Pearls, Lace and Satin: Making My Daughter's Wedding Dress: January 2015

First Dance as Mr. and Mrs. LaFond (photo by Michele Sisson)

I've tried to write this post several times, but I know my words can never do justice to the magic that was my daughter's wedding day. After all the meticulous planning, she truly enjoyed every minute of her day. She had planned everything down to the last detail, but she told me two days before, that whatever happened, on the day of the wedding, she wasn't going to worry about anything and was just going to enjoy her day. And that she did.

Every detail of the wedding was designed to have special meaning to the couple. The decorations, cake, and flowers all portrayed their mutual love of books. The boutonnieres, bouquets, and centerpieces were hand made by the bride (and a few friends) out of book pages and colored paper. The table assignment cards were in an old card catalog-the notations on each card carefully chosen by the bride to suit the guests assigned to the table. Lace and buttons from her grandmother's dress were used to create a wrap for the bride's bouquet. She wore her cousin's cape and muff. The invitations and programs were designed and created by the bride and groom themselves. The favors were designed and created by the bride's Auntie Kim. And of course the bride's dress was made by me-with some final hour hand-stitching help from Auntie Cyndi, Aunt Holly, brother Max and her dad. One of their best friends, Val, officiated over one of the most personalized and touching wedding ceremonies I have ever attended. The couple gave as many people as possible a special role in their day--especially the younger cousins and nephew. The day was a celebration of the family and friends who love them.

I have never seen such a stunning bride. She glowed the whole day--especially when she looked into the eyes of her dashing groom. They were engaging hosts-enjoying every minute of the day-taking the time to make sure everyone was taken care of and enjoying themselves. But my favorite moment was the last song of the reception. The bride and groom sang every word of the song to each other, complete with exaggerated facial expressions and hand gestures, while looking straight into each other's eyes, and I could tell that to them there was no one else in the room. A beautiful way to start their life together.