I am definitely one to attach sentiment to objects. I have several shoe boxes full of birthday cards because throwing them away feels like throwing away the person who gave it to me. After reading books like 7 and Organized Simplicity, combined with the hassle of packing and moving, I’m learning to separate sentiment from tangible items.
My wedding was the perfect test for this resolve. The decor was so intentional, and full of me and Tim, that it was virtually impossible to separate sentiment from all the little details. Throwing them away wasn’t an option. Many of the decorations now spruce up our apartment.
The floral aspects were a different story. Flowers are difficult to preserve. My bouquet was gorgeous, but the dried version was uninspiring and sat on my parent’s porch for months after the wedding. I thought that was the end of the road for my wildflower and twine spray until my mom visited over Thanksgiving.
She brought a special, handmade gift full of sentiment and love. My mom crafted two ornaments from wedding decor so that the memories could hang on our Christmas tree year after year.
One ornament is filled with dried flowers from my bouquet, the other is filled with miscellaneous wedding ephemera (I love that word…). She used clear, plastic ornaments from Michaels, which come in multiple shapes and sizes.
Each ornament top was wrapped with twine that had previously been wrapped around the base of my bouquet. My mom’s first married Christmas tree was decorated with red gingham bows so she also fashioned me a bow from the extra twine to put on my first married Christmas tree.
An ornament is the perfect way to preserve special memories and details. The stuffings are free, the ornaments are inexpensive, and the sentiment will be cherished every year.
Emily C Gardner 
Emily, Your mom is brilliant! I knew I liked her. :) What a great idea and a special keepsake.
I think she’s brilliant too. :) I love Christmas, so an ornament was a perfect marriage for a wedding keepsake.