The BIG Day

Well, the wedding has come and gone. It was a beautiful wedding and the bride and groom did a great job of making sure everything was taken care of. From the rehearsal dinner, to the sparklers everyone held as they left the church in a limousine...it was complete.

Weddings are so elegant, but yet so stressful. I realize there are traditions, and certain things that are symbolic for the future, it's just that like so many things, weddings have become so materialistic. It is like they are an event for everyone else, instead of an act of love and affection for the bride and groom. Don't get me wrong, I loved our wedding, and would do it all over again - if for no other reason than to include our four children and make them a part of our lives together. But our wedding was very simple and inexpensive. Low-key, inexpensive weddings aren't the "norm" any more. It isn't unusual for a family to spend $20-$40k on a wedding for their daughter. And the poor bride stresses for months and then it is over in a couple of hours. Sounds like the "wedding service" business is the place to be! Can you imagine the money spent each year on weddings?

Our baby girl is married. She has a lot to look forward to and we are SO happy for her. Luckily, she didn't go overboard and spend her life savings on her wedding. She had a nice, classy wedding and memories to last a lifetime. And the best part of all, were the things only a mother and daughter can experience. I had saved the baby bonnet Megan wore the day she was born. I gave it to her on her wedding day - something old. I also made her a scrapbook starting with the day she was born, to her new beginning with her new family. And best of all...she gave me a beautiful poem that I will cherish forever. THAT is what weddings are all about.

We now have a new son-in-law that we like very much. And of course, our little "Ham-bone" as Pops calls him. What a nice addition to our family.

"A happy marriage is a long conversation that always seems too short"
~Andre Maurois~