Wedding Handkerchieves

Embroidered Handkerchieves

People are starting to ask me if I am getting excited for our wedding. We are now down to 13 days. I say yes, of course. I am thrilled for our wedding, but in some ways, it's a hard question for me to answer.

Of course, I am so excited to marry Jeremy. To "start the rest of our lives together." But, for us, in some ways, we already have. Jeremy and I live together. We own a dog together (and together we forget that Mosby is a dog, not a human child). We have consider each other's families our own. I love his nieces and nephews as if they were mine; Jeremy was the first person to rub my sister's belly. In all the little day to day ways, Jeremy and I have already committed ourselves to each other.

But, for me, our wedding day is still such a sacred and beautiful day. It is the day that we will stand in front of those we love the most to celebrate our love for each other and dedicate our lives to one another. It is a day of celebration with the people who have shaped us, loved us, and made us who were are today.

When we were newly engaged, I (like most brides) had so many ideas of what I wanted to do to make my wedding special. I had taken an embroidery class, and at first, decided that I wanted to embroider handkerchieves for my bridesmaids. Then it turned into bridesmaids, moms, and grandmas. Then, it turned into bridesmaids, moms, grandmas, aunts, cousins, and close friends. It took very little time for me to realize that every single person coming to our wedding was so special to me.

So, around October, I took the plunge. I bought 90 plain white handkerchieves, washed them, ironed them, and printed embroidery patterns on them (all pictures were lost when my phone died).

Then, I started embroidering. Handkerchief by handkerchief, stitch by stitch, I got them done. I embroidered in the car, at home, at my parent's cottage, and at Jeremy's parents home.

It became a source of stress for the wonderful women around me. Several offered to do some for me. I really appreciated the offer (and still DO! thanks!), but I really wanted to do it by myself.

And I am so glad I did. Jeremy's niece, Erica, is going to handing them out for us as the women walk into the church on our wedding day. When I walk down the aisle and when I look out into the church, at all of the women who have shaped Jeremy and I, I hope that all of the women that I'm looking at will hear the little "thanks" sewn into the stitches. 

In a beautiful twist of fate/luck/my mom's help and planning, the basket that the handkerchieves are laid in is the same one that was used at my Aunt Patty's funeral. My Aunt Patty was one of my mom's sisters, who passed away before I was born. Coupled with my Grandma's legacy of showing love through homemade gifts, I can't think of a better way to honor two of the women who can't be with us on our wedding day.

So, will no further ado...the designs of our handkerchieves...

Until next time, keep crafting!

SB

the one I will carry on our wedding day