Northville couple enjoys surprise wedding gift 9 years after marriage

NORTHVILLE, Mich. (WJBK) - Nicholas Sparks might find inspiration for his next novel in Northville after a married couple was told not to open one of their wedding gifts until they got into their first argument. They decided nine years into marriage to finally open the box.

A wedding present to Kathy and Brandon Gunn of Northville turned to a gift they will never forget..

It was a single white box with a simple note that reads: "Do not open until first disagreement. Aunt Alison."

Nine years, three moves, and two kids later, that box was still sitting at the top of their closet collecting dust.

"We're both very stubborn and very competitive," Brandon joked. "So if she wasn't going to open the box, I wasn't going to open the box."

Obviously having plenty of arguments throughout the years, the couple says they looked at that box almost like a security blanket. It was always there, and they were always wondering what was inside. It was when they were heading to a friend's wedding recently and not having a disagreement that they remembered the box.

"Thinking back to all the things we've gotten, I remembered that there was one gift that we still hadn't opened," Kathy said.

So Kathy and Brandon Gunn decided: Why not?

Reading a card from Kathy's great aunt Alison and untying the silver bow, inside the box sat two crystal wine glasses and a vase, along with two notes wrapped around cash addressed to each of them.

"It turned out to be a simple gift and I think that's what touched me so much," Kathy said.

While Kathy was told to "get a pizza, shrimp or something you both like" and to get a bath ready, Brandon was told to buy a bottle of wine and flowers for his wife.

"It's funny because we waited so long but that advice we could've used so much earlier on," Brandon said.

Kathy, who shared her story with the Facebook page Love What Matters, never expected the box that became a running joke in her family to have such an impact on others -- along with their marriage.

"It's just a couple of basic things; Have respect for each other and remember that you're a team and that's the number one take-away I've gotten from this whole thing," Brandon said.

While keeping that special message from Aunt Alison to themselves, Kathy and Brandon Gunn are positive Aunt Alison's gift will be the one that will keep on giving.

"It takes sticking together, being partners in everything that you do, especially raising children, and it's going to be hard work but it's gonna be worth it," Kathy said.