To Have & to Hold Pennant Banner

[2023 Update] If you’ve been reading this website for long, you know I’m a big fan of pennant banners. My newest “To Have & to Hold” banner below is an updated version of one I posted way back on January 26, 2016, for National Spouse Day. You can read that original post (and download the first version of the banner) below.

But here’s the updated version for those who prefer the solid style. I’ve made it in two sizes. Here’s the full-size version:

And here is a half-size version (like the one in my photos) — in case you have a shorter mantel on which to display it:

I use a paper cutter to cut the straight lines on each little pennant, leaving a white edge on the top for folding over the string. Then tape or glue each letter in order along the string and hang on your mantle or a favorite piece of furniture.

I like to hang this “To Have & to Hold” banner during my anniversary month, but it would also make a nice decoration for a wedding shower.

And for those who love nostalgia as much as I do, here is my original banner and post:

Honor Your Spouse Today!

Did you know January 26 is National Spouse Day? That one was new to me, but being the happily-wedded wife I am, I’m glad for any opportunity to celebrate the man I love and our married life together.

I’d been working on some pennant banners for a wedding shower I’ll be hosting this spring, so I decided to print one of them out early, hang it up for Spouse Day, and leave it up until Valentine’s Day next month. This one reads “To Have and To Hold.” Here’s how my first trial turned out:

You may wonder why I decided to hang it in my utility room instead of in a more romantic setting, like over my bed.

The answer is simple: While I have no trouble remembering that what goes on behind our locked bedroom door is good for my marriage, I sometimes forget that the same could be said for washing clothes and preparing meals and keeping the house tidy.

I read an article last weekend that was a great reminder of that fact. The post was entitled, “She Divorced Me because I Left Dishes by the Sink” — although the author realized (too late) that his wife didn’t really leave because of the dishes, but because he refused to give any weight to something that was very important to her.

If you are married, I encourage you to read the article, then ask yourself if there is anything YOU are marginalizing, even though it is really, really, really important to your spouse. Then consider what kind of message you are sending and what kind of damage you are doing to your marriage by your present course of action.

Those were the thoughts on my mind this morning as I strung this banner up in my utility room, more as a reminder to myself than a seasonal decoration.

Then I set about catching up on laundry, scrubbing counters, sweeping floors, tidying closets, and putting our whole house in order. Not because I fear my husband will divorce me if I don’t do those things — our past performances prove that’s not the case — but simply because I love him and want him to know that what’s important to him is important to me.

Want a banner to hang in your own home? Click on the image below to download this free printable: