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    Wine Box Ceremony – A Beautifully Sentimental Idea

    A few years ago I attended my friend’s Greg and Theresa’s wedding.  It was a beautiful event on a farm in Connecticut and aside from a slight bee infestation, the ceremony went off without a hitch.  There may have also been an incident with Theresa’s chair breaking, but that we will save for another blog.  And although the entire day was memorable, it wasn’t the beautiful setting, the bees, or the chair incident that stuck out most.  It was a beautiful sentimental moment during the ceremony that incorporated a bottle of wine placed in a beautifully deigned wooden box with a lock and key. 

    The wedding officiant presiding over the ceremony explained to us that marriage was a journey and that the vision of their future will evolve over time.  He explained that even though that vision will evolve and change over time, it is important to remember what your hopes and dreams were when you first got married.  Greg and Theresa had written notes to each other explaining to each other the love that they felt on this day and their hopes and dreams for the future.  The two of them placed their notes in the box as the officiant told them that the box should remain locked for 10 years.  On their 10th anniversary they should open the box, share the bottle of wine and read the notes they had written to each other.  He explained that the intent will not be to look back at what could of or should have been based on the vision of the future 10 years ago, but to celebrate the journey that they have taken together recognizing the accomplishments they have shared along the way and the changes to their vision that are inevitable within any marriage. 

    As I sat there, I couldn’t help but wish my husband and I had done something like this.  We were about 6 years into our marriage and as he sat next to me I wondered what he may have wrote in that note or even better what I may have wrote.  Greg and Theresa were lucky to have this and I am sure on their 10th anniversary they will share some laughs, maybe some tears, but I am sure they will be cherishing the fact that they had written each other those notes 10 years ago.

    After witnessing this beautiful sentiment I decided to do a bit of research into other ideas that incorporate a wine and lock box into the ceremony.  I found there to be a few different concepts, all which would make any wedding day special.  Here are a few different iterations that may be of interest.

    - Instead of having the wine box locked until a certain milestone (like an anniversary), have it be there for a particular difficult point in your marriage. Listen, I have yet to meet a married couple that has not had a difficult moment.  Sure, some are more difficult than others and only you will know when this bottle in a box may come in handy.
    - Instead of a lock and key box, incorporate a box that can be nailed shut. This adds a bit more dramatic affect to a wedding and may make for some great pictures.
    - Open the box on your first anniversary with the intent of writing a new note for your 5th anniversary (and repeat as often as you see fit).
    - Have a custom label made for the wine
    - You could essentially come up with many different things to write in the letters. A few ideas you could incorporate in your letter….
    -Your partners quality’s you fell in love with
    -Your hopes, dreams, vision for your future
    -Something cute and quirky (ex. what you may look like in 10 years)
    -A secret story about a moment that you knew you loved him or her

        The other thing to consider when incorporating this idea into your ceremony is the wine itself.  Depending on the length of time you are planning to keep the wine and how you plan on storing it will dictate the type of wine you decide to place in the box.

        - First off, no matter what wine you purchase you will want to make sure you store your wine somewhere that is cool (around 55 degrees) and somewhat humid
        - For those that plan on opening the box their first anniversary, the options are limitless as almost all wine will stay good for 1-2 years.
        - For those of you that are looking to keep your wine box sealed for 5 or more years, it is recommended that you visit a local wine store (or do an online search) and ask for wines that are considered ‘cellar worthy’ or ‘ageable’. The last thing you want is to be so excited to open your wine box after 10 years only to have the wine taste rancid.

          If you do incorporate a wine box into your ceremony, I hope these ideas, tips, and tricks help you to put your own unique spin on it.