Emma’s Ring (Book) Pillow

One of our goals for the wedding was for it to feel very us. It's a pretty common goal and I loved trying to find ways to make traditional wedding things feel more authentic and special. I really wanted to incorporate a book or two into the wedding or reception decor somehow. Here's why: Trey and I met in a philosophy class during college (we were both philosophy majors). In that particular class we read five novels, and then the class centered around discussions of the books. Since this is how we met I really wanted at least one of these books to make it's way into the wedding.I thought about buying lots of used copies of the books and working them into the centerpeices at the reception. But it didn't turn out to be super cost effective, and I wasn't sure that this was the look I wanted anyway. In the end I decided to hollow out a large copy of one of the titles (A Brave New World) and use it as the ring pillow in our ceremony. I love how this simple project turned out. 🙂First I decided how large of an area I needed to hollow out. Since the book would be used to hold our wedding rings the space didn't need to be too large, and I decided to center it so that the title didn't get cut. We used an exacto knife to cut through all the layers of pages, about 2/3 through the book. Once we created enough space we filled the area with faux moss with ribbons we attached to the underside. We secured the rings in place with the ribbons. You're probably wondering, did Ryland (our awesome ring bearer pictured above) really carry the rings on the wedding day. No, not during the ceremony. Our wedding was held on a dock, over water. And rings are expensive. No kid should have to endure that kind of pressure. 🙂

Also, for the fellow book lovers out there, yes, it was sad to cut up such a fantastic piece of literature. But it was for a good cause. And I have another copy (love that book). Actually, now I think about it, Trey also still has his copy from the actual class. Is three copies overkill? Probably, but we still have them all displayed on a bookshelf in our living room. I think we will always have our ring "pillow" displayed on a shelf or mantle in the years to come. Thanks for letting me share. xo. Emma

Wedding photos by: Arrow & Apple