But it’s on CD

Forget a diamond. The next time I find myself in a relationship and I want to show her how much I love her, I’m picking up a pencil and writing her an epic poem. For the price of some good archival paper and a number two pencil, my love will be forever inscribed. It’ll be cheaper than any diamond, and will last just as long.

Okay, maybe my graphite scribbles won’t last quite as long as a diamond, but it will sure outlast both of us. Sometimes the simplest, seemingly fragile things are the ones that last the longest. See, two friends of mine just got married. Like many married couples today, all of their wedding photography was digital. They recently invited people over for the traditional viewing of the wedding album. And, like the good curator I am, I asked them if the album was made with acid free materials. They said they didn’t know, and then they said, “It’s okay. We have them on CD.”

Compact discs may seem like a strong, reliable way to archive your most precious memories, but really, they’re just not that good. Of the billions of little bits of data stored on its rigid surface, only one wrong bit can ruin a wedding day photo. Forever.

And it’s not just CD’s. The strongest photo album can ruin your prints if it’s not made out of acid free material, the names and dates you write in ball point pen will fade, and seemingly impenetrable storage locations (like attics or basements) can cause mold growth.

So to all the blushing brides of this wedding season, I have two things to say. Use pencils. And take a bit of time to learn how to properly save the documentation of your special day. That means using pencils, buying good photo albums, keeping them away from the attic or basement, and a few other really simple things. One website, an email to a friend, or a class at your library, local museum or historical society could make the difference between showing photos to the grandkids or cleaning mold off the wedding album. Worse yet, you may not have photos to show at all.

I would hate for this to happen to my friends. You see, I met each of them shortly before they met each other. I had the privilege of watching them grow closer to each other, from friends, to lovers, to husband and wife. Their relationship, the way they interact, all seems so natural, so simple to me. And the simplest things are the ones that last the longest.