....10 THINGS I KNOW ABOUT WEDDING PLANNING....
Yes, indeedy there is a wedding. Our eldest daughter, Michelle is getting married to her cutie pututie guy Jordan at 6pm on Saturday, at The National Gallery of Canada, in front of 165 of our family and closest friends.
There has been a year of planning.
...and this is what I know...
1.... planning and executing a wedding can be stressful.....many opinions are sometimes asked for, many more are given when not asked for.
2. ... that being attuned to my eldest daughter, ensured that I could allow her to lead the way....in other words, she is an adult, has her own very strong opinions about her wedding, as she should. I LISTENED to her, really listened and heard what she envisioned for the day.
3. ....that a wedding budget is a necessity. After I did some searching on line of reasonably priced weddings (oxymoron).... we decided as the Bride's parents, that we would offer a set budget....anything above and beyond would have to be accommodated by the Bride and Groom...this worked.
3..... there will always be compromises. Should we have a smaller wedding at our cottage in the summer? Or, a winter wedding in the city? The venue and date are typically the first items to strike off the vast TO DO LIST.....Jordan and Michelle looked at many venues, but having a winter wedding has it's own special issues and requirements.....in the end, we all agreed on The National Gallery of Canada....The Great Hall is a spectacular glass enclosed room with views of Parliament Hill and the Gatineau Hills. ...and hopefully the light snowfall that I've personally been wishing for. The room can accommodate our guests for the ceremony and the reception and it is very close to the hotels that our out of town guests are staying at...DONE.
4..... that the Guest List bites the big one. This single item can cause the most stable of relationships to falter. We decided as a group... both sets of parents and the Bride and Groom, that invitations would go to our closest (in our hearts) family and friends...the people who had a strong, meaningful impact on Michelle's and Jordan's lives. Yes, there are many more people we would have enjoyed at the wedding, but the guest list line must be drawn in the sand early in the game.
5. ....THE DRESS....is another biggy. When she tried on wedding gowns, I waited for Michelle's reaction, I read her body language, facial expressions and LISTENED.... 100% of the time, before I gave her my opinion. This is key....remember, my Bride has very strong opinions, likes and dislikes.
She is wearing the most perfect wedding gown for HER, on Saturday...It is truly lovely.
She is wearing the most perfect wedding gown for HER, on Saturday...It is truly lovely.
6. .... vendors are key to the success of a wedding as expressed in this post, A WEDDING ...AND... TWITTER. Together we found our awesome vendors that will add 'the icing on the cake'.
7. .... no matter how much spending, planning, stressing....it is essential to enjoy the experience full on, especially on the days leading up to the wedding. About 6 weeks ago, Michelle and I chatted about how she wanted to have fun and enjoy her wedding. All too often the Bride later views the few days before, and during her wedding day as if in a haze, not cherishing the moments, worried about the next item on the agenda. We were determined this would not happen. How? ... LET GO AND LET BE became our mantra. We are now leaving the details so carefully formulated by the experts, entirely up to them...we have let go.
8. ....that someone early on in the planning process mentioned that the wedding is 'theatre', and I cannot disagree. We love fabulous 'entertaining'. We will be wearing our wedding 'costumes', there will be the 'performers' and the 'audience' and the 'stage' will be set.....
7. .... no matter how much spending, planning, stressing....it is essential to enjoy the experience full on, especially on the days leading up to the wedding. About 6 weeks ago, Michelle and I chatted about how she wanted to have fun and enjoy her wedding. All too often the Bride later views the few days before, and during her wedding day as if in a haze, not cherishing the moments, worried about the next item on the agenda. We were determined this would not happen. How? ... LET GO AND LET BE became our mantra. We are now leaving the details so carefully formulated by the experts, entirely up to them...we have let go.
8. ....that someone early on in the planning process mentioned that the wedding is 'theatre', and I cannot disagree. We love fabulous 'entertaining'. We will be wearing our wedding 'costumes', there will be the 'performers' and the 'audience' and the 'stage' will be set.....
9 ... but throughout the process, you must remind yourself, that the big expensive wedding, the grand PARTAY, so to speak, pales in comparison to the actual MARRIAGE....the true reason we will all be gathered on Saturday at 6pm.
10. .... at the end of the day, when Michelle and Jordan are MARRIED, we will have accomplished what we set out to do!
...now I need a tissue!
...think I'll watch "Father of the Bride"
...now I need a tissue!
...think I'll watch "Father of the Bride"
posted by Maureen @ Modecor @ Thursday, February 09, 2012
11 Comments
11 Comments:
Wonderful post, Maureen!
I've been watching/reading from far far away as you've been moving closer to this day. Your excitement and happiness for Michelle & Jordan was obvious a whole year ago... and here you are, just days away!! Have a wonderful time, create fabulous memories and take loads of photos to share!! :-)
Victoria
I love your approach to planning Michelle's wedding. And I'm so envious of Michelle - my mom died three years before I got married, so I didn't have her here to help me or to share the excitement with me. Enjoy these last few pre-wedding days together, and cherish them forever. Congrats to Michelle & Jordan!
You have a great approach to this monumental celebration. It's very refreshing to see a mom who gets whose wedding it is in the end! The day will be perfect - you can see that coming from as far away as the West Coast!
Thank you Victoria. C
Oooooops , Victoria.... Think something weddingish must have interrupted my comment. Thank you for your thoughtful wishes from the West Coast. There will be loads of pictures coming your way soon.
Kelly.....I have to say that Michelle was truly the brains, the five star general behind this entire adventure...and I was perhaps her captain. We all had a blast last night at the rehearsal dinner...so that's a great sign for today and tomorrow.
Thank you Sheila.....31 years ago I was the bride. Been there, done that....it's about Michellevand Jordan and the PARTAY!...woohoo!
Saturday sounds like it will run as smooth as can be. Snow is in the forecast ( here) so I hope we send a sprinkling for you to look at out the gorgeous windows of the Gallery. Have the best day ever !!! Much love, Lynne xx
Thank you so much, Maureen, for keeping your fans apprised of the lead up to this monumental day in Michelle and Jordan's, and all of your families, lives! Thank you for taking us on this incredible journey with you! Enjoy the beautiful day with your loved ones and treasure being Mother of the Bride! Congratulations and best wishes! Hope you'll share some pics of the day with us, too! ;) Enjoy, Enjoy! hugs, Pam and Oded
No snow here On Saturday Lynne....and I didn't even notice. it was the best day ever. Thank you.
It was actually cathartic for me to write this down Pam. So glad you enjoyed. I'm very much enjoying being a MIL now...and Mike is thrilled to finally have a 'boy' .
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