Wedding Shadow Box Ideas

Wedding shadow box ideas to inspire you - make a romantic and thoughtful gift with your Cricut or other cutting machine.

Learn how to make a beautiful and intricate papercut shadow box for the happy couple - a gift to cherish...

Papercut wedding shadow box in cream, lilac and green

Wedding shadow box papercut to make at home

Get the wedding shadow box template from my store here

Wedding Shadow Box Ideas

I made this beautiful wedding shadow box SVG template for you - for weddings, and for anniversaries and for any other romantic occasions that you'd like to celebrate - I think it will be a really special make for a really special occasion...

The file comes in SVG, EPS, PNG & DXF formats (available from my store here)

You can use the file for personal crafting or a small craft-business (making up to 200 units)

You can not use the file digitally (no digital products or sharing)

All the T&Cs are here

I'll share how to make the shadow box, and hopefully inspire you to get creative with colours too - you can match the colours of the wedding shadow box to match any colour theme for the wedding, or perhaps just the happy couple's favourite colours...

I'll give you some help and tips for getting the best results with colours, too...

Wedding shadow box ideas to inspire you

I also made an alternate wedding shadow box design here, inspired from the design on this page but with a very different feel. It has a simple, contemporary feel and a fantastically colourful rainbow. You might like to check out, too, while you're here - it comes in separate versions for bride & groom, two grooms, or two brides. I'll show you a picture at the end of the page - or you can go here now if you just can't wait...

What you'll need for your wedding shadow box

You will need:

Cardstock - in four different colours. I've used Sizzix cardstock for all the colour ideas (with the exception of the dark blue background layer which is a Clairefontaine card in 'Midnight Blue'). The cut is intricate so please use a quality cardstock that you know cuts well for these kinds of more intricate papercutting work. I've some tips for choosing and using cardstock with a Cricut here...

Double-sided sticky pads - these stick the layers together and separate them a little to give a better shadow effect

Frame - a box frame that's a little deeper will give you the best results for your shadow box. I've used a frame that's around 8 x 8 inches (20 x 20cm)

A way to cut your card layers - I'm using my Cricut Maker cutting machine. You will be also able to use the template with other cutting machines or if you want to cut by hand

The wedding shadow box SVG template - available via my store here

Wedding shadow box SVG - layered file - SVG/DXF/EPS/PNG formats

How to Make Your Wedding Shadow Box

Resize your design - the wedding shadow box SVG is sized to make a 20 x 20cm (8 x 8 inch) shadow box - please resize it in your design software to fit your own chosen frame (measure it!). I moved the design to the left slightly in Cricut Design Space so that I could easily fit it to cut the layers from A4 cardstock. I don't recommend resizing any smaller than the size supplied, as it is intricate!

Choose your colours - this is the fun bit but can also be tricky too! I've supplied the file in soft creams, greens and lilac, which I think works beautifully for any wedding occasion and is a lovely romantic look - so go with this if you love the look, or if you don't feel confident to choose your own colours...

If you'd like to select your own colours for your own wedding shadow box ideas, try to make sure that you get a good contrast between the happy couple and the background. The happy couple are the central point, so they do need to stand out against the background.

I also found it worked nicely to get the two floral layers in similar colours - in a light cream and very soft green in the lilac/cream/green colour choice - and in two (quite similar) shades of pink in the blue and pink version.

In the third version, the flower layers are quite different colours, but they're tonally quite similar (quite dark, strong colours) so it also seems to work.

I know that you could get really creative with this, so bear these points in mind while you select your colours, have some fun with it, and I so look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Alternate colour ideas for the wedding shadow box SVG

Pale blue, soft greys, and burgundy cardstock

Wedding shadow box colour ideas - blue background, taupe pavilion, and pink floral layers

You will need to cut your layers using whichever method of cutting you decided to use. If you're a Cricut user, I have some help with using your files here and with using your Cricut here...

I recommend using intricate cardstock setting on your Cricut - and please be gentle when removing the cuts from your mats as they are intricate.

When your layers are cut and ready, please come back here for the instructions for assembling your wedding shadow box...

Make a wedding shadow box with intricate papercut layers

Assembling your wedding shadow box layers

When you have your layers cut and ready, gather them together, along with your double-sided sticky pads, ready to assemble them together to create your wedding shadow box.

It's actually really easy to do (but shhh, don't tell anyone as it looks super-complicated)! You can follow along here to make sure everything runs smoothly...

Gather your layers together and lay them out ready

All we're going to do, is stick the double-sided sticky tabs in between the layers, this separates out the layers a little to give that nice shadow effect, which really is essential for the shadow box style...

I'm going to use one layer of sticky tabs, but you can double-up (one on top of the other) with your sticky tabs if you want a deeper gap between the layers for a more dramatic look.

Try and stick the sticky tabs in the same or similar position on each layer, as this helps your layers to sit evenly without sagging or twisting - you don't need to be exact, but try to be in the same general area each time...

Three or four sticky-tabs per side work well (you can get away with two!).

Stick them on the reverse (back) of the layer each time...

Use double-sided sticky tabs to stick to the reverse of the layer with the couple

Stick the double-sided sticky tabs around the BACK of the layer with the couple on

So start with the layer with the happy couple, and remembering to stick them on the back of the layer, just stick on your double-sided sticky tabs...

Then, turn over your layer, line up the top edge along with the top edge of the background layer (both layers should be facing the front now) - and when it's nicely lined up, just lower the cut layer down slowly and when you're sure it's in place, press down to stick well.

It should look like the image below...

The first layer is in place

We just repeat the process with the next layer, which is the one with the pretty pavilion...

Stick the sticky-tabs to the reverse of the layer, trying to get them in a similar spot to the previous layer.

Adding sticky tabs to the pavilion layer

Add your sticky tabs around the back of the pavilion layer

Stick the pavilion layer on top of the two layers you already stuck together - it should look something like this...

Wedding shadow box project coming together

The wedding shadow box project looks like it's really coming together now!

The project is really coming together now - in fact, there's just one layer left to add!

Let's stick the sticky-tabs around the edge of the final layer, remembering to work on the back of the layer again...

Add sticky tabs to the back of the final layer

Add sticky tabs around the edge of the final (top) layer - remember to work on the back of the layer again!

And for the final time, just line up the top edges carefully before sticking down this top layer...

Stick down the final layer of your wedding shadow box project idea

Hurrah! It's finished! Well, nearly...

We just need to add it into your frame and it's complete - beautiful and ready to gift or keep!

A beautiful papercut wedding shadow box idea to keep or gift

This would be a beautiful hand-crafted gift - something very special for the happy couple to keep, display and cherish throughout their marriage...

Intricate papercut detail of the wedding shadow box layered cardstock project

Layered cardstock intricate papercut detail

Get the shadow box wedding SVG template from my store here

Wedding shadow box ideas for alternative colours

I just wanted to also showcase the finished wedding shadow box ideas for alternative colours, to give you a closer look and hopefully inspire you to either choose one of these colour ideas or to get creative with your own colour combination...

Alternative colour ideas for the wedding shadow box - pink and blue

A colourful and fun look in bright pink and deep blue

A fun and colourful wedding shadow box idea with a deep blue background setting off brilliant pinks (above)...

And a sophisticated neutral palette (below) in two tones of grey, palest blue and a rich burgundy.

Wedding shadow box in sophisticated neutrals colours

A sophisticated wedding shadow box idea in a neutral colour palette

And don't forget the romantic pastel shades in the wedding shadow box template supplied (below) - cream, soft greens and lilac - pretty, floral, and very romantic...

Romantic wedding shadow box idea - pastel colours and cream

Lilac, greens and cream make a pretty and romantic wedding shadow box idea

Hopefully, these will help inspire you with your own wedding shadow box ideas for alternative colours...

Alternative wedding shadow box idea sophisticated colours

Sophisticated neutrals!

Colourful wedding shadow box idea pink and blue

Fun and fabulous, colourful wedding shadow box idea

If you want to make the wedding shadow box ideas, you can buy the digital template through my store (link below) with worldwide instant download....

Buy the wedding shadow box SVG template here

SVG/EPS/DXF/PNG formats

Personal and small-business commercial use

No digital products or sharing please

Wedding card SVG files

I have some nice wedding card SVG templates based on this design, that you could make to match or co-ordinate with your shadow box...

Layered wedding card SVG template

'Congratulations' wedding card SVG template

See both card designs on this page

Rainbow Wedding Shadow Box Ideas

I also used this design to spark inspiration for a new wedding shadow box design - with a contemporary feel, a colourful rainbow and separate versions for 'bride & groom', 'bride & bride' and 'groom & groom' - you can check it out here...

Rainbow wedding shadow box - comes as separate versions for bride & groom, two grooms, or two brides

If you like the rainbow wedding shadow box projects, do also take a look at the 'bride & bride' and 'groom & groom' card designs that go with it.

'Happily Ever After' Shadow Box

I actually designed the 'Happily Ever After' shadow box to be an engagement shadow box, but after I'd finished, I thought that it would work just as well for a wedding, special anniversary, or other romantic occasion...