

When last we spoke about wedding plans, we were still struggling with a venue for the reception. While we had the permit for the beach wedding ($75.00 per hour for a 10 X 10 patch of sand), I did not want them to have the reception on the beach for fear of bad weather and uneven surfaces for grandmas to negotiate. Because the Garden Center required that we use a caterer to supply the food and we had planned to do our own cooking, we gave up on having the reception there. But, after looking at a lot of other sites that were small and dingy, husband and I counted our pennies, contacted a caterer I know from work and signed a contract with not only the Garden Center, but a caterer. He will do the same meal we would have provided at double the price, but he has the required insurance coverage. And there is something to be said about not having to cook all the food on the day of the wedding. Youngest son’s fiancée, M., bought her wedding dress and veil last week. She is a wise shopper and got it at a bridal consignment shop for 25% of its original price. It is beautiful and youngest son will be so surprised when he sees the style she chose. What was going to be a casual beach wedding has turned into something much more formal. It also means I will have to get a different dress because I was planning on wearing something casual as well. That is for another day because today was all about colors and flowers. M., her mom and I met at the Garden Center today to discuss the floor plan and decorations. M. had been planning on using “beach colors” to match the daisies that grow at the beach. Dark red, orange and yellow. Sunset colors she thought since the wedding will be at sunset. It was a surprise to me, and to her mom, because she loves purple and we assumed that the wedding colors would be purple. M. has been on Pintrest, the crafter’s dream website. She had all kinds of ideas to share, and I have been playing with some of them. Then, today, suddenly we were back to purple again. But, I have been practicing keeping my opinions to myself and saying, “Whatever M. wants is what M. should have” and “M., it is all about you,” so I made the transition easily enough. Purple and silver will be lovely colors for a winter wedding, and I have in my head a wedding I saw on one of those TV reality shows with tons of orchids, trees and twinkly lights. The decision is not made yet, so stay tuned to see what she decides. In the meantime, I will be praying that their marriage will be as lovely as the wedding will be. And as a friend advised, that I keep my mouth shut and my heart open.
I've missed something here. Congratulations. Yes, practicing keeping your mouth shut will put you in good stead for later on.
Thanks for your comment the other day on my blog. I don't continue to post about Don to ask for sympathy. This tenth anniversary was a bit of a milestone though. I put a post up on Facebook, and it has been so interesting to read people's comments and remembrances, and it has been very comforting.