From Teething Ring to Engagement Ring- (in three months or less?)
l
A couple of weeks ago, my daughter sent me a text stating she might . . .
get married this summer.
.
You will notice there are two parts to that message.
The “get married” part didn’t startle me. Not only have my daughter and her boyfriend been dating for ions, but they’ve also been discussing marriage plans. However the “this summer” part threw me for a loop.
They had been planning a 2013 wedding. Next summer.
After my husband performed CPR and got my heart pumping again, I counted the months and immediately shifted into fast gear, and (of course) raced to the computer where I Googled approximately three million wedding topics.
Oh, the things you can learn on the internet. For example, did you know the typical American wedding costs $25,000?
What?!
I don’t know about you, but that kind of money doesn’t grow on trees in the Denmans’ yard. Fortunately, you can’t believe everything you read on the internet. (Who knew?) Turns out, people in my neck of the woods spend far less to tie the knot than the average Googler.
With the computer shut down, I started talking to real people, who assured me that not only could I afford to marry my daughter off, but I could also execute the task in three months or less.
As the initial shock passed, the “get married” part hit me. Hard.
Don’t get me wrong, this wedding news was no surprise. So why did I keep remembering Steve Martin’s flashback scene from “Father of the Bride?” You know, the one where he envisions his grown daughter as a little girl?
It seems only last week we brought our baby girl home from the hospital. Now she wants to get married? Makes me realize something:
You know those sweet older women that tell young mothers to
“enjoy this time in life because it goes by so quickly?”
Well, they’re right.
And for crying out loud, now I’m one of them!
l
h
He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.
Proverbs 18:22
————————————————–
So begins my Mother-of-the-Bride Blog Series. (Mob BS, for short)
Since I have only three months to plan the wedding,
I’d appreciate any suggestions/warnings/condolences.
Trackbacks
- Finding the Perfect Wedding Dress « V.V. Denman
- What Do You Mean You Want To Marry My Daughter?! « V.V. Denman
- DIY Wedding Cake – Like Riding a Bicycle « V.V. Denman
- The Last of the Lasts « V.V. Denman
- 10 Activities the Mother of the Bride should AVOID « V.V. Denman
- Creative Wedding Ideas? Oh, yes! « V.V. Denman
Oh, wow! Congrats! I’ll be following your journey so I’ll know what to do and expect when it’s my turn someday!
Thanks, Anne. I’ve been wondering about your daughter. (Everything else in our lives has been strangely parallel.)
Alas, she’s never even had a boyfriend yet! But that probably means when it finally is the right one, it will all happen really fast and knock us for a loop! You’ll be a great mother of the bride.
Dave and I planned our wedding in less than 4 weeks so 3 months and less than $25,000 is definitely possible!! DIY was our motto!
Julia, that is so encouraging. But four weeks! Whoa. That makes 3 months sound like an eternity.
Congratulations!
Thanks, Mark. See you there!
So excited for the Happy Couple!!! You can easily DIY the wedding! We did it all ourselves except the photography, cupcakes, coursages and boutonnieres for Leah and Jeremy’s wedding. We did provide the flowers for the flower lady which were bought at at Sams or Cotsco (can’t remember which). Doing it this way saved alot of saved money. You could do all the flowers but might be alittle hard if they are fresh and have to be put together just previous to wedding, which is the real Crazy time for family! You will learn that there are many people that have items to loan out. I have some things you are welcome to borrow if you want to, that I am still hanging onto. Hobby Lobby and Michaels 40% coupons and sales work great. Might can get some good deals on Craig’s list. Many people have weddimg supplies left over after all the events end. Weddings are happy times and you will find that people will volunteer and want to help put the wedding together (of course the way the Bride and Groom want!). Yes, there are tons of ideas on the internet! I know everything will turn out beautiful!!! Good Luck!
Karen, thank you so much. What wonderful advice. I’ll be checking with you later to see what you have to loan. So many people have offered items. Now I need to get organized and figure out where to start. Leah’s wedding was beautiful. That was the first time I had seen cupcakes used, and I thought it was so neat. We’re considering cupcakes too! Thank you for being such a good friend.
Congratulations!!!
Thanks, Catherine. Good to see you again!
I need to correct myself on previous posting. When I said we paid for, I meant all of us (including Leah and Jeremy) that paid out money for the wedding. Some additional items paid for were the wedding dress, tuxes, decorations, food for reception and other ususal wedding needs. My point was you can DIY the wedding with alot less money than paying someone else to do it for you! Just try to relax and practice deep breathing techniques!
Deep breathing techniques will save my sanity!
Looks like you will have lots of things to write about these next few months. Can’t wait to read them. Girl, you can do this. You are terrific. Oh man, you will have material for a long time. Congratulations
Mary, you are so sweet and encouraging. Thank you for being you. I’m sure you’ll hear all about the wedding, both here and at our group meetings. (if I have time to attend them, oh dear)
Oh wow! How exciting and scary at the same time.
Being a mom of 2 daughters over 18 now.. I’m looking forward to this day.. and than not.. LOL.
Blessings and enjoy all the preparations.
Check out my blog. I just posted a review of a devotional for Brides to Be. It’s WONDERFUL!
Oh, that sounds good. Thanks!
Welcome back! I’ve missed you and your clever, humorous writing style.
Congrats, m-i-l to be! Just remember that the perfection of the details and the opulence of the wedding don’t have much to do with the ultimate success of the marriage. In fact it seems to be inversely proportional for most couples these days. I’m confident that you
know what is really important. ( For those who don’t, I want you to know that it is a relationship with Jesus that not only saves individuals, but couples and marriages as well.)
I’m lookinjg forward to your MOB BS !! ROFL !
Blessings upon your family!
You are absolutely right, Len!
So good to see you in the bloggy world again, V.V. And congrats to you and your daughter. Oh my … weddings and the planning. Sweat is dripping down my neck just thinking about it. Our tiny 50-person wedding (did our own flowers, had in our back yard) STILL cost more than that average somehow – back in 2000. But then, that included dress, honeymoon, etc. You can do it! There are lots of creative ways to throw a great wedding without all the hoopla. Good luck!
Thank goodness I’m not including the honeymoon. I’d really be in a panic!
Yea! Congratulations to all! I was engaged for only two and a half months and we had a big wedding (didn’t really mean for it to be but it just kept growing and growing and growing…). So planning in a short amount of time can be done, even if it makes you crazy sometimes. Fortunately, I had a very tolerant boss who let me run wedding errands and flex my time! Cut corners where you can, but I recommend investing in the wedding photography. Your daughter will be glad she did! Hopefully, you know someone who’s an awesome photographer who can cut you a deal… if not, I think it’s worth it to spend on that. Glad you’re back to blogging!
Thanks for the advice, Jen. And it feels really good to be back in the blogosphere.
I’m so glad to see you back blogging again, V.V.! I missed ya!
Loved this post as well-so funny! I’m afraid I don’t have any advice, but I’d love to hear yours once you’re all finished with it, teehee. Congratulations to your family!
Thank you, sweet Lizzie! Good to see you again.