As the mother of three brides, with 2 weddings to go, I would like to point out that as wonderful as weddings are, they are also the most stressful parties I have ever put together! Let me give you a few reasons why:
1 First of all, you are trying to make sure
the bride and groom are happy which is no small task because they really have
no idea of what this whole wedding entails.
They are in “la-la- in love fairyland”. Don’t believe them when they
say: “All we want are chips and carrots and a dance!”
There are tons of flowers to find and put
together, for centerpieces, bouquets, boutonnieres and corsages. Not only that
but they will be forgotten somewhere by someone and no matter how beautiful
they are, they will be missing from the pictures, sigh….
There are all kinds of decisions to make
about food: Sit down dinner or appetizers, friend’s help or catered? I haven’t
been to a wedding yet that ran out of food, but that is always the big worry
especially when you see someone’s runaway child scarfing down 10 desserts!
Wedding invitations have to be sent out early, which means engagement pictures and reception details. No matter how many you make, your children will remember 50 more friends that they should have sent invitations too, 2 weeks before the wedding!
Do your bride and groom want bridesmaids and groomsmen? This means finding dresses in the right colour that everybody likes! Be prepared to hunt every store in a 200 mile radius, to be one the internet for hours and to buy at least 8 different dresses that need to be returned. Do yourself a favour, don’t let the bride pick her colours until you have the bridesmaids dresses!
You will have to start looking for
decorating ideas right from the start especially if you are decorating a gym or
hall… be on the hunt for tulle, greenery, flowers, lights, trees and don’t let
your kids talk you into live goldfish on the tables! You’ll regret it, believe
me, when you’re hunting for that slippery fish on the floor because the bowl
has been tipped over!
Will you be having a dance because if you
are, you will need to find a DJ and music! Are you including a program and who
will be speaking? Are you prepared to be in the spotlight as a blubbering mess
because for sure they will want you to speak?
What kind of pictures do you want? A professional photographer or your friends snapshots of the events? Try not to wince when you find out the cost, after all this is all you will have left when the whole shindig is over…PICTURES!
Of the 300 people you invite, 100 will tell you they’re not coming but the 200 that come won’t tell you that….be prepared to be set up extra tables and chairs and tell the kitchen help to add more carrots to the vegetable tray!!
Nevertheless, the BEST part of the
night is looking around at all your friends and family who have come with love,
gifts and best wishes to celebrate your child’s marriage…AND that makes it all
WONDERFUL!!
Lastly, the best thing you can do as a friend is to SHOW UP…there is nothing worse than putting on a big party for your child and no one comes. I have loved and appreciated every family member and friend who has made an effort to be with us on that special day! What a treasure they are to me!
So what do you think? What is your favourite part of a wedding reception? What do you remember the most? I would really love your feedback, you can let me know in my comments!
