The memories you create on your wedding day are irreplaceable, and with a destination wedding, the new experiences are multiplied. Fascinating sights and unfamiliar terrain are the backdrop to a momentous time for you, your soon-to-be spouse and your guests.
As you travel to an intriguing location to tie the knot, take hold of the memories on your trip with a journal. Travel journaling can help you hang onto the memories while being present for the adventures and celebrations of the wedding trip. Here are seven tips for keeping a wedding travel journal.
1. Collect Momentos
Writing isn’t the only option for compiling memories along the way. Tangible details can fit snugly in your journal and help you recall stories in a different way. Handouts from the ceremony or a matchbook from your honeymoon suite can turn into treasures. Pick up keepsakes to reminisce about when you’re back from the trip.
You can tuck ticket stubs, coins or maps between the pages, and when you have an extra moment, glue the small souvenirs into your notebook. Pressed flowers from your bridal bouquet or local excursions can serve as a unique token from your travels as well.
2. Bullet Point the Details
During your travel and wedding itinerary, time is a precious commodity, which can hinder your journaling efforts. You want to fully enjoy the scenery and culture of the destination, and reserving time to write it down can prevent you from experiencing the trip first-hand.
Rather than splitting your attention between the journal and the activities, just jot down the high points. You can bullet point the details to ensure you’ll remember the most crucial parts of your ceremony, reception and additional events. Later, you can fill in the gaps and describe what you missed.
3. Capture the Feeling
On one of the most significant trips of your life, it’s difficult to put your emotions into words. But reflecting on your state of mind during your wedding travels can preserve the joy, nervousness and excitement of this time.
You can convey your feelings during each stage by focusing on your senses. Write what you saw while walking down the aisle and what you heard dancing with your family and friends afterward. Your writing, especially when it appeals to the senses, can transport you to your travels in the future.
4. Do End-of-Day Summaries
With a whirlwind of events during the day, you can feel pressed for time when you’re juggling traveling and wedding activities. You might not pick up a pen right after the bouquet toss, but you can make mental notes throughout the day. Then, at the end of the day, you can summarize what happened.
Sectioning off time of the day to write and remember the day’s proceedings can help you highlight the best parts of the day. You can choose the most impactful things to write about, like a sweet moment with the bridal party.
5. Try to Sketch It
If you’re an artistic or visual person, doodling in your journal can add more dimension to the memories. Visual representations on your trip, like a quick sketch of a mountain vista you hiked on the honeymoon, can help you and whomever you share the journal with a picture the area. Small maps of the wedding venue can illustrate the order of events too.
6. Use the Flights to Catch Up
When you find yourself falling behind on journaling, take advantage of the downtime you have on the plane to catch up. That way, you can record the information while it’s still fresh in your mind. This process can make the flight feel like it’s going by faster, and you can finish up your final thoughts on your wedding travels.
7. Opt for Blogging or Vlogging
Handwritten journals may not be your preference, and there are plenty of upsides to using other approaches. Blogging and vlogging are ideal for techy couples. As you type up your musings, you can share the events as you go with any guests who couldn’t make it by blogging. Vlogging, on the other hand, allows you to watch your wedding trip like a home video on anniversaries and special occasions.
Commemorate Your Special Travels
For your destination wedding travels, capture each story and detail from the trip by journaling. You can then look back on everything leading up to the event and the honeymoon afterward in a rare way. Recollect this extraordinary time with your personal commentary and perspective.