Wedding Ornaments

Hallmark Wedding Ornaments

(1980-PRESENT)

Hallmark wedding ornaments have marked marriages since 1980. The subject may seem simple, but the designs record several different moments: the ceremony, the getaway, the couple's first Christmas, and later anniversaries. Dates and exact wording matter because “Our Wedding” and “Our First Christmas Together” do not describe the same event. Over time, Hallmark has also moved between two forms: finished sculptures and photo holders that become complete only when the couple adds a picture.

The difference is clear in a coordinated pair from 2023. We Tied the Knot! turns its name into the frame itself: Allie Smith and Azusa Omura shaped the gold-colored metal as a large knot around a vertical photograph. Omura's matching porcelain A Sweet Beginning uses a tiered cake with flowers and metallic accents. Although the two pieces coordinate, they were not presented as a numbered annual series.

Azusa Omura found another way to join symbol and photograph in the 2024 Just Married. The porcelain design resembles the couple's getaway car, complete with a banner and a year-dated license plate. Its wide photo opening suits a landscape image, unlike the upright opening in the knotted 2023 frame. The 2025 Our Wedding, also by Omura, keeps the horizontal format but changes to gold-colored metal. Buttercup clusters decorate opposite corners, while printed palm fronds continue the design onto the clear photo cover.

Sheyda Abvabi Best's porcelain Wedding Cake confirms that the tradition continues. Raised lace and flower patterns cover its two white tiers, making texture the main decoration. Best also designed a same-year porcelain photo frame with lace and a rose, again pairing a wedding symbol with space for the couple's own image. These changing formats explain why wedding ornaments are more than dated messages: each design chooses a different part of the day to preserve.