There was one part of my wedding that was so unique & special that I recommend every bride incorporate it.  A vintage brooch bouquet.  I first became aware of Amanda Heer (www.fantasyfloraldesigns.com ) shortly after my engagement when a friend sent me a link to 10 unique wedding ideas.  It included her brooch bouquets.  And I was smitten.

It’s basically this: instead of carrying flowers down the aisle, you carry a bouquet created out of family heirlooms.  I was struck by the beauty of the antique brooch bouquets I saw on Amanda’s website, but I was a little protective of my family treasures & couldn’t imagine unearthing them all from the depths of my dresser.  Because that’s where they go.  But ultimately it occurred to me that I might enjoy them more by actually using them instead of burying them all in a drawer.

I spent about a year collecting meaningful pieces.  And it wasn’t hard.  I asked family & a few close friends to give me something special to include & I was stuck by how important some of the pieces were.  Here are a few that were so profound to me:

My Great Grandmother, Mae, performed on Vaudeville. I’ve had these earrings since I was 7 years old. Probably my most treasured possession.

The hospital put this bracelet on Richie’s wrist when he was first born.

This was my Grandmother’s wedding ring. I bawled when she gave it to me for the bouquet.

This watch band is one of the few things Richie owns of his fathers. He actually gave me the whole watch, but I secretly had the face converted into a pocket watch that I gave him on our wedding day.

Elvis’ dog tag.

Putting these things in the mail was pretty much the scariest part.  But Amanda comes with some serious endorsements; she’s been featured on ABC, NBC, WeTV, Bravo, she was voted Trendsetter of the Year in 2010 & Wedding Wire in 2011, she’s been Best of The Knot- the list goes on & on.  So I insured the eff out of that package & sent it off.  And then I chewed off my nails every single day that ticked by while I awaited the return of my most priceless possessions.

When the box arrived from Amanda & I took my bouquet out, I actually cried.  It was beyond just beautiful, it was a collection of my life, my family, our history.  And walking down the aisle with it was all the more meaningful- relatives no longer with me felt a part of my big day. It was beyond just a “Something Old” fulfillment- I was carrying my family with me.

I absolutely *LOVED* my bouquet.

Every piece was significant.

After the ceremony, I displayed the bouquet next to a corkboard I’d made that highlighted each individual piece so our guests could appreciate the significance.

We displayed pictures and descriptions of every item.

I had a small real bouquet to toss.

Details on the pieces.

Just carrying the bouquet was emotionally powerful.

Today, I’ve put the bouquet in a shadow box in my living room.  And I admire it every day.  It’s a much more noble life for those heirlooms than the back of my dresser drawer.

If there was one component of my wedding that I would recommend to every single bride, it’s Amanda’s brooch bouquet.  It still chokes me up to think about it.

On facebook: https://www.facebook.com/broochbouquets