Friends and readers (one in the same) will know that hubby and I have 2 sons…one is happily married and living with his lovely wife, and my very first granddaughter, in Austin.  Son #2 just proposed and she said “yes”!  We’re thrilled for many reasons, not the least of which is we love this girl and believe she and Son #2 are a good match.  Reason number 2, at least for me, is we get to be a part of planning a wedding!  Weddings encompass all manner of great things where HOME is concerned and can cross over into GARDEN and certainly PARTY.

via 100 Layer Cake

As I was typing those very words one of my favorite quotes from one of my all-time favorite movies came to mind.  Father of the Bride, 1991, staring Steve Martin and Diane Keaton, when George Banks (Steve Martin’s character) says,

“I used to think a wedding was a simple affair. Boy and girl meet, they fall in love, he buys a ring, she buys a dress, they say I do. I was wrong. That’s getting married. A wedding is an entirely different proposition.

  I know. I’ve just been through one. Not my own, my daughter’s. Annie Banks Mackenzie. That’s her married name: Mackenzie. You fathers will understand. You have a little girl. An adorable little girl who looks up to you and adores you in a way you could never have imagined. I remember how her little hand used to fit inside mine. Then comes the day when she wants to get her ears pierced, and wants you to drop her off a block before the movie theater. From that moment on you’re in a constant panic. You worry about her meeting the wrong kind of guy, the kind of guy who only wants one thing, and you know exactly what that one thing is, because it’s the same thing you wanted when you were their age. Then, you stop worrying about her meeting the wrong guy, and you worry about her meeting the right guy. That’s the greatest fear of all, because, then you lose her. It was just six months ago that that happened here. Just six months ago, that the storm broke.”

There are so many options for planning and inspiration, from the ring to the reception, the world wide web now hosts blog sites that feature amazing ideas for every tiny detail of the big event.  As I perused sites that came recommended, my head began swimming.  I was overwhelmed with beautiful images of every imaginable event and all the trimmings that are tied to a wedding, no matter how small and simple.

Snippet & Ink is such a fun blog site where any upcoming bride, or groom for that matter, can find real wedding photos as well as Inspiration Boards created by Snippet & Ink’s author, Kathryn.

 

In fact, when Son #1 got married bride-to-be choose a seaside location and desired a “family only” wedding.  At first I was slightly disappointed because I had hoped to share the day with close friends but in the end, this tiny 11 person wedding was so beautiful and intimate I was happy our DIL had wished for it.  We later hosted a reception for dear friends and enjoyed celebrating the marriage a couple of months later.

My point, although you may be wondering at this point if I have one, is that the wedding of Son #1 and now DIL, took nearly as much planning as a larger version would have.  You still plan for invitations, flowers, food, table settings, music, photographer and all the icing that goes on wedding cakes and receptions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above images: (left) Style me Pretty; (right) 100 Layer Cake

So, we’re off to begin what I believe will be a bonding experience for me with my future DIL #2.  I’ll keep you posted.  We are hosting an engagement party at our home and shopping invitations has begun.

via tiny prints (sample)

via Style me Pretty