B's Wedding Gift

I'm a planner. I love making lists and organizing things and for the most part having a general idea of what to expect (I'm partial to surprises). I'd say the most extreme example of this would be B's wedding gift from me. B's gift was a DIY project that I have been putting together for the past (almost) 6 years. Um, what? That sounds a little insane, right? Let me explain.

For those unaware, B and I met online in July of 2007. I had just graduated University, had been in and out of some pretty bad and/or lame relationships and was pretty jaded when it came to dating. At the time I wasn't looking for anything, but somehow we found one another. We spent a little over a month talking when we decided to meet, and less than three months from our first online exchange I hopped on a plane and spent my 22nd Birthday weekend with him in NYC. So, now I sound more insane - right? Well, let me explain further.

Clearly, I knew when I was booking that flight that there was something different about him. For the first time in a long time I trusted someone. We spent hours everyday emailing and chatting (both online and on the phone). Those hours we logged really helped us to know one another without anything physical getting in the way. He made me laugh, and I finally found someone that I felt I could truly be me around. I could tell he had strong family values, and he never gave me any reason to think that I would regret my choice to fly to New York. Of course I received criticism and extreme reactions from my family and friends, but I had safety nets in place and I knew deep down that I would regret not going. 

We spent an incredible weekend together and when I flew back to Toronto, I couldn't believe it was all happening to me. Was I starting another long distance relationship? Was I really going to open myself up like this again? Yes, I was and I knew I had to. When I arrived home that night, I took out a pen and paper and wrote a letter to B. That letter shared how I felt and things that happened that weekend. Excuse me for being vague, but I sealed the letter after I wrote it, dated the envelope and put it away.

For the next year I wrote to B almost every single month. Sharing feelings, hopes, dreams, milestones in our relationship and anything else that came to mind. Since that first year letters became less frequent, but they always touched on the same sort of topic. Today, I have 36 letters, tucked away in a box that B's Mom gave me for this exact purpose. 

This personal documentation of our relationship and love is my gift to B. Little memories and moments, all of the reasons why I love him and even the ways we found the strength to pull through some of our hardest times. 

I hope that this gift is something that B and I will share together for the rest of our lives as a reminder of where we started and how hard we have worked to keep our love alive. After all, we learned so much about putting in the effort during that first year that spent long distance. 

Did you exchange wedding gifts with your significant other on your wedding day? Did you go big, or did you give them something small and sentimental? I'd love to hear what other's did to make their special day!