Our History: Then Comes Marriage (Part 2)

I never imagined I would have a big, blow-out wedding.  Then again, I never imagined I'd get married at a fondue restaurant, until it happened.  It was small, quaint, and afterwards we ate cheesecake dipped in dark chocolate.  What's not to love?

But because we got married so quickly, most of our family were not able to make it.  So we got married again.  This time, I had to coordinate with my mother to plan the wedding in Oklahoma while I was in South Africa.  As it turned out, I quite like wedding things.  Romance, flowers, fluffiness, sparkliness, and all sorts of girly things.  I could (did) spend hours on Pinterest searching for wedding inspiration.  Inspiration and vision I can do.  Planning and Execution?  Not so much.  

How did I cope with this, you ask?  I hid from it!  I learned a valuable lesson:  I was not made to plan parties.  Or to do DIY projects for big events.  I had lofty plans of making invitations, making party favors, and making tissue paper pomanders and other decor.  You remember the name of this blog, right?  Let's just say that in the end, guests were invited via Facebook group (I *made* the invitations, I just never *sent* them), my mother-in-law provided the favors (they were handmade...just not by me), and tissue paper pomanders were bought at Michael's (after one time consuming DIY attempt).  I definitely couldn't have pulled it off without the help of my mom and family.  

An easy DIY place setting, with the menu printed on the napkin ring and yes,
we incorporated the unsent invitations as part of the table decor!

And yet, when I look back at that wedding, exactly six months after we were legally married at the Melting Pot, I don't remember those snafus.  I remember wearing my mother's wedding dress that was handmade by my grandmother thirty years ago.  I remember my husband reading the vows that he had written after being so reluctant to do so.  And I don't just remember the wedding--it's all blended together with the Christmas celebration, too.  I remember spending Christmas with my father's family from Mexico, my mom's family from Missouri and my husband's family from Venezuela--talk about joyful!  (Ok, it was also a little stressful, but so worth it).  

The house we rented for the wedding ceremony and where my extended family stayed to celebrate Christmas.  

In the end, is stressing over all those tiny details worth it?  Sure, there are a few things that I think would have been nice.  Things I had seen that looked cute but that I'd decided were not worth the effort or expense, like these hangers for my wedding dress.  But all in all, it everything turned out so well.  Some of my favorite details that turned out were my bouquet and the music we used during the ceremony: A sweet, upbeat Ricky Martin song for the wedding party ("Lo Mejor De Mi Vida Eres Tu", a Jackson 5 song  for me to walk down the aisle ("We've Got a Good Thing Going"), and "Marry You" by Bruno Mars after the kiss.  It was so fun!

I kind of swoon when I see these flowers.

I think (hope) these are the things you kind of learn along the way.  I'm half dreading the twins' first birthday party (or any birthday party), but also think it might be a way to redeem myself.  

Do you enjoy throwing parties?  What are some of your tips to ensure things go as planned?