While the bride and groom rarely like it when guests steer off the registered gift path, sometimes a present comes along that’s so perfect it breaks the rule.
Given to Kathy and Brandon Gunn at their wedding in 2007 from the bride’s great-aunt Alison was a wrapped box that read, “Do not open until your first disagreement.”
Great-aunt Alison's wedding gift. Source: Facebook.
And in the nine years and three house moves that followed the married couple they did just that.
Sharing the story of their mysterious gift on the Love What Matters Facebook page in August, Kathy wrote, "Now, there had obviously been plenty of disagreements, arguments and slammed doors throughout our 9 years. There were even a couple of instances where we both considered giving up … but we never opened the box."
Contents of the nine-year-old wedding gift. Source: Facebook.
"To us, it would have meant that we didn't have what it takes to make our marriage work – and we're both to stubborn and determined for that," Kathy continued.
"So it forced us to reassess situations. Was it really time to open the box? What if this isn't our worst fight? What if there's a worse one ahead of us and we don't have our box?!"
The happy couple. Source: Facebook.
But eventually, the time came to open great-aunt Alison's box. The contents of which, Kathy says, did not disappoint.
Inside were two hand written notes, some money, wine glasses and bath products.
Yep, it's official. It's the best wedding gift ever. Source: Facebook.
The note to Kathy instructed her to buy a pizza or something else that the pair like.
The note to Brandon? "Go get flowers and a bottle of wine."
Explaining the couple's decision to finally open the gift after all these years, Kathy explains, "I finally had a realization. I realized that the tools for creating and maintaining a strong, healthy marriage were never within that box – they were within us."
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