06/01/2026
I recently finished this wedding shadow box for my customers. The newlyweds brought in a 20”x30” wedding photo that the bride’s sister had taken, along with a handfasting cord used in the ceremony, and the preserved flower wedding bouquet.
The handfasting cord is wrapped around the couples’ wrists during a traditional Celtic wedding ceremony to symbolize their commitment to each other. This is where the saying ‘tying the knot’ originated. This particular cord was crafted in Scotland by Ceotha ( , www.ceotha.com)
The wedding photo was displayed in a complementary narrow moulding from , and then floated above the background. The handfasting cord was tied in a knot and hand-stitched to the background. To keep the frame from being extremely deep, I deconstructed the bouquet and reconstructed it in a way that incorporated all the elements that were important to the bride and groom. My days of creating dried floral arrangements came in handy for this part, as well as getting some fantastic advice from a fellow framer, Alina Carson, owner of in West Lothian, Scotland.
The front of the shadow box consisted of an antique-white moulding, and a champagne-silver beaded fillet, both from . The necessary depth was achieved by adding a 1”x3” deep extension box made from basswood, and hand-finishing it to blend in with the antique-white moulding. The couple chose a lovely lilac-tone conservation mat, also from , to use as the background and line the inside walls of the shadow box. Conservation clear glass from was chosen for its 99% UV protection.
My customers were thrilled with this keepsake of their special day.
