Wedding Family Traditions

 

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Wedding Family Traditions …

Do you remember my post, Advice to My Daughter?  In it I tell about passing down a family heirloom to a bride. If you missed it, and would like to read it, just click on the link.  It will take you there.  Our photographer, Hannah Colt, through Power Station Events was fantastic, and most creative.  She suggested placing both rings, my daughter Kathleen’s, (KK), and my grandmother’s, in one of the beautiful blooms from KK’s bouquet.  Janice, Mother of the Groom, and KK take all the credit – well, we must give their florist SOME… for their fantastic wedding flower vision, which became reality.

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The next photo showcases KK’s bouquet.  I loved her flowers.  While grand enough for a bride, KK’s bouquet didn’t overwhelm her.  And if you’ll notice, nestled in the ribbon banding…is the abalone butterfly my father carved for my mother, pinned to the ribbon.

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The photo above gives you a close up of the butterfly pendent.  Even though my parents were unable to attend, (The trip from California just a bit too much.  Dad turns 97 this year and thankfully is still in great health – Mom is MUCH younger… :-), a little remembrance of them was still in attendance.  And as a fun note – they “Facetimed” the ceremony, (thank you so much, Trish and Becca!), so they were able to witness the marriage joy!

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Next is my husband’s, father of the bride’s, boutonniere.  Such attention to detail was given by Janice’s florist. Not only was it beautiful, but it had color highlights to match my dress.  And to go with the boutonniere, was the handkerchief KK had made for her father out of her extra fabric from her wedding dress… (Now THAT made me tear up…)

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And yes…these photos were mine…taken on my little iPhone!  Hannah, the photographer, was not all that happy with me – but patient.

Wedding Family Traditions

 

With the birth of each child,  my husband presented me a piece of jewelry in the baby’s birthstone.  It is my intention to give this jewelry to each girl on her wedding day.

Maggie, my second daughter, was born in April.  Her birthstone is diamond.  My gift from her father on the day of her birth was the diamond tennis bracelet – lying on it’s side in the picture to the right (wish Maggie had photographed it flat so the stones would sparkle…).

I really don’t know what I envisioned when I thought of presenting it to her, but the way it happened was not on my radar…

Well — let’s go back a little.  There was that glitch in the wedding prep that I still have yet to divulge, the morning of the wedding.  Although the wedding started right on time, I was discombobulated from the unplanned event.  I had the bracelet in it’s satin pouch ready on my desk to present to Maggie….and forgot it.  (Remember, the female bridal party was at the Hilton taking pictures.  Other family members were at our home).

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I called my husband, and asked him, ever so sweetly, to please bring the bracelet to St Paul’s.  He did.

We, the six bridesmaid, the bride, and I, arrived at the church at 2:50 PM.  We had been instructed to wait inside the limo until 2:59 PM.  I dashed out of the limo, (don’t forget it’s raining), ran into the church, texted my Kenny, hugged a few friends, and he met me with the bracelet.  I ran back to the limo, crawled in, duck-walked in the low ceiling of the car to the back, and put the bracelet on Maggie’s wrist without shedding a tear.  No…it was not my vision, but the joy of the moment was perfect…

Photos: Pretty bridesmaids in the limo…  🙂