To make your gift more personal, we can include a copy of the "Legend of the Wedding Bowl" or "The Legend of the Friendship Bowl."

The Legend of the Wedding Bowl

In what has become known to a very few, as the “Land of the Wee Folk,” a marriage custom has existed for over one thousand years. Though the custom has changed over such a long period of time, it remains quite simple. The custom is simply known as “The Gift of the Wedding Bowl.”

When two people fall deeply in love and decide to marry, a wedding bowl is prepared for them. There is no required size or shape for the wedding bowl; nor is any particular wood required. The custom simply requires that a bowl of the shape, size, and grain of the maker’s choosing, be carefully made in time to be presented to the couple on their wedding day.

The purpose of the gift of the bowl remains as complex as it is simple. In the simplest sense, the bowl is a symbol of the marriage that will hold and nurture the love the couple brings to their special day. This seemingly simple task, like the marriage ceremony itself, takes on added meaning and complexity over time. At first glance, the bowl appears beautiful and exactly as its maker intended, a perfect match for the perfect couple.

However, over time and with use, imperfections (often unexpected) are noticed. It may be a slight blemish in the finish or a crack that was not there when the bowl was given. However, the bowl, like the marriage, continues to serve as the wedding bowl. Those cracks and signs of wear are what give, and will continue to add to, the unique character of the bowl. These subtle imperfections in the bowl remind the couple of the subtle imperfections they will discover in each other. These imperfections are among the most special treasures of the marriage and add to the character and strength of their lives together. A

lso, the bowl, like the two people who have joined in the marriage, can only hold so much. If the bowl, or the marriage, is overloaded, things go unattended and begin to run over. Each person in the marriage should always attend to how love and life is filling the other person. If the person is becoming empty, fill them. If life is filling the person too full, share the burden.

Above all else, remember the bowl cannot stand alone. It needs a base on which to rest. Choose your foundations carefully. Know that sometimes the most carefully constructed foundation can crumble or collapse. The bowl may be scratched from the fall, but a new base can be built and the bowl will again stand in silent testimony to the love it holds.

Your lives are before you. Never take the meaning of your wedding bowl for granted. And no matter how difficult the times, or how deep the pain, always say “I love you” before you turn out the light. If you do that often simple, but sometimes difficult thing, your bowl will be there as the morning sun shines through the windows of the times afforded you.