Have you ever been asked to contribute to a layout or two to a birthday, anniversary of retirement scrapbook? I refer to these projects as potluck scrapbooks. Much like a traditional potluck, each person contributes a favorite item to the mix. In the case of scrapbooking, you could be asked to donate some photos, memorabilia or stories that tie into the theme of the album. The individual items are then put together to create a single layout or used throughout the entire book.
An anniversary memory book lends itself well to potluck scrapping. The nature of the occasion allows you to easily collect memories from family members and friends of the couple. In fact, having an array of contributors is often better than designing the entire book yourself, as you can obtain a variety of photos, stories and memorabilia with very little effort.
If you are worried that the book may look a bit awkward if you allow dozens of people to randomly design layouts, then send matching paper to guests to create a more cohesive look. The idea is to get as many different pictures of the couple in various scenarios and with a variety of people. If you run into issues with people not wanting to design a layout, then simply ask them to contribute photos and a short anecdote or notes relating to the donated images. For people who don’t have pictures to share, ask them to jot down some well wishes for the couple or have them provide a small memento to add to the book.
When making a potluck scrapbook for a wedding or anniversary, don’t forget to include some blank pages so the honored couple can record their own thoughts and memories. I’ve seen some potluck books that leave space throughout the album for extra pictures and journaling, but I prefer to add several pages at the end of the book, that way the couple doesn’t have to spend a lot of time filling in holes on specific pages.