Everyone is always concerned with getting great photos to document her engagement and wedding. But virtually no one thinks about documenting her marriage, not even the sweet newlywed life. With a little forethought, you can change all that. No, you don't need a professional photographer to follow you around, unless that's what you want. Here are some ideas for preserving the memories you are making as a married couple:

Family Photo Sessions

Who says you need to go to a professional photographer to have a photo session? You can use your digital camera or even your computer to take creative and even professional looking photos. First, decide who your subjects will be. You might want to just take pictures of the two of you or you can open up the session to friends and family. Invite everyone and make a day of it if you'd like. Decide on the look of the images that you'd like to take and then choose props accordingly. A brightly colored large frame without the glass in it, umbrellas and fake mustaches are popular choices. You could even put up a backdrop - a white sheet or black oak tag paper - to give the feel of a photo booth. Or you can take the photo session on the road and go to a nearby field or park or a landmark of some sort. If that all sounds like too much work, you can also just make it a point to take more candid shots of one another. Couples, don't forget to use the auto feature (and maybe even a small tri-pod) to take pictures of the two of you even if no one else is around.

Video Confessionals

Remember MTV's Real World? It was the first glimpse America got of reality television and the cast, who all lived in a house "to find out what happens when people stop being polite and start being real," would tape these confessional videos. Essentially, they would sit in front of a video camera in a room to spill the beans about whatever was happening in the house without the pressure of the roommates hearing them. You and your spouse can do the same. Rather than use the confessionals to increase the drama, you can use them to share your memories and talk about your true love and passion for one another. Every once in a while, you can complain about hubby forgetting your birthday or failing to take on the garbage...again. You can also conduct the confessional together as a couple. Give some thought to what you plan on saying, especially if you ever plan to share these tapes with family or your kids.

Blog

Many a newlywed nowadays keeps a Website and blog to document her life. Some of the newlywed bloggers who have shared their sites with us talk about the post-wedding blues, learning to cook, having a baby, and decorating their home. All of them share the wonders of being in love and committed for life. One of the wonderful aspects of keeping an online blog is that you can share your feelings with the world and interact with others at the same stage in their life. Also, the photos and stories you post will probably be online for eternity, which means computers and hard drives can break, houses might burn down, property could be stolen or destroyed, and your memories will remain safe, sound, and preserved.

Old-Fashioned Diary or Scrapbook

Back before blogs and social networking, people kept their lives to themselves. If you're a bit old-fashioned and don't want to share your memories with the world, you might prefer keeping a traditional diary. Within it, you could write, draw, keep photos, and the like. And you can keep it under lock and key or just store it somewhere that only you - and maybe your spouse can find it. Just keep in mind that someday your children or other family members might end up reading it. You could also opt for a scrapbook, which might include writing but tends to be more focused on photos. Some people are really serious about scrapbooking and use beautiful paper and embellishments to highlight their photos. This is also a great way to keep track of your memories, not to mention that it is something you and your family can enjoy for years to come.