Cranes

According to Japanese lore, folding 1,000 Origami Cranes is truly a labor of love. Tradition holds that the bride who finishes this task, called 'sembazuru', before her wedding day will be richly rewarded with a good and happy marriage. Paying homage to the magestic crane, which mates for life and is said to live one thousand years, the bride ensures her own good fortune.

In Hawaii, many brides will fold 1,001 Origami Cranes (1 for good luck) and mount the cranes to create a piece of art that can be displayed in their homes.  

Mr. Pug and I originally wanted to have the crane design be his family mon (crest), but we were unable to find it.  We talked about a few other ideas and ultimately decided on a circle (representing eternity), bamboo (representing strength), and the kotobuki character (representing good fortune, celebration, and longevity).  We turned over our idea to the extremely talented Cathy Lancaster of Classic Cranes, and she worked her magic.  We handed over 1001 origami cranes in ziploc bags, and 1-1/2 months later, this is what we got...

I couldn't be happier with the results...it is absolutely amazing!  Cathy was great and I highly recommend her.  Her price is also reasonable, as you pay for the framing separately.  Crane mounting cost $425.  The framing options we chose from Pictures Plus came out to an additional $395.