Maybe the place you miss most is an apartment you were glad to leave. It was too small, the kitchen never quite worked, and you still tell stories about the years you spent there.
That address deserves a place on a map just as much as a wedding venue does.
A three-location map gift brings three meaningful places into one piece of artwork. Met, Engaged, Married is a lovely way to arrange it, but it is only one possibility. The places can follow your relationship, remember the homes you have shared, or connect a favorite trip with the life you have built since.
Our personalized three-location wooden map in an oak frame lets you choose all three locations, the names and the wording. Here are a few ways to make that choice feel like yours.
Start with the stories you actually tell
Before opening a map app, think about the places that come up in conversation. Where did you spend your first long weekend together? Which address still feels familiar when you pass it? Is there a place you both call “our spot,” even though neither of you has ever lived there?
You do not need three grand occasions. A small, familiar place can do more work than a famous landmark chosen simply because it looks impressive.
If you are giving the map to another couple, stick to details you know. A wedding invitation can help confirm a venue; a relative may know the old address. If the location or date is uncertain, ask rather than quietly filling in the gap. A surprise is less important than getting their story right.
Three ways to make the map your own
The homes you grew into
A first apartment, the place you moved into together, and your home today make a thoughtful anniversary gift. The interest is in what changed between those addresses: different jobs, a longer kitchen table, perhaps finally having room for guests.
Simple captions such as Our First Place / Room to Grow / Home give each section a role without needing a long explanation. You can also use the street names if those are the words you would naturally say.
A trip you still bring up
Three stops from one journey can work beautifully: the town where you stayed, a particular beach, and the city where the trip ended. This could be a honeymoon, but it could just as easily be a road trip taken years before the wedding.
Choose places you remember for different reasons. If every section is simply another hotel, the map may tell less of the story than one hotel, a favorite walk, and the small town where you spent an unexpectedly good afternoon.
The milestones, with your own words
There is nothing wrong with Met / Engaged / Married when those are the moments you want to remember. You can also make the captions more conversational: First Coffee / You Said Yes / Our Wedding, for example.
For a couple who is not married, a first date, a shared home and a favorite getaway give the third section a real purpose. There is no need to invent a future wedding location to complete the design.
What the wood adds to the story
This design has three map sections fitted together inside a solid oak frame. The map is made from layered wood, with separately cut names and main lettering raised above the background.
In the close-up, you can see the edges of the layers, the streets and the blue water. Those details are worth looking at when deciding whether you want a wooden map or a flat print: they change how the piece looks from the side as well as straight on.
Heart or Square? Think about where it will live
The Heart design makes the connection between the places part of the outline. Square gives the inner map a more geometric shape. Both sit inside a rectangular oak frame, so choosing Heart does not mean ordering a heart-shaped outer frame.
The finishes are Early American and Grey. Look at the recipient’s room before deciding: the frame of a nearby picture or the wood of a dresser can be a more useful reference than a color name on a screen.
This product comes in four listed sizes: S, 8 × 10 inches; M, 11 × 14 inches; L, 14 × 18 inches; and XL, 18 × 23 inches. Mark the measurements on paper and hold it in the intended spot. A photograph of someone holding a map helps show the piece, but it is not a substitute for checking your chosen size.
Keep the wording short, and save the rest for a note
A map does not need to carry everything you want to say. Names, three short captions and the dates that matter may be enough. Dates can also be left off the finished design.
If you are giving it as a gift, put the longer thought in a card. For a map of three shared homes, you might write:
“I would not trade those years in our tiny apartment. Or the move we thought we were ready for. Or the home we have now. I wanted to keep all three.”
Use that as a starting point, not a script. One detail only the two of you understand will usually make the note better. For more caption options, see what to write on a personalized map gift.
What to send us before we make it
For each place, provide an address or coordinates with the city and country, plus any label and date you want shown. For a beach, trail or another location without a street address, a pin or coordinates can help identify the spot you mean.
Be clear about dates. “June 8, 2024” avoids the ambiguity of “06/08/2024.” If you want a numeric date on the finished map, tell us which format to use.
We send a free digital proof before production. Review the map areas as well as the spelling: is the street you remember visible, and is the marker in the right place? You can request changes, and we begin making the piece after you approve the design.
For a gift with a deadline, allow time for that conversation as well as making and shipping the map. Contact service@murwoodhome.com before ordering if the arrival date is essential.
A few questions before you choose
Can the three places be in different countries?
Yes. Each section represents a location you choose, so the design can bring together places in different countries. Include the country with each address to avoid confusion.
Can all three places be in the same city?
Yes. A first-date café, a proposal spot and a shared home can all be in one city. Identify the individual places clearly so each section has a different memory attached to it.
What if only two places really matter?
Choose two. You do not need to add a less meaningful location just to fill a third section. Our guide to one-, two- and three-location maps can help you compare the formats.
Choose the places they will recognize
The best starting point is a short list of places and the reason each one belongs. Once you have that, the shape, finish and wording become easier to choose.
