its original beauty (and cleanliness!) and prepare it for long-term storage. Once cleaned, the dress should be wrapped in tissue paper and stored in a box in a cool, dark place to prevent mould, mildew, insect and UV damage. There are also some dry cleaners who specialise in gown preservation, they'll even box it up so that you can display it at home.

the cake

A popular first anniversary tradition, preserving the top tier of your wedding cake can be done at home. It is important to speak to your baker/cake decorator when you set out to find your wedding cake if this is something you are planning to do with the cake, as some cakes and decorations may not freeze as well as others. The cake needs to be placed in the freezer for two hours to harden the icing. Once hard, wrap in three to four layers of plastic wrap, put it inside a cake box and wrap the box in another three to four layers of plastic. Don't substitute the plastic for foil, as it may cause freezer burn. Once it is in the freezer, all that's left to do is wait until your anniversary to eat it! 

the flowers

While lovingly remembered, flowers often fade by the time the honeymoon is over. However, a variety of methods are available that can help your wedding bouquet last forever. If you would like to consider this option, talk to your florist or preservation specialist before ordering your bouquet, as different flowers are suitable for different types of drying. Methods include the conventional air-drying method, microwave drying or kiln drying. The best method, however, is a system of freeze-drying. In this three-dimensional drying, flowers are preserved in their natural form. Your bouquet goes through a labour-intensive process where it is carefully disassembled, preserved, recoloured, treated and carefully reconstructed to your chosen style, all by hand.