Wayne's Lifetime of Love - A Charming Story
Categories: Real Life Charming Stories06 Mar 2024
Traditionally wedding anniversaries have been celebrated with gifts such as paper, timber etc. however Wayne’s intention was to create something unique and everlasting.
His first wedding anniversary was celebrated in 1976 with a solid gold love heart shaped charm soldered onto a specially selected gold heart bracelet purchased in Sydney.
The following charms were selected as a memento of a happy occasion or a significant event during that year and sometimes there was no correlation.
Overseas holidays are featured and, in some instances, some were selected to celebrate a family wedding or the birth of children and grandchildren which had occurred within that year.
Initially charms were bought in the Parramatta N.S.W. area which were close to Wayne’s workplace. After visiting all of the local jewellery stores, he selected the best one which he could afford.
"Typical Libran” as he was later to be reminded by his lovely wife, time and time again.
Wayne’s work transferred him to the Sydney CBD for 18 months where his seeking of charms became an unusually difficult task as Jewellery stores were much further spread, and also very much more expensive.
He soon had secured his "forever job” in the Wyong area; the township was wonderfully small and unfortunately with few jewellery stores.
While his wife only ever received "another bracelet charm” gift each anniversary, she always made him feel so good by displaying her delight upon receiving this annual token of his deep love for her.
When celebrating their wedding anniversary, the couple visited a nice local restaurant where she would proudly display her cherished bracelet. There were some years they could not afford such a treat, and they chose to celebrate at home with their babies instead.
In 1989 their young family moved to Queensland on the Sunshine Coast. Working in Nambour was great as was the annual hunt for gold charms as the town had five or so good Jeweller shops.
As time went by it became increasingly difficult to discover a new addition for the collection as sadly, gold charm selections had dwindled in popularity in the stores.
Wayne joined the great many modern-day shoppers online and to his delight discovered ….‘Oh My Giddy Aunt’ OMGA, is a shopping nirvana, an oasis and only several keystrokes away. Aunty (as Wayne affectionately calls Oh My Giddy Aunt) has become the only choice for his annual treasure hunt as they have a massive range of collectables, including his wife's cherished gold bracelet charms.
Aunty always offers fantastic items to add to the ever-growing bracelet which arrive beautifully gift wrapped and with a lovely handwritten personal note. Happy days!!
The Bracelet Year by Year
2 Star
3 Kookaburra – Birds at their first home
4 Stork – Baby son
5 Bell – Alarm bell, Oh! is it really that time already
6 Mushroom – Family Mushrooming with Baby son 2
7 Kangaroo – Many in their back yard
8 Dog – Baby son 3 & Pet Dog