Best wishes to zoosermom and anyone else celebrating tomorrow.
Busy wedding season-- we have one each month for the next 3 months (the middle one being our kid’s).
Last night started my wedding season, then we have 3 more until ours in August. Last night’s was so over the top - about 500 people (approximately 497 Persian), black tie, luxe venue, insanely elaborate details… we visited this venue so I know how much it cost, so it was kind of cool seeing like, "huh, this is what it would look like if our budget was $40k higher. To be honest, it didn’t make me feel anything at all! At the end of the day, the food is the same, the dancing is the same, the ceremony is the same (though this cantor was really belting it out) and it made me happy we didn’t spring for the way more expensive price per person. And not for nothing, but my gown looked amazing. :D/
We have five wedding invites and save the dates on our fridge including our own. Last one is Sept. 15.
I’m going to four. DH is going to three. One is out of the country and the timing is just “off” for us to plan an international vacation.
But busy year for sure.
But I sent all the gifts already!!
What is the matter with people?? Today, my husband told me his aunt invited a cousin to come to the wedding so he could just chill and visit. Is she planning to pick up the tab for him? In addition, we invited none of the other kids of my husband’s cousins…none. And that will definitely be noticed.
And my MIL is planning to schlep her dog 6 hours in the car. He current plan is to kennel the dog near here…but she can’t pick the dog up on Monday. She would have to pick the dog up before five on Sunday…ahem…the wedding starts at five…and the dog is NOT invited. And he can’t stay in the hotel unless she is with the dog.
My husband is dealing with his family on these issues, but come on…that’s just plain rude.
Say what?!!? A party crasher? That’s not right!
We did the final dress fitting today. The fitter, Randy, was beside himself over Megan(Duchess) dress. He thought it didn’t fit her well. He said there was nothing special about it. What mattered was he loved how d1’s dress looked. He showed D1 how she could dance in her very tight fitting dress. Oh, he happened to be a dancer too.
After seeing the royal wedding I told D1 she needed flower girls and page boys, especially those cute boys to fluf her train.
Lol, we all saw Meghan’s dress on tv, not in person. I strongly suspect “you had to be there.”
Thumper, I’d be seriously tempted to seat him in the way back, near the kitchen entrance, where he can “just chill and visit.” Innocently, lol, “We were able to find you a place.”
Stick the aunt back there too for her boorish manners. 
The wedding day has come and gone. It was spectacular! The day was perfect, the bride was gorgeous, the venue was amazing. We had a wonderful time from start to finish.
Makeup and hair were done at a salon about 10 minutes from the hotel, and the salon owner/hair stylist was so accomodating. The makeup artist and her assistant did a great job making everyone look natural and beautiful - no easy feat given the range of skin tones in the group. The photographer loved the salon, and he took a lot of artsy pictures there.
D had a suite in the hotel, and it was a great place for pre-wedding pictures. The only glitch was that after I got pictures with D when she got dressed, S arrived at the hotel … late, cranky and unable to figure out how to get to the valet parking. I had to send my friend down to help him. Then he called to say they wouldn’t let him check in because his name was not on the hotel room reservation. Since I had told the person checking me in that he would arrive the next day & I made sure it was on my credit card, I was not pleased. I went down, cut in front of a long check-in line, and made sure he got checked in immediately. S and his girlfriend were quite impressed with how my mom-mode made things happen.
The church was beautiful. It is an old church with beautiful stained glass windows. Our church is in the Detroit suburbs & we used a church in Detroit - they were kind enough to allow our minister to marry us there. S was supposed to walk me down the aisle, but he wasn’t there on time. No problem, though, because the sound guy did not show up. Fortunately, the church had someone on standby to do the sound … it took enough time that S had arrived & was relaxed by the time the ceremony started - he was a wonderful escort to walk me to my seat. The bride & bridesmaids were stuffed in a small side room waiting, and they were singing Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys songs to pass the time. The ceremony was lovely, and everyone was impressed with our minister and the wonderful not-too-short-not-too-long service. The organist was our church music director, a woman my D loves dearly … so it was very special to have her play. SIL’s family is Catholic, so the organist played Ave Maria when the moms were walked down the aisle, and the minister included the Hail Mary following the Lord’s Prayer.
The reception venue was amazing - it is a drop dead gorgeous art deco building that has been restored beautifully. The food was great, the staff was great, the DJ was great, the flowers were great, the cake was great, everyone in attendance was great … it was all great! I can’t say enough good things. We had a blast!! My H’s toast was incredible!!!
SIL is Chaldean (Iraqi Catholic). The Chaldean ladies all go stag to weddings, so we had a room full of beautiful women in beautiful gowns - all dancing to Arabic music that was interspersed with the music the kids like. My SIL is not from the area (where many Chaldeans live), so she didn’t understand how lovely these women are … she was blown away. Not sure what she expected! 
My two best friends came, and I can’t tell you how much it meant to me. I loved having them with me to celebrate. My favorite coworker was also there, and it was so wonderful to see her relax & have a great time.
I loved every second of it!!! Can’t wait for the pictures (the photographer is amazing).
Kelsmom, It sounds wonderful. I’m so glad it all worked out.
Fabulous! Just fabulous!!!
So very happy for your whole family, and your SIL’s family. Sounds like a very special and wonderful day!
@kelsmom, you sound like you are still celebrating! And as well you should. Congratulations on what sounds like an amazing day.
Sounds like a wonderful day, kelsmom! I got a chuckle out of your comment about the Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys - at my D’s reception, all of her friends flooded the dance floor when the DJ played 'N Sync or Backstreet Boys!
@kelsmom- what an amazing wedding. The joy you have in recalling the celebration makes it all worthwhile. I wish this for all the CC parents who are now anticipating their events.
A couple that survived the attack in Charlottesville also got married this weekend. He pushed her away from the speeding car and was hit himself. Heather Heyer’s Mom was in attendance. It looks so lovely.
Back with my report as a brand new mother-in-law!
It absolutely poured rain all day on Saturday. Tthankfully, my D had no interest in anything being outside, so we didn’t care. We started the day at the salon to get hair and makeup done. They have a suite with a living room and bathroom next to the room where bridal parties get ready. My D brought bagels, donuts, coffee and champagne. It was very comfortable and fun. I got fake eyelashes and they were so great! I will definitely get that done again for D1’s wedding in December. I’m an emotional person and I expected to cry, but there was so much to be done that I didn’t have time. My D chose a venue that is an historic speakeasy - dark wood, tin ceilings, brick walls with wrought iron sconces. The pictures are breathtaking - particularly the ones of her with the suit of armor! She had a vision and, frankly, I wasn’t getting it until I saw it on the day. We had to set up over 200 votives and more than 100 tapers in various colors - all different. She brought her own vessels for the centerpieces to the florist a few days before. She curated every object, every tablecloth, every candle, every flower. She provided computerized floor plans for every area and table in the ceremony and reception space. It was an insane amount of work, but when I peeked into the reception space just after the candles were lit it took my breath away. The florist totally got her vision, even though it was out of the box, and it was amazing to see it come to life. She had very interesting photo poses, think Victorian, and the photographer had a great time getting into it. There will be no pictures in a garden and very few traditional poses, but that is who she is. I was very calm and efficient even up until the PBK walked me to my seat. When my husband and daughter appeared, I was so emotional that I swear I almost fainted. But the look on my son-in-law’s face was so precious. He looked shocked and awed that this vision in ivory was there for him. It was wonderful and personal and sometimes funny to see my older daughter officiate at the wedding. The party was very fun, lots of young people and a very party atmosphere, the food was great. The only glitch was that we had an insanely expensive and personalized cake done by a celebrity chef. It was supposed to be delivered at 4. By 5:30 my husband called the bakery and they said it was coming. It didn’t arrive until 6:30. The delivery person told the person receiving the cake at the venue (in front of my son and future SIL) that the original cake had fallen and been destroyed on the way out of the building. They were able to make a new cake that tasted the same, but the custom flowers that the florist had sent were destroyed, and the design wasn’t the same as we had ordered.
There were only about 75 people, but it fit the venue perfectly. Oh, and a huge surprise. Just as the lights dimmed for the start of the ceremony, guess who slipped into a seat in the first row. My brother.
Omg, @zoosermom, your joy and pride shines through this description of your daughter’s wedding. To have her very special vision executed to perfection must have been magical. And for your brother to arrive, unexpected, I can’t even imagine how you must have felt. Congratulations and welcome to the MIL club!
Sounds wonderful! So happy for you all.
I LOVE the great wedding reports! Congratulations!!