A couple months after our wedding in 2015, I posted our vows. A few months after that, I shared a photo of how we chose to display them above our bed.
In general, when I look back at the decor we had when we got married almost six years ago, I sometimes cringe. My styles have definitely changed, and I now enjoy spending more time making our house “homey” than I did back then. Mr. Handsome has returned to his old hobby of woodworking and has created some beautiful pieces. (Did you see the animals he made for Little Buddy’s bedroom?) And about three years into our marriage, I invested dozens of hours into refinishing and staining our solid wood kitchen/dining room table and coffee table. (All the work was done at our two-bedroom apartment, I must add.) Mr. Handsome also built a custom bookshelf.
Back to our vow: For quite some time, both of us have been looking at the cheap, store-bought picture frames and the blue cardstock we used for the background and thinking that our vows deserved a fancier display. A few weeks ago, Mr. Handsome built (out of old barn wood from a family farm) two identical picture frames.
Then he printed our vows on stationary paper and soaked the paper in a tea and coffee mixture for a few minutes. After letting the paper dry, he burned the edges. We both love how they turned out!
I can relate my decor has change over the years. The older I get the more I enjoy my home. What Mr. Handsome did with your vows is beautiful and I love the frame. The furniture you refinished a few years ago is beautiful it looks like hard work. You two are amazing. Hag.Md.
Nice! It’s so true about decorating tastes changing over time. When we’re young we don’t have much, so it’s so nice when we acquire some quality furniture pieces and decor. I love that your vows are posted over your bed as a reminder every day of what you promised to each other
Ha! When I read the title, I thought you had a vow renewal!
Yes, I noticed you now use more greys/neutral colors than before. I wonder if this means you would do a different decor for your wedding if it was this year?
Hi Iris. I tried to title it so people wouldn’t think it was a vow renewal, but I do agree that it’s a bit confusing. LOL. I do like grays and neutrals a lot more than I used to. I don’t think I would change my wedding colors though. I still really like blue and purple, just not for permanent decorations. But that’s a good question. What colors would you choose if you were planning a wedding this year?
Ellie
Probably orange. I now it’s not trendy right now, everyone avoids flashy colors, but it doesn’t matter to me, no one else is going to be looking at the photos for years.
I completely agree. It’s all about what you want. Orange would be fun, especially since there are so many colors to choose from. After blue and purple, I would choose peach.
What do you think about vow renewal services? Would you like to have one? I remember you wrote that Zack and Whitney Bates & Duggar parents had their vow renewal, it was nice.
In my country you must have a courthouse wedding first, priests & preachers can’t sign marriage licences. After that you may go to the church and have a special wedding service; most people in Russia are the Orthodox Christians. Sometimes it’s seen as a ‘vow renewal’ of some kind, people seek for the church ceremony after some months or even years of marriage.
Hi Helga,
That’s really interesting to hear how marriage ceremonies are done in Russia. I would love to do a vow renewal someday, but I would probably like to wait until 15 or 20 years of marriage. What part of Russia do you live in?
Ellie
So Beautiful!
I like that the frames have a special personal meaning along with what they are holding: your vows. Such a wonderful way to honour your marriage and each other. I was surprised to read it has been 6 years since you married. That time passed in a blink.
It really has passed in a blink. I can’t believe it has been 6 years either.
I was also going to say that I have always liked the decor choices you have shared with us here, right from the beginning! I think you are being hard on yourself. You have done such nice projects, like the furniture refinishing in your last apt. That was such a big job in your bathroom and so well done. You are both so creative.
Thank you for your kind words, Eileen! You are very sweet. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Absolutely beautiful!! Both of you are so talented!! My husband and I never had a wedding ceremony and when I’ve asked him about renewing our wedding vows, he says that he has no interest in doing so.
Mr. Handsome, this frame is absolutely beautiful. You should consider making more and put them up for sale.
Your husband’s crafts are so beautiful, I suppose, you can call them wood-arts, not woodcrafts :).
This looks very nice. How special that you could make it yourself.