What makes an heirloom?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what makes an heirloom…

Why is it that some objects leave an impression on our hearts?

For someone like me, who feels everything far too deeply, this question is an important one. Why do some objects become so precious and meaningful to us?

To be vulnerable… my family has changed a lot in the past year. The bittersweet line between one generation and the next has brought waves of heartache and change and growth for us.

I resist change. It’s a fault of mine to cling too tightly to a bygone era—to stubbornly refuse to let go and make room in my heart for new traditions and new experiences. I will grasp at anything to keep those precious memories from fading.

This is where heirlooms take on meaning: in the midst of change, enveloped with joy and sorrow, closely intertwined… tied up with nostalgia and bittersweet memory. That’s how objects attach themselves to our emotions and memories: in the shift from one chapter of our lives to the next, certain objects become representations of something far deeper and more heartfelt than their everyday use.

Right now, there are objects in our home that are painful to see and touch and hold. They are tender reminders that a chapter of our lives has closed—an era of our family’s story has ended. But because of the overwhelming nostalgia I feel when I encounter these objects, I know that they are special.

I know that one day, they will bring joy and twinkling memories brimming with childlike wonder. They will spark stories that I will tell my children, and that they will tell theirs.

Heirlooms take root in emotion: our joys and sorrows are the key to an heirloom’s story.

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These are the days that will lend sentimentality and character to an object’s ordinariness. These are the days that transform an ordinary item into one that carries deep value and meaning for our family.

Right now, looking at that teacup or handkerchief induces a wave of heartache—a wistfulness for days that have already escaped us. But I know in that overwhelming nostalgia is a glimmer of hope and transformation: these objects will become storytellers. These objects are becoming our heirlooms.

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The same is true for objects from your wedding day: a day filled to the brim with emotion and transformation. It is the most jubilant and profoundly joyful day of your life. Savor it; take delight in every moment. Let the radiant joy of your celebration wash over the objects connected to it. Let your happiness become part of the objects that will forever signify your wedding day… knowing that you can look back on each item (a pair of earrings, the lingering fragrance of your wedding-day perfume) and taste a remembrance of that wedding-day joy.

I hope your wedding invitations will be part of that process. I hope that together, we can create invitations that speak to a transformative period in your life; invitations that will tell your story.

 

When your invitations are crafted with heartfelt care, they become reminders of the anticipation and joy of your sacred wedding vows. The emotional investment we make to bring your wedding stationery to life will transform them into a true representation of your wedding day—an heirloom for generations to come.

 

And for many of us, there are moments of a wedding day that will be bittersweet as well. An absent loved one, forever missed… or a twinge of nostalgia, because this new chapter’s beginning signifies another chapter’s end. It’s okay to embrace those feelings along with the joy. Don’t ignore those pieces of your story; they are equally important and beautiful and worthy.

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Don’t be afraid to embrace the hard days along with the most joyous ones. Accept the current season of your life with an open heart. Whether it is the profound happiness of your wedding day, or the wistful nostalgia of a changing generation… This is my hope for you: that you can let your emotions wash over the everyday objects in your life, transforming them into poignant reminders of your story—a chapter unlike anyone else’s.

 

 

Thank you for letting me share a bit of my heart with you… and thank you for letting me into your story. It is such a blessing to walk with you through this beautiful season of engagement, and to contribute to your own lasting heirlooms. I am so grateful play a small part in your story.