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…  🙂

 

First Wedding Anniversary

 

 In honor of my daughter, Maggie and son-in-law, Robert’s upcoming first wedding anniversary, I am reposting an excerpt from a previous post…

“I have to admit…I loved my own walk down the isle as a bride.  It was so much fun to do it again as the mother of the bride.

Picture number one is the lovely Tess, my third daughter, and sister of my bride, Maggie.  Next is yours truly, with Matt, best man and brother of the groom.  Upon reflection, I should not have made my desire known – that I would be pleased to have Matt walk me.  That honor belonged to his mom, Debbie.  But Debbie was too gracious and Matt too much the gentleman to say no.  Thanks, Matt – I sure enjoyed it!  If you look behind me, you can see the organ loft.  To the left, our beautiful vocalist, and to her right the talented organist.

Saint Paul’s in Glastonbury, Connecticut is a quintessential New England church.  It is reflective of it’s local – beautiful in it’s simplicity.  Remember, we’re processing to ‘Ave Maria.’  Look at our smiles…not somber music at all.  My flowers were three white roses, (matching Debbie’s), with a little greenery in bouquet form – no troublesome corsages.

 

I think I already bragged…but I will again.  The the next picture is of Maggie in her veil.  It is her own, but the headpiece is mine.  I can’t tell you how pleased I am that she wore it.  I think Maggie enjoyed sharing it with me almost as much as I.

Next is a lovely photo of Maggie with her father, as they walk down the isle to the wedding march.  Doesn’t my Kenny look proud?

The last picture is the “Hand Off”.  I couldn’t ask for a better son-in-law.  Rob looks happy and honored.  I know I was…

And as a footnote – an answer to a question you may have … did I cry?  Well- I teared up. But what touched my heart, almost as much as the beautiful words spoken by the priest, Rob and Maggie, was the simple act of holding the hand of my husband of almost 31 years as our daughter said her vows…

 

Special thanks to the beautiful Patty Cloherty, aunt of the groom, who took these photos.

Brides’ Duties to Their Maids

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We talked about your bridesmaids’ responsibilities to you, the bride, but what are your responsibilities to them?  As the bride, try to be considerate of your bridesmaids’ pocketbooks.  When choosing dresses, choose a gown that is not too pricey.  You know they’ll never wear it again…Same goes for the shoes.

For my daughter, KK’s summer wedding, she is asking only that her bridesmaids wear gold shoes/sandles.

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As three of her bridesmaids are my own daughters, I appreciate this.  My youngest daughter, Julia, has picked out some sandals, (remember, we have a casual theme), that she had already desired.  How often does THAT happen?  Luckily, all KK’s attendants are within driving range, so air fare is not a factor.  But when it comes to providing lodging the night before the wedding and the night of, you or your parents are responsible.  It can be your home, that of a near relative or a hotel.  But it is yours.  You must also ensure that your bridesmaids have a safe ride with a designated ‘alcohol free’ driver from the reception to their lodgings.  On the night of the wedding, they are your responsibility.

The bride also traditionally gives a “Bridesmaids’ Luncheon” shortly prior to the wedding.  This is the occasion where she says “thank you” and presents the ladies with a keepsake gift of her special day.  I love the two photos above.  The tables have a different feel, but both are exquisite.  Your luncheon need not be extravagant, just a small time to relax, reminisce and gear up for WEDDING!

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Although not mandatory, if you DO plan a luncheon, the cookies above would be the perfect favors.  The beauty of these, you could ice them in any color to match your theme.  I rather like the green…

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Going quite formal?  The invitation above is pretty AND informative!  I had found that paperless post, has provided the best customer service both electronically and on paper.  And they quality’s excellent, too.

 

 

Wedding Place Card Ideas

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Wedding Place Card Ideas …sounds like fun.  A way to be creative, to tie your color scheme together. Well…first…you have to plan where to seat everyone…Don’t take this chore lightly.  It’s a huge undertaking.  You want to make sure every guest at your wedding reception is comfortable, has someone of like mind to talk to, and has a good time as possible.

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I think the top photo with the sticky flags is brilliant.  In fact, when we plan the seating chart for my daughter, Kathleen’s reception dinner, we will use them.  I love the genius of color-coding those stickies. Yellow for work, green for his, pink for hers,  orange for friends, and so forth.

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Once the miserable chore of finding a suitable spot for everyone is done, you need to decide how you will present the place cards.  There are so many darling ideas out there.  I’m especially found of the second photo with the corks.  That was what we used for my first bride’s place cards, daughter Maggie.  What about using chocolates as your holding mechanism for the place cards, like the photo above?  Not only is it pretty and elegant, but the guest gets a tasty treat!

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Having a garden wedding?  Just love the succulent place card/table assignment holders above!  Tiny enough for the guests to find a cubby somewhere at home to stash it, and think of you whenever they see this cute item.

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But my favorite idea on this page, is the one above.  Inexpensive wine glasses were chosen, and then dipped in a “chalk-board paint” and left to dry.  Once dry, the guests’ names can be written in chalk, (consider using your wedding colors!), on the base.  I just may consider this for KK…

Last little bit of advice?  Don’t forget to add your guests’ meal choices on your place card.  It makes it so much easier for your servers, and the guests as well.