Top 10 DIY Sentimental Ideas for Your Wedding Celebration

Posted by Tracy Zemke on September 23rd, 2019

Weddings are a special affair especially for the two tying the knot. You spend months choosing the perfect and affordable wedding venue, designing your dream dress, picking the menu, booking the best photographer, and the list just goes on.

Most couples start planning their big day early on. While they’re spending so much time getting the big things checked off the list like cake tasting, seating arrangements, flower consultations invitations, etc., the little things often get overlooked. However, these are the things that can make your wedding truly special and unforgettable.

Weaving in bits and pieces of you and your partner’s lives, interests, personalities, and history into the design of your big day should be your primary focus. That’s why we’re bringing you a list of creative and sentimental wedding celebration ideas that are sure to make your wedding day much more unique and personal.

1.  Make a Vintage Necklace with a Piece of Your Mom’s Wedding Gown

If your mother has saved her wedding dress and you know it’s not going to be worn by anyone anymore, this can be a great way to preserve your mother’s legacy. Just ask her if you can use a tiny piece from its lace.

You will also need a pendant tray along with a round or oval piece of clear glass (a glass stone) to cover it. Trace your glass stone on a piece of cardboard and cut out the shape. Use this cardboard piece to help you cut your desired portion of the lace. Next, you have to line the fabric inside the pendant tray and place the stone on top of it to see if it’s the right fit. Trim whatever needs to be trimmed.

Once this is done, put fabric adhesive on one side of the glass stone – the side that goes inside the tray. Stick the fabric on it and apply another thin layer of adhesive. Press the stone and the fabric into the pendant tray and apply pressure to get rid of any bubbles. Wipe off any excess glue using a wet paper towel.

You now have a beautiful pendant charm that will symbolize your mother’s love!

2.  Wrap for Your Bridal Bouquet

If you have the liberty to use a lot of fabric from your mother’s wedding dress, you can also make a gorgeous bouquet wrap out of it. A piece of her gown around the stems will add a sentimental touch to your bouquet. Alternatively, you may also use this idea to incorporate the memories of a loved one who has passed away. It will be a great way to honor them.

3.  A Multi-Generational Photograph

For this, you will need to get large portraits of your mom and grandma from their wedding days. Put them on a wall and hang your wedding dress near that wall. Now take a photograph capturing all three elements to create an everlasting memory. This photograph can be included in your wedding day decorations.

To make it even more wonderful, you can create a matching visual presentation centered around the groom. The same approach can be done using his father’s and grandfather’s wedding portraits.

4.  Wedding Bouquet Photo Charms

Everyone misses the loved ones who are no longer able to be a part of their big day. However, you can find thoughtful ways to remember and honor them.

One way of doing this is by creating photo charms that you can tie to your wedding bouquet so you remember your loved ones while walking down the aisle.

You will have to collect an old photo of every person who was very close to you. Scan the photos and resize them using any photo editing software. Finally, get them printed. Buy charm frames and cut your photos according to the size of the frames. Glue each photo to the frame and let them dry.

Tie the frames using prices of ribbon that go with the color scheme of your bridal bouquet. Bind them around the bouquet to create a lovely memorial.

5.  The Wedding Couple’s Story

Every couple has their own special story of how they met and the events that led to their wedding. Why not share yours with your wedding guests?

All you need is great research skills to find old photos, videos, notes, etc. You will also require a video making software to work on, and a lot of time. Share interesting details of how you two came across each other and the different phases you went through together.

To make things even more fun and exciting, you can go back in time a little and share about your individual lives starting from your childhood. The video can go on to include personalized messages from family and friends who couldn’t make it to your wedding but want to be part of it. The options are endless. Arrange a projector screening on the wedding day to play the video and entertain your guests. Be careful though, there will be a few waterworks!

6.  Tiny Love Notes Embroidered into Your Dresses

More than anything else, the wedding is about the wedding couple and the love they have for each other. And you don’t want to miss any chance of expressing that love on your wedding day.

You can prepare tiny notes for your partner to be sewn into their wedding attire to become sweet timeless memories. You will first need a small piece of fabric and fabric markers for this. The bride and groom or wedding couple can both write brief notes or romantic one-liners for each other such as “Let’s grow old together” or “Our forever and always begins from today.” In addition, you can also write your wedding date on the cloth.

These pieces of cloth can then be sewn into the inside of your wedding gown. For grooms, they can go on the back of their ties or pocket squares.

7.  Family Photo Display

Arrange a special table at your wedding venue where you display photographs of both your family and your partner’s. Include photos from the past and the present to give a glimpse of where you both come from. If you’re creative, you can design the photo frames yourself. Make sure they match your wedding theme and colors.

8.  Just for the Two of You

During the days leading to your wedding, spend some time writing a series of “To Be opened when…” letters to your partner. Gift this collection of letters to your spouse on your wedding night. These can be opened at particular times such as your first wedding anniversary, the first time you fight, etc. These letters will help keep the love alive for years to come.

9.  Wedding Guest Quilt

Are you or anyone in your family into quilt-making? If yes, then wedding guest quilts are a great way to cherish your loved ones’ wishes and prayers for your wedding and life ahead.

For this, you will need plain fabric, preferably cotton or any other non-textured fabric. Wash and iron the fabric and cut it in little squares to be sewn into the quilt. You can attach all the squares using masking tape so that each guest has room to write on one square, within the boundaries of the tape.

Give your guest fabric markers to write short messages on the square and sign them off. Later you can use these squares to create a hand-made quilt. What a great memento from your wedding day!

10.  Fun Facts about Him/Her

To help get the guests know better about you two, create personalized cards to be displayed on the dinner tables. These cards can have interesting facts written about each of you. This means fun facts about the groom for the bride’s guests and vice versa. You can design these cards on your computer and add any fun elements to them.

Personalized touches can really spruce up your big day. Make sure to borrow some of these ideas and make your wedding uniquely yours!

Author Bio:

Annalisa is Sales Manager at Harbor View Loft, aunique holiday party venue in San Diego, known for its 360-degree view of Coronado, the San Diego skyline, and the beautiful harbor itself. Annalisa books weddings, events, and corporate functions at this breathtaking location, and working with clients to find their ideal event package. She enjoys blogging about tips and trends in the wedding and event industry and sharing her perspective with others.