Wedding Thousand Origami Cranes

The oriental tradition of a thousand origami cranes at a wedding is known as Tsuru wa sennen. The thousand cranes traditionally ensure a long, happy marriage full of love and joy. I have a link to a full write-up explaining the history and background on the Tsuru wa sennen process at the bottom of this page, if you wish to learn more.

Folding a thousand origami cranes for a once-in-a-lifetime wedding is a personal, focused task which I take very seriously. I am not grabbing piles of cranes out of a box in the back and dumping them into shipping crates. Rather, I work closely with the couple, determining their exact needs, evaluating the perfect colors, and then personally hand folding every single crane myself so that each one can become a high quality memento for a friend or family member.

This level of care and attention takes time. It requires about two months for me to fold 1,000 origami cranes. Please make sure you incorporate this into your overall wedding timeline.

Selecting the Origami Paper
The most common sized origami paper to use for a Tsuru wa sennen project is the mini-crane size, with 3 inch squares of origami paper. This smaller size helps to ensure the cranes can decorate a typically sized reception hall in a balanced manner. The smaller size also means the thousand origami cranes are easier to store and move around as you prepare for your wedding day.

If you have a larger reception area, or wish to decorate a separate ceremony area as well, then you may opt to go with the full sized six inch washi paper. This would result in cranes with about a six inch wingspan.

Traditionally a Japanese wedding would use a thousand small origami cranes in the full rainbow of colors. This would ensure that the wedding has all of the colors and their meanings represented - green for health, yellow for creativity, red for love, white for purity, blue for loyalty, orange for enthusiasm, purple for spirituality. Of course, your wedding is your special day, and you can choose any combination of colors you wish to match your theme. If you are interested in having all 1,000 origami cranes in a single color, or have a split of two or three colors, it is fully up to you. I am happy to discuss all of the options with you.

The origami cranes become a gorgeous part of the decor - a visual representation of the dedication and endurance of your relationship. The origami cranes can serve as name tag holders, centerpiece components, works of art displayed on the walls, garlands over doors, and hanging chains along aisles. Even better, the cranes do not end their life when the event is over. Guests can then take cranes home with them, using them to now decorate their own homes. Unlike most tchochke style wedding favors, the hand crafted origami cranes are treasured and enjoyed for years! As you visit your guests over the coming months you'll find the origami cranes decorating window sills, bookcases and desks. Even more wonderfully, there will still be ample origami cranes remaining for the newlywed couple to beautify their own home with meaningful symbols of their happy day.

Today Show Wedding
The 2008 Today Show wedding was done with an oriental style, and my origami cranes were featured as the theme of the celebration. You can see how the red cranes, strung on silver strings with silver rosebud beads, were worked into all of the set components. They served as the supports in the bridge, in the bamboo background, and in other locations. For the Today Show wedding they chose to go with the full size cranes, so that the origami cranes would be visible on a small TV screen.

Photos and Information from the Today Show Wedding with my Origami Cranes

The Process of Sembazuru
I take the tradition of Tsuru wa sennen very seriously. I am an artist with decades of experience with origami and creating a thousand cranes for a wedding is the ultimate form of this art. I will work with you to choose the exact colors to match and highlight your chosen theme, whatever it is. I will discuss ideas for integrating your cranes into your wedding so they seamlessly support the beauty of your ceremony. This can include garlands, shape ideas, name tag suggestions, and much more. I personally hand fold each crane so that it is a special memento of your once-in-a-lifetime event. You will be proud to pass these cranes out to guests and honored ceremony members, for them to treasure. Artistic creations using the cranes can be used as thank-you gifts for maids of honor and best men. The beauty of the cranes will live on long after the day has passed.

Once we have agreed on a plan of action, the actual process of Tsuru wa sennen takes at least two months. I invest the highest level of quality into each crane, with the knowledge that each one may become the treasured mantel focus for a grandparent or best friend. Please make sure you account for this time in your wedding plans.

The total cost for a thousand crane Tsuru wa sennen project is $2,000. That represents a 20% discount, as a special gift to the happy couple.

Origami Wedding Ideas

Related Resources
Wedding Tradition of 1,000 Origami Cranes
The Crane in Origami - Symbol of Loyalty
Emperor and Empress Origami Dolls

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