I just LOVE the ornament Mr. Claus got me! It’s one of my absolute favorite pieces to add to our tree each year, and I can’t think of a better gift to receive than something so personal and thoughtful.
Wally Bronner first hand painted personalized Christmas ornaments as gifts for the children of Bronner’s staff members back in the mid 1960s. The personalized ornaments were such a big hit at that Christmas party, he began receiving requests for more. Since then, hundreds of thousands of ornaments have been personalized for people all around the world!
Do you have a special ornament that came from Bronner’s? I would love to hear all about it!
The first Christmas we were married my husband and I went to Bronner’s to shop for a nativity. We also left with two ornaments with Christmas greetings in German and Norwegian. They were ones just like the 4″ plain personalized ornaments. Nothing fancy, but they were always prominently placed on the tree every year. Five years ago I went to the basement one day to find the ornament storage box on the floor and my German ornament one of the shattered ones. I replaced it three years ago only to have it fall from the tree last Christmas. Will have to order another as the tree just doesn’t seem complete without it.
That’s too bad to hear that the ornament broke Barbara. We would love to have your tree complete again! We still sell the German Christmas greeting ornament online http://bit.ly/2dIffgN and you can also call our customer service 800-361-6736 to order as well.
I love to shop at Bronners! It is the only place I can get all the myriad of colours in frosted finishes for painting on! I come down there from Toronto, Canada, usually once a year, more if possible, and come out with several large shopping bags of plain, frosted bulbs and the little wire hangers, so people can leave their cherished pets/houses/logos, etc. out on the shelf or china cabinet all year. I started with the local pioneer church where I grew up and showed it where I did personalized names at their Christmas Craft Show in November. That was in 2004, and in the next couple of years, besides all the names and new babies and weddings, etc., I had painted over 76 churches, branching out to the other pioneer churches in the area, of which there are 6. People wanted to collect the set, ordering an extra one or two each season. Then they started wanting their own houses or other churches on them for gifts. Now my little off-shoot industry (sign painter and fine artist by trade) has become so big that people order a year ahead. I now do corporate logos (even have done NCIS, FBI and FBINAA and Police and Fire stns.)and the biggest seller now is pets!! Particularly those passed on. So please, Bronner’s don’t ever stop!! If you stop selling plain frosted colours, hundreds of people here in Canada and the USA would be very sad.
See you soon!!
Congratulations, Joanne, on developing your artistic gift of painting! (Wally Bronner, our late originator, began as a sign painter, too.) We look forward to seeing you again soon!
My oldest daughter and I were there for the first time last Oct. 2015. We had such a great time! Literally spent 3 days in there : ). We both bought a different trucker ornament and had my husband’s nickname Cowboy on one and his actual name Steven on the other. I had flown up to see her and shipped a bunch of things from Bronner’s home but those two ornaments went on the plane in my carry on tote right on top so I could keep them safe. I made sure he saw them as soon as I got them home and he had come in for the weekend. He loved them!!!! He was killed in a trucking accident that November but his ornament from me took center stage on my Christmas tree and the one my daughter got him was on hers. They were a great way to honor his memory and will be for many years to come! I am so glad we have them.
Kathy, please accept our condolences on the loss of your husband. Our blog team is truly touched that the personalized ornaments you purchased for him now play a part in honoring his memory.
Thank y’all for your compassion. Such great folks working in every aspect of the store and behind the scenes to make it such a wonderful place to visit and make a traditon, honoring the good Lord at the same time. I love that about Bronners! I can’t wait to come back for my second visit soon and share in the true spirit and meaning of Christmas with y’all. God bless….see you in Oct!
I have so many favorite ornaments I purchased at Bronners over the years that it is hard to single out just one. Many years ago my husband and I took a trip around Lake Michigan Up Michigan side and down Wisconsin side. My favorite holiday is Christmas so when I saw the billboard sign about Bronners I asked my husband to go off the path, he agreed. He loved the store and the town and we went back there every year. He passed away 20 years ago much to my sorrow and now my daughter takes me there every year. She is a teacher so we have to plan a trip on her time off. We are planning to come either Columbus weekend or Veterans weekend. We also have a request from more of my relatives to come also for I have talked about Bronners very much. I am 93 and still going, see you then.
Love this story ….
Rona, thank you for sharing your memory of your first visit to Bronner’s with your late husband during your Lake Michigan trip many years ago. What a trip that must have been – up one side of Lake Michigan and down the other! We are glad you are able to visit with your daughter and look forward to seeing you two this fall.
My husband’s favorite ornament was a 3-D full Santa holding up a green ornament on which I had his name painted. I had given him this particular ornament as a Chrismas gift several years ago. We have been making our annual trip since 1990 to our favorite Christmas store ever – Bronner’s and have introduced it to several friends and family over the years. We often book our favorite room at Bavarian Inn but when sold out have stayed as far away as Detroit just to visit Bronner’s. I highly recommend Bronner’s for all your Christmas items, big and small.
Thank you, Debra, for your friendship with us over the years!
I visit Bronners at least 2 or 3 times a year and I have at least 50 personalized bulbs ! Here’s a story about my favorite and it sure is hard to have a favorite because they all are so very specially to me ! Last November I lost my Father. The most important man there ever was besides our Lord Jesus Christ …. It was a very tragic loss , I am still not doing well.
Well , I decided to have a memorial for him because at this point he was still missing. My memorial was a Christmas tree lighting even in my little town of Evart, MI. My first thought was “I am going to Bronners for this special bulb!” I not only got one for my dad but all my other family I have lost. The list is very long now .
My bulb reads” Missing you ” and his name. My heart breaks even writing this but to see his name on that bulb surrounded with the other bulbs of lost loved ones made me feel like he was there with me for just a little while.
Our tree lighting and my Bronner’s bulb even made the news and the newspaper.
Thank you Bronner’s for the special memories you give me and my children.
Frankenmuth brings me peace and I visit quite often. A wish of mine is to one day have my own place there and to work at Bronners. I have a associates degree and continued to closely getting my bachelor degree but in all reality, working there would make me incredibly happy. I love everything Bronner’s is about. Thank you again
I am so very sorry for your loss. I lost my Dad two days before his birthday this year. It was sudden and a horrible blow for our family. Father’s Day was very hard and Christmas will be too. I , too, will remember him with a new ornament this year for the Family tree. Not sure what it will be yet, I’m sure he will lead me as he did my whole life. Best wishes.
I am so sorry for your loss. It has been 8 months now and I feel as if I can’t heal. I am
Getting help with counseling now.
Doing the memorial and having the bulbs with his name and my other loved ones name made me very happy. Bronners is a very special place.
And your dad will definitely point you in the right direction when finding him another bulb.
You will have to post a pic on their page and show it off
Cynthia, we are so sorry for the loss of your father this year. May God comfort you as you experience your first Christmas without him.
Shawna, please accept our condolences for the loss of your father. May you continue to heal day by day. You honor us with your wish to one day work at Bronner’s! Congratulations on earning your associate’s degree and for your continued work on your bachelor’s degree.
Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland Is Hiring!
When my husband, Don, and I married 35 plus years ago we got each of our names painted on a large gold bulb. After each of our 3 sons were born they received a name bulb , each of the 3 in a different color. As they married they received a new bulb of the same old color and so did their new bride. The old bulbs were moved to ” the kids tree” where they ” live ” with ornaments they made or received as children. Now, as fathers, each of their sons have a name bulb in their daddy’s color. When we celebrated our 30th Wedding Anniversary we purchased new name bulbs for ourselves. Bronners ornaments have been part of our family for all these many years. Each time we visit new ones manage to be found to join the others on one of our seven Christmas Trees.
Cynthia, what a wonderful tradition you have had in place all these years for your sons! We would love to see pictures of your seven Christmas trees when you put them up this year, and invite you to post those pictures on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bronnerschristmas/.
Asked for catalog. Assumed the answer was yes, but never received one. Want to do Christmas shopping.
Charles, please email emocny@bronner.com with your catalog request. Thank you!