How to Go Sentimental with Gifts for Your Girls and Soon-to-Be Spouse
One of the hardest parts of preparing for a wedding is thinking about all the gifts you’ll need to get for the friends and family who will be by your side on the big day (and have been for life). Robes are beautiful, slippers are sweet, and personalized stemware (with nice bottles of liquor to go with, obvi) will get some mileage, for sure, but jewelry always hits on a much more personal note. And after the impossible year we’ve had, with so much time spent apart from our loved ones, it’s not surprising that brides would want to go big with gifts that say and mean so much (but come in petite little packages). That’s why we caught up with Dune Jewelry & Co., the one and only experiential jewelry brand in the world, and got some tips on what to give the people who will show up for you on your special day and all the ones that follow. Whether you’re someone whose sentimental game has been strong since day one or you’re kind of a fish out of water when it comes to gifting on the gushy side, you’ll definitely want to dig into this crafty, creative, and custom jewelry couturier.
She built [sand]castles in the sky: and it’s been a smooth-sailing success for the last 10+ years
Dune Jewelry & Co. creates experiential jewelry by handcrafting personalized, custom designs using sand and earth elements from thousands of memorable and iconic locations around the world.
Holly Daniels Christensen, a wife and a mom of two young daughters founded her business in 2010 with an idea that started small and has grown tremendously. A little bit of backstory: Holly always loved gifting her family and friends with handcrafted jewelry she’d make with local sand from her beach vacations and family trips (to Cape Cod, among others). Her gifts were appreciated and cherished by all of the VIPs in her life, because they were never an afterthought - not only were they made tirelessly by hand, they were infused with some of her happiest and fondest memories - with every piece she made, she left a part of herself with its recipient. And Dune Jewelry & Co. was born from her discovery that everyone had a special place (or places) that resonated with them personally.
Dune's ocean-inspired, unique custom and personalized collections are the perfect way to hold on to special moments forever. Everyone has a travel adventure or beach memory that they’d no sooner snap their fingers and want to live in forever. Think childhood beach homes, golf trips with the boys, girls’ weekends at the beach, weddings, and honeymoons. These are the biggest and the bestest, so of course they’re meant to be preserved!
Dune made a difference for wayyyy more than one
You know that story about the girl who spent her days throwing starfish back into the ocean? You know, the one where she was stopped and asked why she was doing what she was doing when most of the washed up starfish couldn’t be saved. She paused for just one moment and then picked up another and threw it back in, bravely shouting “well, I made a difference for that one!" Well, we were kind of reminded of the tale when we first learned about Dune Jewelry & Co. - solely because that little girl was seriously inspirational, not unlike Holly and her team.
With so many memories captured in digital photos that just get stored and backlogged in our phones or computers, there really hasn’t been a way to bring the memories to life in an enduring, everlasting fashion. Until Dune blew in, that is, creating tangible and eternal reminders of life’s most precious moments.
Hand-picked and ethically sourced by Dune’s loyal customers and community since 2010, Dune has collected the world's largest Sandbank. So, you can explore sand and earth elements from over 4,500 iconic and memorable locations around the globe, including sand from beaches and ballparks, soil, earth from hiking trails, clay from canyons, flower petals, power stones, golf course grass and more. Mother Nature has created a vast canvas of colors and textures for you to get creative with, and when you team up with Dune’s talented artists, you’re bound to find the most meaningful designs. Beyond that, though, you can also send your own sand or elements from a place that has a special meaning to you. Those artifacts make for the truest bespoke designs to stand the test of time.
Going personal means you’ll steal their hearts, hook, [shore]line, and sinker
We chatted with Dune Jewelry & Co.’s Founder and CEO, Holly Daniels Christensen, and here’s what she had to say about the perks of personalizing and where to even start:
Where can brides get really unique inspiration for gifts for their husbands, wives, best friends (for the day of the wedding)?
HDC: I love to tell brides to close their eyes and think of a place (or places) that evokes the most amazing memories: the place(s) that they feel the happiest. Or, I ask them what locale makes them feel the closest to their partner. From there, we design a plan around their happy place! Think beaches, golf courses, hiking trails, family beach homes, ballparks, lakes or canyons. It could be the place they met their soon to be spouse or a place that they aspire to visit someday.
What are some of the nicest things you can say to your ‘favorite people’ in a card that goes along with their Dune Jewelry gift?
HDC: “I hope this necklace makes you remember that summer we spent in XX” or “I hope this design brings you back to the times we had in YY.” If you’ll be giving your bridesmaids or groomsmen something after the wedding, as a holiday or just-because present, you can say something like “This necklace is artisan-crafted using sand from our wedding - so you can celebrate with us indefinitely!” Given how stressful and scary 2020-2021 has been, too, I can see brides wanting to gift their closest friends something personal in combination with another gift, especially if they got married in the last year. In that case, a note that explains “This design holds salty air and summer memories from our wedding day on 7/9/2020” is very sweet and sentimental.
Is there something post-wedding that a couple can do together? what other ways can they collaborate with Dune Jewelry?
HDC: Couples love doing things with sand from their honeymoons (and we imagine that will be even more popular in the coming year, with couples having had to delay trips or postpone their honeymoon plans during the pandemic), but we’ve also worked with many couples who’ve had sand pouring ceremonies during their wedding, marrying sand or earth elements from each other's hometowns or their favorite places. With this, they each pour a bit of sand into one container to combine those locations. We can take a bit of that sand to create jewelry or gifts for the couple. Also, cufflinks for the groom using that ceremony sand or a simple necklace crafted with pressed flower petals from the bride's bouquet. These are both incredible ways to keep the wedding day memories alive!
Something everyone is 'shore' to love.
There is something for everyone in Dune’s impressive catalog of design options. They offer necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings for both women and men; golf divot repair tools and ball markers, and for those who prefer home accessories to wearable ones, Dune handcrafts practical personalized gifts, such as wine stoppers and photo frames, plus holiday-perfect ornaments and more!
Made in the USA, Dune offers a lifetime warranty and happiness guarantee on every design; not to mention, a portion of every purchase is proudly donated to important coastal and global causes.
For an extra 15% off your purchase, use the promo code “WeddingChicks15” at checkout!
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We partnered with Dune Jewelry & Co. to give brides a shore-fire way to make their VIPs feel all the love on their special day. As always, thank you for supporting our sponsors!