I apologize that I have not posted a lot lately, but as the title of this topic suggests, I am in the middle of planning a Wedding! This is something I have looked forward to for so long, but have been amazed at the emotions I have been feeling, even with the date so far away (Jan. 31st). We have 2 daughters; the bride is our youngest. Since the older one is not yet married, engaged, or even involved, we have her very mixed emotions. Since the bride-to-be has chosen to live with her fiance, we have mixed emotions, even though we truly love him. (Just not our choice for living arrangements.) But, she is 25, he is 28; it has to be their choice. Every time I see the wedding gown in the closet, my eyes well up. Every time I write another check to a vendor, they well up again, but for different reasons..haha! Oh, and did I mention that she lives in VA, and I live in AZ, and if it weren't for email and digital cameras, I would lose my mind?!?!? Having lots of fun planning, but I know that these months will go all too fast, and my baby will be a married woman. SO much to think about..
Anybody else going through this or already done so?

I can certainly identify with your emotions. Our oldest daughter married her high school boyfriend in 1999, with whom she had lived for a couple of years before marrying. This all happened less than a year after losing her younger sister in the fire. So I had the added feelings of sadness that Teresa could not be with us physically, although we did feel her spiritual presence throughout the day. We have had, and still have, mixed feelings about her choice of spouse, as his views on different topics have conflicted greatly with ours, and their relationship has remained quite stormy at times. But he has been a pretty good father to Colin, who is not his natural son, and Abby, who is his daughter. In fact, we have an announcement to make. Rusty will officially adopt Colin as his son this coming Monday. We will be going to the courthouse with them and then celebrate with a restaurant meal together afterward.
But back to Becky's wedding....I helped her to plan it, decorate and shop for it, and certainly helped pay for it. It was frustrating trying to keep my budget somewhat intact while buying candles, ribbon, and other items. We bought the dress ready made from a wedding boutique in the area at a very reasonable price. The bridesmaids dresses were the wrong color and sizes when they came in, and had to be sent back, just a very short time before the wedding. Luckily, we received the correct order in time for the wedding and everyone looked beautiful. The weather was beautiful for October, and everyone did their jobs wonderfully. The frosting on the cake didn't quite match Becky's wedding colors, but the cake looked very nice and was made by my sisterinlaw, so we didn't fuss about it. The dance was very enjoyable and everyone had a good time.
Another October wedding, last year, was when my oldest son married his bride, less than a month before she delivered a daughter. We had almost despaired of Josh finding a wife. He was 30 years old and very set in his ways, and had lived with some "questionable" women in his past. We love Dyan and although she is pretty bossy to him, she seems to make him happy. She brought a daughter from her first marriage into the relationship and now Josh's daughter, who is the spitting image of him in his babyhood. This wedding was very different, being held in the courthouse instead of the church, and we had very little to contribute in the planning. There was a dance the day following the wedding, which was an experience, as the band was a very popular one locally that included Dyan's brother as drummer. They pulled Dennis, myself, and all 3 of our kids up on stage to sing with them on one song. I loved it.
There will always be mixed feelings in a family wedding. But the wishes for a happy future will remain the universal wish for everyone. Good luck with your wedding.
One last thought. Its the things that go wrong that make weddings special. You won't remember the things that go well, but its the flower girl who trips over her dress, the ring that falls off the ringbearer's pillow and rolls under the pew that you will remember and laugh about in the years to come. So relax and just enjoy the day. And take lots of pictures.

Thanks for sharing, Countrygirl. Actually (knock on wood), the financial part has been fairly unstressful so far. A dear friend of mine shared a secret that has worked out quite well. He is extremely wealthy and could have afforded to spend any amount of money on his two daughters' weddings. However, he set a budget, gave them a dollar figure, and told them they could not go over it or they would have to pay the difference. On the other hand, if they came in under that number, he would give them the difference in cash to spend however they wanted...honeymoon, down payment on house, whatever. So far, this was worked beautifully with my daughter. She has found invitations that were quite expensive, but now is figuring out how to order the basic materials and copy the design. In addition, she has saved money on the DJ, her dress and the flowers. It's amazing what they can prioritize when there is not an unlimited fund to dive into. That said, the price of weddings is ridiculous!!! haha

Well, I always wondered how I would react to the phone call "We are getting married" I knew it was coming. I just didn't think this soon.
Last night my son called. Hey mom, we want to get married in Las Vegas! He and his fiance are out in Oklahoma while she completes vet school. He is a police officer out there. Next year she will need to do a internship in California. She was offered a fellowship at a vet hospital. He will be staying in Ok. while she does the internship in Cal. I know they love each other and my husband and I adore her. I guess that's what matters most. Normal weddings, children living down the street from mom and dad, grandma around the corner. A thing of the past. Everything is more global now. Something to look forward to. I am happy for them. Hopfully all will go smoothly.