Is it ok to keep old picture/mementos etc from past relationships after marriage?

I think it's alright, past relationships are in the past and your partner should not feel threatened if you keep old mementos . Just as long as their in an old shoe box , and not on your nightstand!

That depends, how long do you want your marriage to last?

You had a life before your married life, and you (and your spouse) has every right to remember it. Those mementos and pictures tell the story of your life, and are part of what led you to your new spouse. Keep them in a photo album, hope chest, shoebox, journal, etc. The other poster is right, the nightstand is probably asking for trouble. ...and if those mementos are somewhat inappropriate (lingerie, etc), it's probably time for something like that to hit the road.

There is nothing wrong with it if your fiancee is ok with it. but if you have found the true love in your life, those mementos are not even necessary because your finance is all that you need want and desire. and when you get married it needs to have no ties to the past for either of you. it will be better if you don't give place for conflict in the marriage. ultimately the choice is yours. but if you love your fiancee then why chance it.

I have thought about this also. The only thing is, I just have pictures, since the boyfriends I had before my finace was back in like middle school and early highschool. HAHAHA. I think that you both should talk about it. See how he feels. It all depends on what your both wanting to keep.

I think it's OK. I personally have pictures from my past that I feel were a part of what makes me, well, me. I don't think there is anything wrong with hanging on to a few momentos. :-)

I'm in the keep-it camp. That said, I think mementos should be kept in a way where they're safe, but not being constantly accessed. For instance, we both keep photos/mementos in boxes under the bed or in our backyard shed. Honestly, though, neither of us ever looks at these things at all. I'm not even tempted to, and when I happen across an old photo, it's really more of a reminder of a time in my life, rather than of an old boyfriend. My husband knows there is no man on earth that presents a threat to him, and I feel the same. But we both come with histories. In fact, even though we both have previous relationships that have ended (in some cases badly), I know that I am a product of my history and that he is a product of his. I think that the fact that he had these past relationships has helped make him into the man that I married. So, why be afraid of those memories?

Funny, as I was unpacking old photo albums, I asked myself the same question.

I think that if you aren't "taken" by photos or tokens from a past relationship, it's OK to keep them around if they are not put out on display. They are a part of your past, your life, and ultimately you - the woman he fell in love with.

That being said, be sensitive to your husband's feelings as well, and if they upset him - by all means, put them away in storage or get rid of them.

Well if you decide to keep them..then they need to be put away where no feelings get hurt. I found some old things here when I moved in and my fiance (we weren't engaged at the time) but he got rid of them...b/c he said they didn't mean anything to him. So just be wise and don't hurt anyone.

I think you need to know where your spouse stands. if they are bothered by it then you need to take that into consideration and get rid of them. after all they are who you are with now. if they don't care then think about why you want to keep them. as long as there is no sentiment there, i don't see why not. i've kept some. not mementos because those are from a past relationship but pictures and i don't see a reason to keep something that was significant like that but pictures, especially if they involve other people, why not.

I see this is a very old thread, but I ran across it and had to offer my 2¢. I met her in college, and we got married in our mid 20's. We certainly both had previous relationships. I knew about this one guy. Apparently lasted about 6 mos. and was told not that big a deal. Nothing that serious. We get married and she brings stuff from him; books, records, etc. all with his name on them. I was devastated. Who would expect their spouse to look at things belonging to an ex with his name on them every time he walked in the living room? I got rid of everything, but I would expect at least to put it all away. It did not go well. I ended up throwing it all out when she wouldn't do anything. She resented me for that and I resented her hurting me like that.

Years later I'm cleaning out the basement. I run across a stack of pictures. Here's pictures of a guy I didn't know about supposedly when she was single. One of the pictures was the guy in bed. Nothing naked (or at least hidden) but you don't usually have pictures of people in bed for no reason. At least those were put away. I threw that out too but I was throwing out a ton of stuff that day.

Last October we were watching a Modern Family with a similar story line. When the subject came up I mentioned how hurt I was that she needed to display that stuff prominently in our living room. She bit my head off telling me those were her precious memories and I had no right to touch them. My heart was broken once again. I think she still harbored feelings. I know this guy tried to friend her on FB. I let her know I didn't think it was appropriate and she deleted. He's also looked up my profile on LinkedIn.

I'm firmly in the get rid of it, or put it away camp. I find it very hurtful to display. Do you really want your kids finding that garbage years after? They don't need to see who else mom and dad slept with. Maybe I'm the AH but why have it out?