Please give me an alternative...

xyrius

So, I had an idea for a photo on our wedding day.

We have plenty of mature trees in our yard, and I thought it would make for a great picture (and memory) to carve our initials, a heart and our date into one of the larger trees.  Then FI informed me that it would kill the tree, and even though I didn't believe him - turns out he was right.  ugh.

Now I'm trying to think of something that would have the same effect, and some sort of permanance - but I'm coming up blank.  I did see "plaques" that you can put on a tree but it just doesn't give me the same kind of warm and fuzzies.  I could tie some sort of ribbon or sign around the tree but that wouldn't be there 10-20 years down the road either....

We do have a dead tree in the back that we could use for the purpose that we have to cut down this year anyway, but again - 10-20 years down the road it won't be there either, unless we save just that portion...

any ideas?

sarah0725

Put a new slab of cement in the sidewalk and write your names in that? And draw a tree?

Starmusica

so you want to take a picture and have whatever item is in that picture remain forever? I mean... what are the chances you will even live in that same place forever? You could carve your initials into a piece of wood and hold it up? Please just do not kill a tree for the sake of a photo....

nda_roxybabe

Do you have any birches or soft trees? In HS my friend and I wrote stuff on trees using burnt sticks. So, like ash pretty much. Didn't damage the tree but it lasted for at least a year...

xyrius

sarah - i like that idea.  we don't have a sidewalk in front of our house, but you did make me think of another idea... maybe a plaque on the ground and planting a new tree there...

starmusica - i'm looking for alternatives because i do not want to kill a tree.  and though we may not be here forever, we do expect to be here a very long time (10-20 years).  FI grew up in the house that his dad grew up in so it is possible.

BunnyChii

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_please-give-alternative?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:0adb5fe7-b212-4e15-899b-65e147a7b3a1Post:a20c5b26-37c6-454b-a777-ce3d36141bce">Re: Please give me an alternative...</a>:
[QUOTE]Put a new slab of cement in the sidewalk and write your names in that? And draw a tree?
Posted by sarah0725[/QUOTE]

<div>Something like this.</div><div>
</div><div>Honestly, in 10-20 years, the thing that's going to be a testament to your marriage is if you're still married, not initials carved into a tree. </div><div>
</div><div>As PPs have said, you may not even live in the same place forever. Why the need for something "immortal?"</div>

xyrius

roxy - no birches but we have some evergreens, i think that they're pines - i'm a bit stupid when it comes to trees

BunnyChii

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_please-give-alternative?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:0adb5fe7-b212-4e15-899b-65e147a7b3a1Post:fd8aa5f3-b9fc-4ec8-af5e-c624141f6d12">Re: Please give me an alternative...</a>:
[QUOTE]sarah - i like that idea.  we don't have a sidewalk in front of our house, but you did make me think of another idea... <strong>maybe a plaque on the ground and planting a new tree there</strong>... starmusica - i'm looking for alternatives because i do not want to kill a tree.  and though we may not be here forever, we do expect to be here a very long time (10-20 years).  FI grew up in the house that his dad grew up in so it is possible.
Posted by xyrius[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>I like this idea a lot out of all the alternatives.

</div>

nda_roxybabe

Yea, on of those concrete stepping stones you can make could work...then when you move you can take it with...

xyrius

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_please-give-alternative?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:0adb5fe7-b212-4e15-899b-65e147a7b3a1Post:2a2d55ad-6c66-4519-8ba8-2e2a75b18855">Re: Please give me an alternative...</a>:
[QUOTE]Yea, on of those concrete stepping stones you can make could work...then when you move you can take it with...
Posted by nda_roxybabe[/QUOTE]


yes!!  thanks for the idea!  maybe three stones leading to the new tree - each of our names and the date we were married... i love this thanks :)

Blueyed228

You could paint it on the tree.

xyrius

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_please-give-alternative?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:0adb5fe7-b212-4e15-899b-65e147a7b3a1Post:a4935390-c570-4941-9675-0980a95fb5ce">Re: Please give me an alternative...</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Please give me an alternative... : Something like this. Honestly, in 10-20 years, the thing that's going to be a testament to your marriage is if you're still married, not initials carved into a tree.  As PPs have said, you may not even live in the same place forever. Why the need for something "immortal?"
Posted by BunnyChii[/QUOTE]

i don't <em>need</em> anything immortal. 

the reason for the idea in the first place was that i liked the idea of having a moment captured in time that 10, 20, 30 years in the future i can look at it and remember our wedding day... and our daughter could too... 

sort of like a time capsule of sorts. 

kimheartsscott

You could carve his name into your arm.  That's how I convinced Nebb I love her.

xyrius

milkduds - i really like that picture - it is an idea, but the dead tree we need to cut down is a quarter of that size, not sure if the picture would turn out so well with such a small stump

edie - i thought of that too, but it's not quite tangible

xyrius

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_please-give-alternative?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:0adb5fe7-b212-4e15-899b-65e147a7b3a1Post:78734c2c-63e2-446e-b729-8afd4470e6f5">Re: Please give me an alternative...</a>:
[QUOTE]You could carve his name into your arm.  That's how I convinced Nebb I love her.
Posted by kimheartsscott[/QUOTE]


LOL

at least "nebb" is a short name - I hope for her sake she didn't carve "kimheartsscott" into her arm, she might not have much of one left :)

xyrius

blue - i'll look into that - i'm wondering if there's any environmentally friendly paints that could be used for that purpose

still loving the stepping stone idea the most actually   i'll have to check how much that would cost...

avsfan33

What about a fake log?

nda_roxybabe

I know you used to be able to find the kits in catalogs like lillian & vernon or sky mall for like $20-30 each?

xyrius

this would have been perfect

http://gifts.personalcreations.com/productdetail.aspx?cobrand=PCR&pid=30016149&ssid=4&REF=PCRFeedFindgift_30016149_swpc&prid=PCRSRCH25&mr:trackingCode=49CCE41A-3ED6-DF11-9C39-001517B1882B&mr:referralID=NA

but they don't ship to Canada apparently.

reddy123

I would say spray paint chalk.

And not to argue, but I really think it matters how old/what kind of tree it is and how deep you carve. If every tree died because it got a scratch on it's trunk we would be treeless right now. Not to mention all the old couples who did it. That's going to make me the bad guy, but it's just being from Oregon with so many old trees.

Hell, there are redwoods that have been hit by lightening and have a perfect spiral down the whole trunk and they are still alive. I know, I know, they're old as the hills, but still.

I googled it and it said you would harm the tree and make it susceptible to disease (not cool, I agree), but no where did I find the definitive YOU WILL KILL THIS. Do you have a link?

(Not trying to be argumentative, I'm honestly curious.)

xyrius

reddy, here's an article I found: http://www.vindy.com/news/2010/may/09/weeping-no-more-carvings-kill-tree/

honestly though - it's mostly online forums that I found that information from - it seems to be a fairly common consensus

Starmusica

OP- I would try Etsy.com. I am betting a seller there will have something you could work with. 

The cement idea is pretty cool too although it may be hard to get the shot you are looking for.

katiewhompus

I like the stepping stone idea as well. Maybe put it in a place where it would be close to the front door/ driveway area so that every day you see it and smile. You can just hold it in front of you for the pic or maybe have it on the ground and lay down with the stone between your heads (that makes sense in my head).

Plus that way if, (heaven forbid) something were to happen to the marriage or one of you, you wouldn't deal with a daily reminder of the marriage for the next 30 years. Permanence is not so great if things don't end the way it's initially planned. Just look at all the tattoo removals out there

xyrius

I like the etsy idea, but I've never ordered anything from there.  I did a search for what I wanted but I didn't see it - could I "post" a request for someone to fill?  I didn't see that as an option....

bonnyandtim

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_please-give-alternative?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:0adb5fe7-b212-4e15-899b-65e147a7b3a1Post:2be66364-5b4d-4bc9-afd0-4c7222ab10a8">Re: Please give me an alternative...</a>:
[QUOTE]Do you have any birches or soft trees? In HS my friend and I wrote stuff on trees using burnt sticks. So, like ash pretty much. Didn't damage the tree but it lasted for at least a year...
Posted by nda_roxybabe[/QUOTE]

This sounds cute!

Or maybe a sharpie?