Ever since I was a young(er) mom, running around Boca Raton with four daughters in tow, I've heard about what I had coming. Most times we were in public I heard shrieks Γ’β¬β from senior citizens with strong New York accents Γ’β¬β directed at our little estrogen-heavy clan of, “Oy! The weddings! The weddings!”
At the time, I thought it was humorous. But as our children have grown, it has become serious business.
Since we are LDS, the anticipated “weddings!” aren't quite what my Jewish neighbors envisioned. Mormon weddings are much more, shall we say, practical. But they are still involved and nerve-wracking.
Last fall our oldest daughter, Jessica, got engaged to marry Chuck Richards. Now having your first child select the man with whom she'll spend the rest of eternity could be a scary proposition. In our case, it wasn't.
Chuck is an absolute gentleman. He's bright, kind, handsome, and good to the core. And he treats our daughter like a queen. When they began dating in 2009, we were impressed. The more we got to know him, the more we liked him. They are a wonderful, complimentary match. They adore each other.
Jessica and Chuck will be married in the Salt Lake LDS Temple on April 27. Life is good.
But even with the complete joy in which we welcome Chuck into our family, there is so much to do to plan a dream Mormon wedding, that it can be overwhelming. In the next few weeks I'll be outlining some of the things we've done to plan and to keep within our wedding budget.
Please share your wedding successes and failures as well.
A beautiful but emotional piece for me to read but that’s because I am the grandmother of the groom-to-be. I appreciate the nice comments about Chuck and we feel equally as blessed to have Jessica, a beautiful and lovely young woman to become part of our family!
Bev! You raise your kids and love them to the core and worry about every little thing. What a blessing when your beloved child finds their perfect match. It’s such a relief! π He’s such a great guy.
Alison Moore Smith recently posted…Blog Post Promotion- The Ultimate Guide
I think the greatest thing we did when my hubby and I married was to marry on a weekday (Thursday) and have our reception on a Friday. It allowed us to spend our wedding day celebrating the temple covenants we had made and the joining of our families without having to worry about nut cups or whatever. This was also wise because we were married during wedding season and the weekends were packed with turnstile type ceremonies. We were able to enjoy a calm, less rushed experience. It looks like your daughter and her fiance have the same idea we did!
Also for us- No bridesmaids, no line, no tuxes. My hubby had a suit from his closet and I wore an ankle length dress made out of some fabric from a recent excursion through Asia. We chose a reception style that suited our personalities for a low key, fun event. Guests were greeted with Sinatra crooning over the mountain restaurant sound system and people were ice cream and strawberries overlooking a gorgeous reservoir. The moral of this is to make sure you are celebrating who you are, as a couple, with your celebrations. If you try to fit a mold you don’t particularly fit it may take some of the joy out of the experience.
Congrats to your daughter and soon to be son-in-law. They look like a wonderful couple!
Lisa, thank you for your insights! All great ideas.
I so agree, make it fit you, not some other expectation. I’m stressed out, but looking forward to the big day.
Jess and Chuck are getting married on a Wednesday. That really happened because we were trying to work around college semesters, graduations, theater performances, honeymoons, medical school exams, blah blah blah. But we’ve already seen some advantages to that decision. More about that later.
Alison Moore Smith recently posted…Blog Post Promotion- The Ultimate Guide
BTW, I took that picture right after one of Jess’s ballroom performances. (She’s on BYU’s ballroom dance team.) Am I a great photographer, or what???
Alison Moore Smith recently posted…Blog Post Promotion- The Ultimate Guide
I want to wish you good luck as any wedding – no matter Mormon or others – is a very tough task. It’s like a catastrophy – but you have to be ready for it!
I wish good luck to your daughter and her future husband!
I was laughing at your choice of words! Yes, catastrophe could definitely describe wedding planning! I hope I’m ready for it! π
Love your comments, Anna. You regularly brighten my day.
Congratulations Jessica and Chuck!! Funny, I found your site while looking for some information on “Jewish Weddings.” Google makes me laugh sometimes. I giggled when you talk about the older women in Boca saying “OY, the weddings!” I grew up in Georgia and can actually hear them saying that.
Well, I’m glad I rank high for Jewish weddings! My former neighbors would be proud. π Thanks for dropping by, Emily.
I am getting married this fall and my fiancee is the youngest of 10 daughters 1 son so her parents know how you feel. It has to be crazy. Getting married in the temple saves money as far as where you get married but I am learning quickly how expensive weddings are. Good luck with the next 3! – Ryan
Youngest of 11? Well, Ryan, you’ve got you work cut out for you. π Good luck to you and your fiancΓΖΓΒ©e!
The on;y Mormon weddings I have seen are Donny and Marie Osmond. Boy, everything was overtly bright, white and blinding. With so many cameras and lights coupled with an abundance of Mormons flashing their pearly whites, it was like watching a solar eclipse without proper eye protection.
Mazzel Tov. I agree with you; Life is indeed good.
FAJ recently posted…Palestinian UN Blunder Sinks Statehood Bid
Welcome FAJ. Thanks for the kind good wishes.
Just to be clear, Donny and Marie didn’t marry each other. π
This has really been helpful with my own wedding preparations. Thanks! Please wish me luck with the big day!
Ryan recently posted…Lion House Salt Lake Weddings
Isn’t it great when one of your children find the right person.. I worried about our kids making a wrong choice . so far all our childrens spouses have been great. We have 5 and so far the first two have make great choices. Enjoyed your comments. Thanks
Ronnie recently posted…Aspen Landing Reception Center
Nice story.
Mine story is not good We start great and end with tears so I think people will disturbed after reading my wedding experience :). Wish you best of luck.
As I read your piece I couldn’t help but feel joy about your experience. Having a daughter choose wisely doesn’t always happen. Congratulations on the new addition to your family! I realized that this article was written a year ago, would love to know if you were to look back on that day, what would you have done differently?
BG recently posted…Guys Be Humble T-shirt
I have a friend whose daughter is confused on how to word announcement since her father passed away 8 years ago. Can you help in the wording so we can know how to encourage her?
Jolene, I’m sorry I just saw this. I know it’s well past being helpful. But to anyone else, my advice it to look up currently accepted etiquette. Emily Post is always my go-to!
P.S. Another daughter was just married a month ago. Another wonderful occasion!
Alison Moore Smith recently posted…My Favorite Mathematics Curriculum