Quick Post

Things I learned from last weekend's weeding:

1. Mother in law does not want to be asked to do things. Especially not last minute. I thought she loved being involved in absolutely everything wedding related, but maybe she's had enough? This is a relief.
2. Father in law delivered a surprisingly lovely speech (in which me and David was mentioned!)
3. Try to avoid dead space between activities. It shouldn't be non-stop, but not half an hour wait either.
4. If there is a long time between the wedding ceremony and reception party, snacks is a must. At this wedding we had a afternoon tea (an idea which was initially disliked by the bride) with scones, clotted cream, jam, bread and cheeses. Life saver!
5. They had a pot-luck buffet for the reception. Which in the end meant I (as a vegetarian) could eat only potato salad, bread and cheese. Thank god for the afternoon tea! So if we have a buffet, make sure there is something for everyone. Consider allergies and lifestyle choices.
6. Dancing was a blast. They had an old style band which did line/square/group dances. I loved it. I have not been certain I wanted dancing at our wedding, but now I think I do.
7. Mixing your own drinks bar was a good idea. They also had hot water and tea/coffee. I did however miss still water as an option.
8. Decorations can make a big difference! They had loads of buntings which you know from past posts that I love. Buntings in my heart.
9. PLAN, PLAN, PLAN! There was panic leading up to the wedding because nothing was properly planned. Planing is key. There were no invites. They even forgot to cut the wedding cake which was a three tier affair and probably cost a small fortune. It just stood in a corner, forgotten. They didn't remember to get the guests to sign the "guestbook" until a bunch had already left. Bride/groom/guests running around lost is not good.
10. I didn't like their registrar. I want to try and get someone who feels friendly, humorous and relaxed, but still understands the greatness of the moment.
11. They had a CD player for their ceremony. Live music would have had more impact. But if we chose to have a CD make sure someone's in charge, because there wasn't one at this wedding and the groom had to handle it.
12. I'm still undecided about children at weddings.