The Little Things.

Amber recently posted a blog about the tradition/ritual that she and her hubs-to-be will be having at their wedding ceremony this December. It is one that I have never heard of before, called The Wooden Box. If you're curious, go over to her page and read all about it.

Basically, it's a modern twist on the unity candle but offers a long-term meaning. If one day she finds her marriage in trouble, their little wooden box which they will seal on their wedding day, holds un-read letters they wrote to each other pre-marriage in an effort to remind them how they once felt and to rekindle their flame. I think it is a precious idea.

When Nate and I were planning our wedding (in the short six months we did it in!) we went with the traditional unity candle. I actually had not even heard of people doing anything different until about 2 weeks before our wedding. And though it was still symbolic and really sweet, I wish we would have thought to write letters to each other. (Amber, you won't regret that!)

We didn't sell ourselves short, though. The most (tangible) sentimental thing we took away from our wedding day is wrapped around our left fourth finger. On the inside of our bands, rather than opting for the traditional wedding date "11-10-07" or "always and forever" or what have you, ours simply says, "It'll be fun."

When we first started dating, my Mom had coined the phrase, "it'll be fun" when she talked about just about anything. "Let's go to the mall - it'll be fun," "Let's clean the house - it'll be fun." Just silly little things. It wasn't long before I started saying it, and in turn Nate started saying it. So after he proposed it was, "Let's get married - it'll be fun!" While we took this committment a little more seriously than the phrase may sound, if ever Nate is on my last nerve (love you, dear!) or we are just having a tough time, I can remember the happiness and insane, blind love that was so strong and it truly does make everything seem a little brighter.

Marriage isn't always a walk in the park, and though mine has been mostly bliss thus far, we all have our moments where we need pick-me-ups. Whether it's in the form of a wooden box, a wedding ring or sand in a jar, it's about what brings you two together and helps you get through the tough times.

This has been my tip for marriage of the day. Those of you who aren't married yet - remember this because the day will come, my friends!