Celebrating 40th Wedding Anniversary today!

Kathi and I were married 40 years ago today. Not many are able to boast such fortune. It is by all accounts a remarkable accomplishment.

Who would have guessed on May 24th of 1969 that I would be making hourglasses today? Certainly not Kathi or me.

The gift of an hourglass to my niece & her husband

The process started as is often the case with a series email messages back and forth. Rick first contacted me by email by sending a message at 1:21 AM on Monday, April 27th after checking on my FAQ’s page to see if what he wanted was doable.

His niece was getting married on Saturday, May the 16th. Rick wanted to receive the completed laser engraved hourglass no later than May 15th so that it could be gifted to Amber and Tyler on their wedding date May the 16th.

I replied to Rick later on Monday to let him know that if we worked together I would be able to meet his deadline. In his case FedEx Home delivery was a two day service meaning that I had to ship no later than Wednesday the 13th. That allowed only 18 calendar days from start to finish.

Early on the 13th Rick responded after receiving proofs of what the engraving would look like to me saying –

Hi Tom…
Yeah, it works for me. Looks good. Hope it turns out okay. Based on our conversation over the phone last evening I’m confident you won’t ship a product you’re not happy with. So once the engraving process is complete, if it looks good to you, is legible, and you’re happy with the way it turned out I’m sure I’ll be happy with it as well.

Later that afternoon I dropped the package off at FedEx with delivery scheduled two days later on Friday the 15th before 7:00 PM. I followed the package online and gave Rick a call when learned that it had been delivered.

Shortly before 8:00 that evening I received an email message from Rick –

Subject: A Home Run!
Hi Tom,
I love it! The engraving turned out beautifully! I’m sure the bride and groom are going to dig it as much as I do.
Thanks again, for completing the hourglass and getting it here in time.
Sincerely, Rick

Uncle Rick gave Amber and Tyler a Wedding Hourglass on their wedding day.

Our First Valentine’s Day

I received the message that follows from Nichole this morning.

She sent me sand collected from the beach where she and Bill honeymooned.

When I gave the hourglass to my husband Bill, I had “Time in a Bottle” by
Jim Croce playing on the stereo. That is the song I walked down the aisle
to at our wedding.

I also had a card made up with the sand writing picture in it, the one I originally wanted to use for my end-caps. I drew those initials in the sand on the last day of our honeymoon. When he opened the hourglass, he recognized the sand right away, which was from the beach we stayed at for our honeymoon.

He thought it was just the sweetest thing I could have gotten for him, and thought it was so perfect that I had an hourglass made, because an hourglass essentially is time in a bottle.

Thanks again for making our first Valentine’s Day as husband and wife really
special!

You have made us a beautiful heirloom that we will treasure forever.

I also appreciate the attention you gave me during the whole process of putting the Custom Filled Hourglass together. You were very helpful, patient, and reassuring.

Nichole

Although I cannot guarantee a specific running time when using customer supplied sand, after sieving the sand I put it in an 8″ EMPTY Hourglass with a 3.20mm Center Opening. I was able to regulate it to an approximate 20 minute running time.

Jaymee and Jeff’s wedding

Magical is the word that comes to mind as I look at this photograph taken by Cindy Cieluch during the Unity Sand Ceremony at Jaymee and Jeff’s wedding.

I am delighted that Jaymee found me, making it possible for her and Jeff to have the hourglass that they wanted for their Unity Sand Ceremony.

Cindy’s attention to detail is unsurpassed.

She has captured the hourglass in the Unity Sand Ceremony in a way that I have never seen before. I can hardly wait to see what she does after Jaymee and Jeff receive their completed Sand Ceremony Wedding Hourglass back after I mount the glass used in the ceremony in the laser engraved case that they have chosen.

Sand Ceremony Wedding Hourglass

As you plan your wedding if you want to combine sand during the Unity Ceremony instead of lighting a Unity Candle you will find that the Sand Ceremony Wedding Hourglass has been designed with your wedding in mind.

Not only does Tom personalize it like the Basic Wedding Hourglass, it also includes an empty unmounted hourglass and a kit with materials to be used in your Sand Unity Ceremony. After your wedding simply return it to T & K Young to be permanently sealed. Tom will then mount it in the laser engraved hardwood case that you have selected to complete your Wedding Hourglass.

Those who have had a beach wedding can send Tom some dry sand that you collected he will make a Custom Filled Wedding Hourglass for you as a unique keepsake. He can do the same with sand from your honeymoon or another special place.

Using in-house laser engraving Tom personalizes each Wedding Hourglass for the Bride and the Groom. One end-cap is laser engraved with a choice of the entire wedding invitation, the wedding vows or another personal message. On the other side the names of the Bride and Groom along with the wedding date are laser engraved creating a stunning keepsake.