Weddings are emotionally charged affairs. I’m always hard pressed to find a dry eye in the room during the exchange of vows as two individuals come together to pledge their love and commitment to one another.
While emotion builds up and spills out as tears of joy, the day can also draw tears that reminisce love lost.
Fourteen years ago, my sister was planning her wedding. Our father had passed away a few years earlier after a brave battle with cancer. While I knew he would be there in spirit, I wanted her to have more. To really have him there for those moments that every girl imagines sharing with her father. Walking down the aisle. Dancing in his arms.
And so I began to research ways I could have him present for her. Search after search came up with ideas that were far too public for my sister. An empty chair set at the table. His photo on an easel. A dedication in the program. None of these were right.
It occurred to me that a wedding dress was the perfect hiding spot for a special memento. So, I created a piece of jewelry she could wear privately. It was an anklet to which I attached a locket with two photos of our father inside. I gave it to her before the wedding and helped her secure it that morning. And my sister was able to walk down aisle with her father and to dance every dance with him. It gave us both such comfort to have him there with us. When I got married a few years later, she gave me the locket to wear on my own wedding day.
This experience inspired me to transform the idea to a business so every bride could carry their loved ones with them on that special day. Our company, With You Lockets (withyoulockets.com), creates original anklets that hold photos and can be transitioned to a bracelet, because honestly, once you wear your locket, you never want to take it off. We also created bouquet pins, necklaces and a ring. And because it’s not just the bride who may be missing a loved one, we also have beautiful cufflinks for men.
Our brides and their families share their stories with us. They send us cherished photos and tell us how much it meant to carry their fathers, their mothers, grandmothers, friends with them. Each one of these stories and photos are special to us. Because the only tears that should be shed at a wedding are tears of joy.
By: Mikki Glass
1-800-BRIDESMAID
The Newlywed
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