When brides invite the mothers and bridesmaids out to start the search for the perfect wedding gown, there’s something important they’re forgetting to do. Bring along the right undergarments? No, that’s not it. The right shoes? No, that’s not it either. Bring a notebook to keep track of gown styles and model numbers? That’s partially it.

The #1 thing you need to do when you’re ready to start looking for gowns is create a plan to keep these memories forever.

This is the most important dress-shopping trip you’ll ever go on in your life, a momentous occasion for you and for all of the women you bring along. And while you might not be thinking this far ahead, your kids are going to want to know everything about how you chose your wedding gown. With the right steps taken now, you’ll have a scrapbook and perhaps even video to share with them.

The search for the perfect wedding gown is an adventure. And you have your closest loved ones there with you. How awesome would it be to capture photos, videos and their notes on what this day was like for them? You’re immortalizing your gown-shopping trip, and you’ll be glad that you did.

Here are some ideas for capturing “The Story of My Gown:”

1. Bring along a Polaroid camera (yes, these still exist, and they’re great for this shopping trip because they print out the photos right away). A digital camera is fine as well. Take pictures of your group having a pre-lunch, or a champagne toast, or all of you looking through bridal magazines to find the perfect inspirational photos of dresses. Get a shot of you holding up the magazine that offered THE photo you love.

2. Take photos of you all headed out to the gown shops. If you have video camera going, interview the ladies about how excited they are. And of course, get video footage of you entering the shop.

3. Appoint a bridesmaid to write down all the details, such as things that you say, and what you find.

4. Get photos of those ‘No way!’ dresses you’d never wear. Try them on if you’d like to keep this session fun.

5. As you try on each gown, snap a picture and have someone write down what the assessment is of the dress. “Makes my butt look big!” “Too much cleavage!” “Too frilly!” “I look like a meringue!”

6. When you step into the one, your facial expression – that unmistakable dropped jaw, the tears in your eyes, the tears in your mother’s eyes – are all captured on film or in photos. You’ve just captured a miracle moment in your life…your gown has found you.

7. Do the same as you’re trying on veils and headpieces, and if your maids want to try on dresses, turn the camera to them as well. Everyone can have a keepsake of this great shopping trip, or as many shopping trips as you will go on.

8. And if you’ll go on a Running of the Brides for an outlet sale, how great would it be to get photos and video from that?

9. Go for a post-shopping lunch and have everyone write down their experiences and observations in a pretty lined journal. You can even give them colored pens to go with their personalities, and encourage lipstick kiss prints and other fun marks that will mean so much years down the line.

10. Get your photo taken with the sales associate who sold you the gown.

11. At home, when you’re alone, write down all of your feelings about going for your gown: your fears, your worries, your thrill at finding the perfect dress, how this is the first time it has ever looked like you had a waist, how great your arms looked. And don’t be afraid to be funny…you can make fun of some of the dresses. These notes show your sense of humor!

12. Ask your mothers to record their thoughts on pretty papers as well, perhaps even on their personal stationery, that you’ll keep as part of the scrapbook.

13. After the wedding, add to this scrapbook or journal the photos of you in the gown, what people had to say, reactions from parents or the flowergirls, and ask your groom to record his first impression of you in the gown. All of these words will stay with you forever.

14. Have this journal professionally copied and sealed, for storage in a box that will be kept near your preserved wedding gown. This way, you have the scrapbook to enjoy with lots of people now, and you know there’s a safe copy with the dress for future generations to find.

15. Just for fun, write a note to a future child or grandchild who may want to wear your gown as an heirloom in the future. How cool would it be to find that?