A Christmas Tree In Celebration of Our Silver Wedding Anniversary

Photo: Chronica Domus

Earlier this year, my darling husband and I celebrated the momentous and joyous occasion of our silver wedding anniversary, marking twenty-five years of wedlock.  We met when I first visited San Francisco as a tourist on the penultimate day of  my holiday away from London.  It was the autumn of 1990.  I like to tell people that I met my husband on my way to jail.  You see, we met on the ferry boat that transports passengers to Alcatraz, the famous prison built on an island in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. The boat ride across the water was a short one, but it was one that changed my life for the better.

In keeping with matrimonial tradition, all things silver have been at the forefront of my mind this year, including the decoration of our ivory-colored goose feather tree.  I thought it would be a fun and fitting tribute to decorate it with my collection of vintage silver and ivory hued glass ornaments.

Photo: Chronica Domus

It was fun to rummage through my ornament boxes searching for just the right examples to hang upon the feathery boughs.  I sort my ornaments by color, allotting a box or two to each hue.  I also take the additional measure of individually wrapping each fragile bauble in tissue paper.  One hopes that by doing so it will help to keep them intact. As I sat on the floor amid the hilly mounds of crumpled tissue paper, intently focused on the task at hand, my husband happened to walk by.  "That looks like quite a challenge" he announced.  Turning to walk away, I detected a familiar look on his face.  It was a look that clearly indicated he thought me just slightly on the wrong side of sanity. Admittedly, he may very well be right when it comes to such matters as the preservation of my cherished ornaments.  By the way, despite my best efforts, I inevitably manage to shatter at least one precious orb while decorating the tree.  This year was no different.

Pressing on, I challenged myself to find just the right ornaments in the form of traditional symbols of marriage. All in all, I think I did rather well.

Firstly, there was the matter of the wedding bells to announce the joyous occasion of a happy marriage.  What  silver wedding anniversary tree would be complete without them?

Photo: Chronica Domus

Photo: Chronica Domus

Of course, even before those wedding bells were ringing, Cupid had already paid us a visit.

Cupid's calling card in the form of a stylized bow and arrow, or is this more akin to the anchor on the Alcatraz ferry boat we met upon?

Photo: Chronica Domus

The following photograph shows a particularly felicitous ornament which is a new favorite of mine, having recently unearthed it at an antiques shop.  It was manufactured in the early decades of the twentieth century and I believe it to be German.  It still has its original colored glass clapper intact.

Combining two symbols of a happy marriage, this charming blown glass bell ornament is a perfect addition to the silver wedding anniversary tree

Photo: Chronica Domus

The bell-shaped ornament is especially appropriate to hang on our themed tree as it is decorated beautifully with a lone sprig of Lily of the valley. In the language of flowers, this botanical emblem symbolizes purity and happiness and is a popular bloom to include in bridal bouquets.  Lily of the valley is also the birth month flower for May, the month in which my husband was born and the month in which we wed.

No loved-up tree would be complete without a couple of lovebirds perched upon its boughs.  I found four of these silver tweeters to clip upon the tree.

Photo: Chronica Domus

I just adore this fun ornament, symbolizing the barrels of fun we've shared throughout our evolving marriage.  Incidentally, there has been lots of wine to accompany it too!

Photo: Chronica Domus

Oh, I almost forgot the strings of silver beads, perhaps representing the ropes that bind us together, arched gently across the branches.

By now you might be thinking to yourself this is all just a tad too corny, in which case, here's the perfect ornament for you:

A perfectly corny ornament to hang on this year's themed tree, would you not agree?

Photo: Chronica Domus

Of course, as this is a present of sorts to my Dear One, I've presented the bedecked tree to him on a Georgian sterling salver.  Wrapping the tree's base in a smart chocolate colored vintage ribbon gives it that buttoned-up look one hopes for when ready to walk down the aisle. Two smaller trees play supporting roles, much like the best man and matron of honor would at any wedding.

Presented on a Georgian sterling salver this year's Christmas tree is a special gift to my husband

Photo: Chronica Domus

If you look carefully, you will see a hint of gold in among the silver.  It is a hopeful reminder that we'll one day look forward to celebrating our next milestone wedding anniversary.  The quilted silver and gold heart perfectly conveys our ambition.  I know, I know, we are only half way there but one can still be hopeful, can't one?

A gold and silver heart ornament is an appropriate symbol to include upon our silver wedding anniversary tree

Photo: Chronica Domus

As for the tradition of including something old, borrowed, and blue on one's wedding day, I think my glittered plastic deer ornament covers that.  I've had him since childhood (it was my mother's actually),  and he has always founds his way onto our Christmas trees.  His little blue eyes and string collar cover the blue aspect of the tradition.  He's even wearing a festive bell.  I have placed him against one of the smaller bottle brush trees where he looks perfectly content, if not a bit ravaged by the decades.  It simply would not be Christmas without him.

Since writing my recent post about Babycham, I cannot help but view my cherished childhood deer ornament with fresh eyes - he looks strangely like the chamois used as the Babycham mascot, heavens!

Photo: Chronica Domus

I hope you've enjoyed viewing our silver wedding anniversary themed Christmas tree as much as I've enjoyed assembling it.

Do please come back soon and see what has become of our pocket-sized evergreen tree.

Happy anniversary, Dear One, and I wish us many more!