Roots and Vines: A Wedding Mirror
This mirror tells its story on two intertwined levels—one close and personal, the other broad and enduring. The first lives in the carved panel above the glass, where symbols of Brandon and Nicole’s union come together in a scene of growth and harmony. The second unfolds across the frame itself, where a larger story of love, time, and endurance takes shape. Together they form a single narrative: the intimate and the timeless reflecting one another.
The Upper Panel: The Intimate Story
The top panel sits above the mirror like a crown. It is both decoration and heart, holding a small world that tells the story of this marriage from its beginning.
At the lower left, two symbols rest in separate circles. The first, a sword angled upward, represents Brandon. It speaks of the struggles he has faced and the strength with which he meets them, but also of imagination and lifelong fascination. From foam-fighting battles in the backyard with his legion of friends, to fencing, to visiting a sword maker in Scotland, to rolling through Chicago on a one-wheel with a real sword strapped to his back on his way to sword-fighting guild training, the image is as personal as it is timeless.
The sword itself is made of three stones, each chosen for its meaning. The blade is Rainbow Kyanite, clear and sharp, cutting through confusion with truth. The hilt is Rutilated Quartz, shot through with golden threads that glow like veins of light, symbolizing guidance and wisdom found in challenge. The handle is Epidote, a stone of growth and transformation, turning hardship into strength. Together they form not a weapon of war, but of resilience and vision—bright, tough, and alive with purpose. The sword is brilliant, sharp, and tough, like Brandon himself. It speaks to his courage, imagination, and persistence.
Beneath the sword, a butterfly represents Nicole. It is a symbol of transformation, vitality, and expressive strength. Like the butterfly, Nicole moves through the world with energy and color, shaped by discipline and growth. Before taking flight, the butterfly passes through stages of change—deliberate, demanding, and full of purpose. In much the same way, Nicole’s path, from years of study and performance at the piano to earning a master’s degree in chemical engineering from Notre Dame, reflects both focus and resilience. But she is not all stillness and study. She brings laughter, joy, and momentum. The butterfly does not signal fragility; it signals emergence—the kind of brilliance that takes root, then arrives in full flight.
The butterfly’s body and wings shimmer with stones that mirror her qualities. Lapis lazuli fills the wings, symbolizing wisdom, expression, and truth. At each lower edge rests a gem of blue apatite, bringing focus and the power to turn inspiration into reality. The antennae end in small red garnets, glowing with energy and love. At the center, a Herkimer diamond shines with clarity and purpose, amplifying all the light around it. Together they give the butterfly its spirit—intelligent, vibrant, and full of life.
From these two circles, a pair of vines begins to grow—one from the sword, one from the butterfly. They curve toward each other, spiraling in rhythm until they meet and wind together. Where the vines cross, small spheres of moss agate are set, each like a seed captured in stone. Moss agate is the stone of new beginnings, steady and natural in its growth. These crossings mark milestones of unity, moments where two paths become one.
At their meeting point stands a young sapling, its slender trunk reaching upward, leaves opening to the light. It grows from the joined vines, drawing strength from their union. The sapling speaks of beginnings, of roots taking hold and a life taking shape. It reminds us that love, like a tree, grows through seasons—steady, patient, and enduring.
From the sapling, the eye moves upward and to the right, passing through The Lovers card at the heart of the panel. It stands as the quiet center around which everything turns, connecting the intimate story of this carving to the broader story carried by the mirror itself.
Across that open space blooms a pink peony, full and radiant. The peony represents harmony and devotion, each petal unfolding into new beauty. It is the heart and hero of this story—the living symbol of love in its fullest bloom. Graceful yet strong, it embodies the joy, balance, and quiet courage that define a lasting union. The peony links the intimacy of this scene with the larger promise of the marriage it celebrates.
Across from the peony stands a rose, beautiful but edged with a single copper thorn. The rose serves as the gentle counterpart—the reminder that love, though bright, must be tended with care. The copper thorn catches the light, a subtle warning and quiet reassurance. Copper conducts warmth and energy; it heals and endures. The thorned rose teaches that challenge and tenderness often grow side by side, and that understanding gives love its lasting depth.
Beneath the peony, broad tendrils spread across the background, curling and reaching in quiet tension. They form the shadowed base of the scene—a reminder of the forces that can overgrow or pull love astray when left untended. Their movement is deliberate but subdued, suggesting both warning and balance. In front of them rise three steady columns, symbols of the strength Brandon and Nicole have built through their own lives. The columns hold the peony aloft, anchoring it against the twisting vines behind and making success feel not only possible, but assured.
From the peony, oak leaves begin to grow, extending to the right as they move into the future. They mark endurance, strength, and the quiet beauty of a love that matures over time. Their shifting tones suggest the passage of seasons—the changing light of a lifelong bond—reminding us that growth and constancy travel together. As they stretch outward, the leaves speak of a long and happy marriage, rooted in devotion and unfolding through years of shared life, steadfast and strong as oak itself.
From the top of the peony, a grapevine begins to grow. It curves back above The Lovers card, then turns downward to trace the edge of the mirror. The vine represents the family that will grow from this marriage—not only children, but the wider circle of relatives and friends whose lives will be touched by their union.
As it travels, its leaves grow larger, showing love’s reach across generations. By the time it meets the mirror, it is full and abundant—a living emblem of continuity, the circle of life returning to its roots. The vine is formed from cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and syrah, each distinct in character yet blended in harmony, like the people whose lives this marriage will join. The leaves attach with glowing beads of flame yooperlite, sparks of connection that bind families together. Other crystals appear along its path, marking the values that sustain love: patience, compassion, curiosity, and joy. Even the small natural openings in the leaves, filled with light-catching crystal, remind us that through life’s imperfections, grace finds its way through.
The Whole Frame: The Larger Journey
Beyond the panel, the mirror’s full frame carries its own story. It continues the theme of growth and balance, told through a series of carved tarot symbols that trace the larger journey of love through time.
It begins at the lower right with The Empress, the card of abundance and creation. She stands for nurturing energy and the power to bring life into form. On her shield rests a piece of green aventurine, symbolizing prosperity and vitality. At the tip of her scepter gleams a Herkimer diamond, clear and radiant, representing vision and spiritual connection. Together they express balance—earthly love joined with higher purpose.
Following this path upward, the eye reaches The Two of Cups, the card of partnership and trust. It marks the conscious joining of two souls who choose to build together. Set into the wood beside it is a piece of pyrite, reflecting light like quiet gold. Pyrite stands for strength, confidence, and protection, reminding us that true partnership shines not only in joy but in courage and honesty.
Across the frame stands an hourglass, carved as the quiet counterpoint. It marks the passage of time, the truth that every love must live within it. Instead of sand, the chambers hold opalite, which glows softly with shifting light. It speaks of transition, calm, and renewal—the understanding that change is not loss, but transformation.
There is no corresponding plaque in the lower right corner. Its absence is intentional, a silent affirmation that success is inevitable. With love grounded in patience and understanding, the story requires no final symbol—only the quiet certainty that endurance will prevail.
At the center, above it all, The Lovers card reappears, carved in relief as the meeting point between the personal and the universal. It stands for harmony and choice, the merging of two lives into one greater whole. The figures have stepped forward from the card itself, no longer bound within its border but alive within the scene. They reach toward one another in quiet balance, embodying the moment when love moves from symbol to reality, when devotion becomes the living bond it was meant to be. Their presence joins the intimacy of the panel above with the enduring story carried by the frame, completing the mirror’s circle of meaning.
Together these symbols form a path: abundance and creation, partnership and strength, time and renewal. They shape a complete story of love’s growth and endurance through every season.
In Closing
May this mirror be more than a reflection.
May it live as a quiet thread woven through the fabric of their life together.
In its depth they will see not only who they are, but the story still unfolding—a vine that keeps growing from deep roots; a peony bright with joy and promise; a sapling reaching upward, steady and sure. Within it lie the seasons of their journey, the storms they have weathered, the sunlight they have shared, and the calm rhythm of days to come.
Let it hold the glow of their beginnings, the fullness of their present, and the promise of all that lies ahead—so that each glance reflects not only their image, but the life and love they build, moment by moment, year by year.