My youngest sister Colleen is getting married in a couple months.  She has been dating Rob for several years, so we are all very happy to officially welcome him to our family.  They make a great couple!

My grandma and aunts hosted a lovely wedding shower in Colleen’s honor yesterday.  Because she is my sister and dear friend, I wanted to create a homemade shower gift that required my time and thought and preparation.  I came up with the idea of a marriage time capsule to help her capture this special time in her life.  I bought a simple and attractive lidded box at The Container Store and filled it with a few things to get Colleen and Rob started.  Once they close the box, they can’t open it again until their 10 year anniversary in 2021.

I added a Time Capsule Check List to the box so they don’t forget some important things:

*Save-The-Date

*Wedding Invitation

*Bachelorette Party Invitation

*Bridal Shower Invitations

*Bachelor Party Invitation

*Love letters to each other

*Letters/notes from your wedding guests

*A few dried flowers from Colleen’s bouquet and Rob’s corsage

*A wedding photo

*Scandalous and hilarious photos from the Bachelorette and Bachelor parties

*Pictures of your current apartment and maybe some of Hudson

*Newspaper from your wedding day

*Magazine from the week/month of your wedding

I also included homemade typed questionnaires and a few sheets of paper with two envelopes so Colleen and Rob can write each other love letters.  The following instructions were included:

Open a bottle of wine, light a few candles, sit down next to each other and spend 20 minutes writing each other a letter.  Outline your hopes, wishes and dreams for the next 10 years and beyond.  Make a few predictions – where you’ll be living, how many people will be a part of your family, what jobs you’ll be doing.

Also include a few thoughts about the wedding day.  How did you feel the morning of? What were your thoughts as you watched each other on opposite ends of the aisle? Any funny and random memories from the big day?

Write about what it means to be in love right now.  What makes the other person so special?  Why do you love each other?  Why did you want to get married?

Share your thoughts on what you expect from marriage.  What is your definition of “marriage”? Of “husband”? Of “wife”?

I hope Colleen and Rob have fun putting their time capsule together.  Chris and I have been married for five years, and those years have flown.  We didn’t do a Marriage Time Capsule back in 2006, but perhaps we will do one to honor our five year anniversary.  I’m sure 10 years sounds like a long time for Colleen and Rob, but October 14, 2021 will be here before we all know it!

It was so fun bringing Evie to her first “girls-only” party (I left Mack at home with a babysitter).  I know she felt so special in her fancy dress, and she was delighted to help Colleen open the wedding gifts.  Sometimes I worry that Evie wants more special time with me that I am able to give her, so yesterday’s party was a real treat for me, too!