Wedding Planning 101

So it's been pretty much all wedding all the time around here in recent weeks and I'm not sharing a lot of detail online, hence the lack of posting here. I spend my days on the phone, online, booking, signing, copying, faxing, and paying. My head is filled with guest lists and due dates and timelines and all the many other decisions still to be made. I'm thinking Daughter2 will benefit from all I'm learning this go round when she's ready to plan a wedding.

I can't decide if there has been a little stress because of the logistical complexities we're dealing with or if it's because wedding planning is always a little stressful. Course it could also be related to the fact that we are a family of four who know what we want and we want it now.

If I had to guess I'd say probably a little bit of everything, but that last bit tends to be the one that keeps me awake at night.

We like what we like-ha! That's something we say in a joking way around our house, except we're not really joking. We all really do like what we like, and mostly that's a good thing because, whew! All.the.choices. No wonder so many brides feel overwhelmed. It honestly does help that my daughter knows her own mind when it comes to how she wants her day to look and feel.

And luckily I've got my trusty binder to keep me on track. There are all sorts of binders and organizational tools out there for the bride-to-be, but trust me... the mother of the bride-to-be needs one too.  I bought a plain white binder and found a cute printable for the front insert-

I printed a couple of engagement pics for the back-

Voila! A mother-of the bride-binder. A place to keep track of all my many papers, contracts, receipts, deadlines, and contact information. Every mother of the bride needs one.

We've finally pinned down, contracted, and paid deposits on most of the big things that need pinning, contracting and depositing. That includes the church, the reception venue, the catering, the dress, the photographer, the wedding planner, and the band. The bride-to-be and I will spend a few days in SC next month revisiting the church and reception site before meeting with florists, cake bakers, and the rental company. We'll also get to meet our photographer in person. Daughter1 found him via a friend's wedding photos and he comes highly recommended by absolutely everyone. His pictures are stunning, so I'm not worried.

In fact, while wrangling all of these vendors for the day and time has been a little challenging, there is not a single one I feel like I have to go behind and check up on. The wedding planner will do that as appropriate, but really we've got fabulous vendors so I feel like now that they're on board I can relax a little.

And I will.

Just as soon as we figure out the invitations and the welcome bags and my dress and forty seven other small details, but eventually I will relax. Actually hubs and I have a little vacay coming up, which sounds insane given the fact that we've got a wedding in less than six months, but when you think about it, a vacation in the middle of wedding planning makes perfect sense.

This will be a total vacation vacation. Not a let's see and go and do every minute kind of vacation. This will be a sit in a lounge chair-read a book or ten-swim-soak up the sun kind of vacation.

The kind every mother-of-the-bride needs five months prior to her first born baby girl walking down the aisle, and then right on across the country to set up a home of her own.

They grow up fast, but the sweetness remains.