Keeping It Real.

Ever since Miss Cowboy Boot wrote about the "love letter box", I knew I had to have one at my wedding. Mr. Lab and I both think it is important to recognize the fact that there WILL be hard times in our marriage; that it's not a matter of "if", but "when".

In this day and age where something like 40% of marriages end every year, it's important not to be so naive to think that it could never happen to you. In my family alone, my mother, two older brothers, and older sister have all gone through a divorce. I know of several people my age that have already been married and divorced. During the engagement and wedding planning process, the possibility of divorce can be the furthest thing from somebody's mind. But I feel it's necessary to talk now with your soon to be husband (or wife!) about how you plan to handle the difficult moments in your marriage. It's all about keeping it real.

No, this realization doesn't mean I'll become a super pessimist thinking about divorce all the time. Rather, it means that Mr. Lab and I have made a promise do everything in our power to overcome whatever obstacles that come our way which may potentially lead to divorce. We know many traditional wedding vows imply this promise, but we wanted something that more clearly expresses to our guests that we recognize marriage is hard work and we won't be taking it lightly. That's why the love letter box spoke to us.

So this weekend during a DIY project marathon, I got to work on making our very own love letter box. I found this little gem at the same A.C. Moore where I found my bridesmaids' flowers:


It was absolutely perfect for our love letter box! At only $10.99, it was also a good deal. But when I got to the register, a customer who had just checked out handed me her unused 40% off any one item coupon, so it only ended up costing me $6.59!

Once I was home, I began working on a way to customize it. I decided to use brown paint to tie into our wedding colors and started painting away. I had an episode of Heroes on the computer and a glass of wine (it's only fitting while working on a box that will house some wine!) while I transformed the box from this:


Into this:


I'm really happen with the way it turned out! We'll use the thin wood nails to hammer the sliding door shut during the ceremony. I'm going to add our wedding date on it somewhere, but I feel like it still needs a little something else. Maybe a quote on marriage that seems fitting for what the box is for?

Anyone have any suggestions on a short and sweet quote that encompasses the meaning of the box? And any suggestions on a relatively inexpensive bottle of wine that will (hopefully) last for many many years?