Why Kites?
We’re sure you’re all wondering by now, what’s up with all the kites?
While not as ubiquitous a symbol for love as hearts, to us kites represent joy and hope, all held up by a mysterious force. If you’ve ever flown a kite maybe you’ve felt a bit of the magic we feel when we’re outside on a blustery day. There’s not much to flying most kites, but the simplicity of it is meditative and wonderful. Standing on the ground holding a string, the power of the wind feels novel and you notice much more about your surroundings than before you picked up your keel. You are neither in or out of control when flying a kite. For as long as you stay in flight, you briefly become a part of the sky. You don’t know how long the wind will allow you to stay in unison with the rest of nature, but in those moments you feel profoundly that you are connected to it all.
At least that is how it feels to Olivia.
Olivia has loved flying kites since she was little. One of her earliest memories is going to Holt’s, an old convenience store and pharmacy that used to be on Main Street, Trumansburg, with her dad and picking out a kite with hearts on it from behind the tall wooden register counter.
Olivia continued to fly kites on her own as an adult. While at college she still flew the butterfly shaped kite she had since she was a kid. That kite broke eventually and she was without a kite for a few years. She tattooed a memorial of those early memories flying kites with her dad on her arm about 6 months before he died. A couple years after he passed, Olivia tried to find ways to feel connected to him still. She picked up a new 2 string sport kite for the first time, and worked through the frustration of learning to fly the more cumbersome kite. It was something she mostly did alone, keeping it as time for her and her dad.
Eventually Olivia let Liam tag along to fly once they started dating. Liam has come to really enjoy going out on beautiful days and sharing in something so meaningful to Olivia.
After a long wait for Olivia’s engagement ring to be made, Liam finally received word from the jeweler that it was ready to be picked up. Many perfect occasions to propose had come and gone in the months leading up to then, but no ring. Coming home with the ring finally in hand, Liam didn’t want to wait any longer and thought quickly of how he could create the perfect opportunity to officially propose to Olivia. It was a cold, cloudy Sunday in November. But it was also windy, so it was easy to convince Olivia to leave the house to go fly kites without tipping her off about what else Liam had up his sleeve.
When Olivia was drafting out ideas for the save the date cards she planned to make, kites were on the brainstorm list of things the two like to do together, or reminded her of their story so far. They have naturally become a perfect emblem for us and our love story which has been full of joy and mystifying wonder.
We hope you appreciate knowing more about the story behind the art Olivia has been creating for the wedding. Feel free to send us pictures of your invites hanging on your fridge :) We can’t wait to see you in two short months to celebrate!