Before I moved to London to be with Alex, I had lived abroad once before in Galway, Ireland. Just 20 years old at the time, I had never traveled before and found myself (like many young Americans) wandering the streets of Europe as a wide-eyed youngin’. My first trip was to meet visiting friends in Paris for a long weekend. The three of us took to the streets they knew so well, visited the best of museums, and sipped gorgeous hot chocolate from tiny porcelain cups. For every museum that we went to, we hit up the postcards section. My friends had been in love for many years by this stage, counted their anniversary in months, and the sweetest simple notes to each other on postcards they collected from each place they visited. As far as I know, they still do. Their love of postcards–and each other–has stayed with me ever since, and thus I collected postcards from every place I went, waiting to share them with some lover in the distant future.
Photo by Erica
Postcards became a go-to romantic staple and, fast-forwarding to falling in love with Alex, took on a new incarnation as my love and I were long-distance for one year exactly, with all mountains, rivers and ocean in between. Among the emails and the calls, there were packages and letters–and, of course, postcards. At this stage my collection went everywhere with me, waiting for the opportune moment to leave a note, send my love, decorate my living space. Notes for friends; reminders of my love for Alex; wall collages, clothesline adornments and window covers for my living spaces. And even with all these incarnations, the collection seemed to grow rather than dwindle.
Fast forward again to a phone conversation with Alex’s mum about items at the reception when she asks “What are you going to do for your guest book?” Silence on my end of the phone. “Oh, have you thought about that yet?” It hadn’t even crossed our minds yet, but luckily it didn’t take us long to come up with the idea once we did. You see, there seems to be a word theme developing: old letterpress stamps for our cake topper; lettered table decorations (don’t worry, I’ll tell you about that zinger of an idea soon!)–and now postcards. What better way to honor our literary and letter-writing infused relationship then by having a collection of postcards be our guest book!?!
Photo by Erica
With both of our faces lighting up with the idea, we set off looking for how to collect vintage postcards by the lot, incorporating American and British scenes. What we totally spaced was that in our own home, we already had at least half of the stash we needed! It dawned on us a few nights later, and we promptly dug out all of our postcards and laid them across the floor with ‘Yay’ or ‘Nay’ piles developing on both sides (I mean, c’mon, sometimes a postcard of a futurist painting doesn’t really say ‘Love’ like you want it to…).
By the end of the frenzied sorting we were beside ourselves in joy. And, in truth, it seemed as if some of those postcards I had collected from my first time abroad had only been waiting for the occasion. In the photo below are 2 postcards and a photo that was mixed in with the bunch. The top postcard is from a museum in Paris. A painting of two women dancing on the beach that we hadn’t seen that day, my friend picked it up and said “This is one of my favorites. I like to pretend they’re lovers dancing.” The postcard in the bottom right is of the walled city of Dubrovnik, our gay honeymoon destination, and an image I bought suddenly on my trip and have kept tucked away ever since. In the bottom left corner is the photograph you might recognize as resembling the engraving on Alex’s engagement ring; we’re thinking of having it turned into postcards for our thank you notes.
Photo by Erica
As for how the guest book will actually work at the ceremony, I’ll be bringing along the two Redwood bowls my father has made for us (“fruit bowls for the fruits” as he punningly says), displaying the postcards there, make a few pens available and a little sign to explain what they’re there for. The bowls also add further to the word theme as the genus name for Redwood is “semperviren:” always living.
Photo by Erica
After the wedding, we’re not sure what we’ll do with the signed postcards: maybe bind them into a book; maybe by a clear plastic photo display for the wall; maybe just frame individual ones. Whatever way we do it though, I know the images will remind us of all the places we’ve been–together and separate. All the love that was there waiting for each other. The countless notes and messages that winged their way across miles and miles. And, finally, the wishes and hopes and love from everyone who was there to see us start our new journey together.
Really cute idea!
That is such a wonderful idea and it is really great that it’s something so meaningful to your relationship.