They're custom-designed...and they're taking over the wedding circuit.

By Rebekah Lowin
May 23, 2017
Getty Images/iStockphoto

Google searches for "wine box ceremonies" have been spiking all month, which can only mean one thing: Google searches for "what the heck are wine box ceremonies" are probably spiking, too. Luckily, we're here to explain.

First things, it's not an offputting satanic ritual. Apparently, the trend, which began a few years back but is becoming more and more popular, is a sweet and altogether harmless ritual that can be performed by soon-to-be brides and grooms. It simply involves splurging on a bottle of wine and locking it in a wooden box alongside letters from both the bride and the groom. These aren't just any old boxes, mind you; they can be purchased and custom-designed on sites like Etsy (and we imagine they can also be DIY'ed if you've got a knack for woodworking). During the ceremony—the details of which are still a bit nebulous to us outsiders—you and your significant other shut the box using two padlocks. Or your parents seal it for you while you look on.

You can reopen the box on a given date. Say, your five-year anniversary. 

So, basically, there'll be a bottle of wine waiting for you in a locked box in half a decade, but only your spouse holds the second key.

We can see the divorce rates plummeting already.

As if the ceremony itself wasn't lavish enough, a ton of thought goes into the boxes themselves, as evidenced by the flattering descriptions they're given. One popular retailer on Etsy, MossyHoller, notes that her boxes are "a perfect gift for newlyweds, for use in a wine ceremony, for anniversaries or retirement."

"It is made of solid mahogany," she writes in one of the box's product description. "And engraved with your first names with a gorgeous decorative monogram initial of your last name... The wood is natural with a non toxic oil applied to give it a beautiful finish."

Sounds beautiful. And frankly, we'd raise a glass to anyone those whose love is stronger than their wine cravings.