Scrapbooking - help!!

[BMW]

I am trying to start my wedding album.

 

I have a few photos of dh and I dating.

 

I have photos of my bridal shower.

 

I have photos of our reception and "day away".

 

I know that I'll do lovely pages with the photos, paper and stickers, but I am at a loss for what to write and how to start it.

 

If you've done this, did you write your story on an introduction page?

Did you just write alongside the photos?

 

Any special ideas? I'm afraid that I'm a bit of a perfectionist and it's hard to begin... I want it to be "just so".

 

Thanks,

Bee

[Emmy]

I would think about what you want to journal and then let that dictate your design. There's nothing worse than designing a great page with a teeny tiny space for journaling and then realizing you have a lot to say! :)

 

As for the journaling....think about how you want to journal (first person is my favorite) and what you'd like to say. I am very conversational in my journaling and try to aim for a casual feel, so when my children read it someday they will "hear my voice" in the written words. You don't have to be mushy on every page, but it might be nice to express some of the emotion of the day - were you excited, nervous, etc. HTH! Remember - it will be perfect because it is recorded. Your children and grandchildren will cherish reading your thoughts about your wedding day and looking over the photos. Don't let fear of imperfection keep you from scrapping your memories. :)

[Heather in Neverland]

I'm not much help because although I am an avid scrapbooker, I don't...gasp...journal. I put cute titles, dates, etc. but I don't really journal.

[Brindee]

I got married almost 21 years ago, before scrapbooking stuff was even available, really.

 

You know this already, but it's up to your likes and dislikes how you do it! Lay it out several different ways, to get an idea of what appeals most to you. I did a layout of a trip dh and I took. We had the most fun time, and both of us loved it. So after scrapbooking the main pages, I took the leftovers--pieces of pictures I'd cut parts out of, or pictures I hadn't been able to fit in, etc., and made those pictures into the shape of a heart. The title of that page was simply "We loved our vacation!" You can write things in heart shapes--the journaling can go along sraight at the bottom of the page, for instance, then near the middle or one side, just make the journaling into a little heart shape. Hard to explain, don't know if you can picture what I'm saying... Some people like journaling a story, some just title the pictures. Sometimes you can use jjust one word (in this instance, again, maybe using love), then put pictures on that page and maybe one other page it will be with in the album, that have to do with that word. Use colors that compliment your wedding colors as background and highlights on the pages...

 

When I do ours, I want to do it chronologically, so I will do a "story" of how we met, some pictures from dating, etc. However, I still think I'll do two albums--one with the story of us getting together, that I just mentioned, and make the wedding itself a separate and more special album.

 

Sorry if I just blabbered and wasn't any help! I wish you all the best on this!!!

[Kari C in SC]

I am not an expert and don't even ask me when the last time I scrapped was, but I have done it a few different ways. When I have a lot to say, I have actually typed it up on word and then printed it on card stock. Then I use my cutters to make a nice shape out of it. I also have journal boxes that Creative Memories sells. I am sure there are some other brand of journal boxes at your craft store. They usually are different colors and designs that coordinate with your page. The easiest way is to just write along side or below a picture. That is quick, but doesn't always look the best. Personally, I would do whatever gets the pictures and words on pages at this point. I did my wedding album about 10 years ago and I wasn't really into journaling. It is all about pictures and not so many words. Since then, my sil has passed away. One of the true gifts she left behind were her numerous scrapbooks. She had made about 25 in her 15 years of marriage. A couple times I went back to her house to visit after she was gone. I would go downstairs to nurse my ds and I would flip through these books. Like another poster said - I could "hear" her in them. It brought me lots of tears, but I enjoyed spending some time with her. One year after I came home from her house, I set myself to scrapping and I journaled. I did 350 pages that year. Then my baby became a toddler and a preschooler. I am hoping now that he is 4, I can get back to scrapping again. I want my books to tell my kids a story some day. Happy scrapping!