How exciting! Your close friend is now engaged and asking for your advice on her big day! If you are not already married, this presents an opportunity to live out your own wedding fantasy, and if you are already married now you can re-do what you didn’t like or share your two cents on what you did like. But, should you? Although I am by no means an etiquette expert, I implore you to remember one very important thing: this is her day. It’s just that simple. This is your friends day, her wedding, and her one chance to do what is her dream to do.
A few years ago, our good friends were getting married and shared with us some of their thoughts one night over dinner. They found a location they loved, they called The Farm and the groom really wanted a breakfast menu with ice cream cake. Instantly my husband and I started with the jokes about eating waffles while watching a goat cross our path and the cake smooshing torture of an ice cream cake. Little did we know while they decided to go with a tradtional menu, this would turn out to be one of the best weddings we had ever been to and all of their ideas once realized produced one truly amazing event. The color scheme of pink and orange was beautiful- and one I still see around today. The Farm at South Mountain was amazing- very beautiful, tranquil, completely amazing. While I think it is a farm, it is also a beautiful green, grassy location with beautiful mature trees and someplace I would have loved to get married at ourselves. When my husband and I were married, we had to resign our dreams of a green, grassy ceremony because we were locked into a very hot summer wedding with my in-laws schedule, and just could not find the perfect green, grassy place. Here my friend had been able to carry out that vision, and yes I was a little jealous.
Having the opportunity to work with such great bridal businesses, and even better- to get to know many of these great businesses on a personal level, I am often asked my two cents on everthing bridal. I was a bad friend to Becky- I am sure I didn’t just give her my opinion, I am sure I expected her to live out my wedding dream that I could not pull off. What came together was the perfect day for our friends- their perfect day. What I ended up with was my own dream of a wedding, which actually came together to be quite an amazing day as well once we found the perfect indoor location.
I love sharing my experiences with vendors and especially when I know their personalities and feel they will be a perfect fit for a friend. I love also talking about new ideas I have seen, and new options for weddings that weren’t really around when I was planning my day. But, I am also working hard to keep my thoughts on how others should do their day to myself. It is after all, their day, and what I or you, as the friend think would/could/should happen should make no difference to someone who has had this wedding dream in their mind.
So be a good friend. Focus on her ideas and vision and most of all enjoy her dream become reality.
Planning a wedding? Visit the Arizona Bridal Affair on September 26, 2010 at the Chaparral Suites Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. Register online for your free tickets at www.ArizonaBridalAffair.com