…give ’em the money and let ’em elope!
At this juncture, even my daughter agrees. She should have taken her fiancé up on his offer to marry in a civil ceremony eons ago, and forget about all this hoo-ha.
Of course we wouldn’t have done it that way. After all, she is our only child. There was no way we weren’t going to celebrate such a momentous occasion…the final severing of the umbilical cord between my daughter and me. Not even the 2,000 miles that separated us this last decade or so did the trick. It took a great, future son-in-law and Medicare to finally clinch it.
Long distance planning is a killer when it comes to a wedding. You’re at the mercy of the internet and a working wi-fi connection. You’re also stuck with whatever vendor you can find online. And good luck trying to find images of their previous work, and enough reviews to help with your decision.
My daughter agrees she is blessed with a mom who researches everything to death. I’m like a Jack Russell Terrier…once I sink my teeth into something, I never let go until I’ve chewed my way to the bone.
At the outset I had tried to get my husband to buy into a one-price-buys-all wedding. When he balked at the price and “put his foot down,” I set about purchasing the wedding piece meal…the venue, the food, the drinks, the music, the flowers. Who knew I’d have to rent the tables, chairs, and linens? Fortunately, the caterer provided the plates and utensils…paper and plastic, of course! And since we weren’t using an everything-included venue, I became the presumptive event planner.
Since last June when my daughter accepted her boyfriend’s proposal, I’ve been like a mole burrowing my way through all the details, leaving nothing to chance. I was on the job, day and night. My husband agrees, no one could afford my services. Not that I could give my all to anyone but my daughter. And she and I both agree…this is the last wedding either of us are planning.
As it turns out, what we’re ending up paying even surpasses the original quote I got from the one-stop for one-price venue. Because I dealt with individual businesses, there was no way to integrate their services into one cohesive unit. And while the budget dictated the parameters, the details always pushed the boundaries. At some point, I had to back off or I would’ve pulled all my hairs out by their white roots.
When it comes down to it, we’re blessed to have one child and be able to give her the wedding of her dreams. Thank goodness her dreams are small town…and not Big Apple, big city-sized ones.
If you’ve a wedding in your future, unless you’re anal about details and don’t mind shopping around as I do, I’d suggest you…plunk your money down in one place, and let them do the work for you. Better yet…
…send the couple on their way…with four fistfuls of $$$.
………hugmamma.
hugmamma's MIND, BODY and SOUL 
We’re in India, Hugmamma. My husband’s an invalid and I’m handicapped. My children are on their own. My son and his wife eloped. My husband and I had a very small wedding. We paid for it, not my parents as they couldn’t afford it. Some people were upset because they weren’t invited, but they got over it. No alcohol was involved. One couple, old neighbors of my parents, owned a florist’s business and gave the flowers as their gift. We took the guests to a restaurant. Some people here go deep in debt over weddings. A lot of people make money off them so it’s encouraged. I never cared what others thought. They weren’t paying for it, we were. It’s an individual choice. All our best to your daughter and her fiance. 🙂 — Suzanne
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My husband and I also paid for our own wedding. With 21 siblings between us, our parents were in no position to help us. Our daughter realizes how fortunate she is, as does her fiancé whose parents earn a modest living. We all do what we can do and for the right reasons. God bless you and your family…always, Suzanne. 🙂
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