My friend and former groom Michael is a world-class Anglophile, and he reminded me that today (April 28) is the ninth wedding anniversary of the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Now, almost a decade later, Kate and William have made a beautiful family including Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte. I fondly recalled their wedding, it seemed like a simpler time.
There are many ways a happy couple can celebrate their wedding, including partaking in a favorite wedding ritual, the memory box. Over the years, I’ve had numerous couples who’ve incorporated this idea into their wedding ceremony. Here are the basics: the idea of a memory box is a simple, but powerful one. The couples place sentimental objects in the box to honor their wedding, all to be opened some years after the Big Day. It functions as something of a “time capsule.” Brides and grooms will often include photos, programs, and flowers from the wedding, along with letters for reading, on their anniversary and special items like a well-chosen bottle of wine. Often those who wish to have this ceremony ritual will have a special box (lock included!) prepared for the custom. Some couples have an idea about which anniversary they might open the treasure chest—a round number like 5 or 10, but for others they set it aside for a “rainy day,” of sorts. In other words, should there be a speed bump in their marriage, re-visiting the memory box might be a helpful remembrance of the love they’ve shared and their eagerness to commit to marriage. To my mind, it is a sentimental treasure chest.
