When they get back from the honeymoon, most couples end up stashing their wedding mementoes away in boxes, but not Linda McAleer of Plainfield, Ill. "My wedding was such a wonderful experience, I want to relive it every day," she says.
She and her husband, Rick, got married on a boat as it sailed down the Intracoastal Waterway off Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Memories of that magical day are forever captured in a shadowbox hanging near the McAleer's front entryway. It features a picture of the couple on their wedding day, their invitation, napkins and matchbooks (which all had a nautical theme) and some of the shells they collected during their honeymoon.

"It's a wonderful piece," says McAleer. "Our framer did a great job capturing the fun we had that day."

According to Sturdy Waterman, owner of the Page Waterman Gallery in Wellesley, Mass., more and more people are turning to custom shadowboxes as a way to preserve their memories. "When you put memorabilia in a shadowbox, it ensures you'll get to enjoy it everyday. Not just when someone decides to pull a box out of the attic," he says.

Among the most popular ways Waterman says shadowboxes are being used to preserve wedding memories:

* Display photographs from the wedding

* Preserve pressed flowers from bridal bouquets and garter belts

* Display memorabilia such as photographs, invitations, napkins, champagne glasses, etc.

"With shadowboxes, it's important to remember you're not only putting your memories on display, your preserving them for posterity," says Waterman, "which is why once we complete a piece, we always recommend our clients pay a little extra to have them framed behind TruVue Conservation Glass."

Conservation Glass offers UV protection - filtering out 98 percent of UV light rays. Waterman points out that if you also want anti-reflective properties and a reduction in glare, you can upgrade to Museum Quality Glass.

"I tell all of my customers they'll enjoy the piece more if it's framed behind quality Glass," says Waterman. "The colors will be richer, and they'll never have to worry about yellowing or fading."

Knowing she'd be able to preserve her memories for an eternity is what sold McAleer on Museum Glass when she had her shadowbox made. "I'm so glad we did it," she says. "The memorabilia inside looks as good as it did the day we got married."