Event Planning

Father of the Bride

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Cover of "Father of the Bride (15th Anniv...
Cover via Amazon

As you may have seen, the house used in the 80s version of ‘Father of the Bride’ is for sale.  So we pose the question: does the 21st Century wedding Dad fit the Hollywood mold? Are there battalions of Steve Martins stumbling their way through the planning process, and clutching their chests at the costs? Or have fathers, and weddings, not to mention the world, changed? OK, so it’s a rhetorical question. Of course, things have changed. But that Martin Short wedding planner character* Franck, like diamonds, is forever.

These days, a father’s role in his daughter or son’s wedding is determined less by convention than by the choices of the couple.  If they’ve decided to fund the entire affair on their own, all Dad needs to do is show up on time wearing what he’s asked. Planning wise, suggestions are just that. Suggestions.

We’re always impressed, on the other hand, with Fathers who hand their sons and daughters a contribution towards a wedding, and trust that the couple will be good stewards of their money.  We’ve never met one such couple who wanted anything but to make their parents proud. As one groom put it ” We want them to see we made good choices with the resources they gave us.”

Bride/Groom: Your Dad loves you, and he’s showing that love by helping create one of the most special occasions you’ll ever plan. Let him speak, and listen closely. If he objects to the zombie shooters, go gin-and-tonic and run wild with another element -like funky favors. It’s about mutual respect. Give and take. Good skills to hone for your married life.

Some things don’t change.  There is still chest clutching, and colorful event planners still amuse people all over the country*. Ultimately, Dads love their kids, and really only care about one thing at the wedding: that it be the start of a happily married life. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there. Especially to the wonderful Fathers and Grandfather of a certain 2010 Bride who know who they are.

*Franck Eggelhoffer is based on a celebrity florist/event designer currently working in West Hollywood.  If you ever meet him, you’ll know because Mr. Short is dead-on. Franck appears about 2 minutes into this clip. Also note that SVU’s favorite criminal profiler did time in the events industry. Fabolos!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKFtRedJxTw&w=425&h=349]

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Matches? We don’t need no stinkin’ matches!

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The definition of Matchy-Matchy from Urban Dictionary is as follows:

Often used in fashion blogs. Used to describe an outfit that is too coordinated and consists of too many of the same types of colours, patterns, fabrics, accessories, designer pieces, thematic elements, etc. Can also be used in reference to interior design.

They don’t mention weddings specifically, but how many of us remember the eighties, when weddings were nothing BUT matchy-matchy? When the first thing brides did was select colors, and then proceed to order everything in those colors? We even remember a movie where the bride was asked by her reception venue what color to dye the mashed potatoes so that they’d match the bridesmaids’ dresses.  (Note- we are not linking to a page about said film because it was an artsy independent wedding movie so it broke the Big Studio Wedding Movie Happy Ending rule.  If you really want to see it anyway, google ‘Annabella Sciorra dyed potatoes’).
These days, people tend to choose a palette of colors they like that work well together, based around one favorite color. Basically that one is the one you’d have chosen if it were the eighties.  Then different elements of the wedding complement each other without all being the same exact color.

Check out The Perfect Palette: Palette Library for inspiration – or look at your own closet! A few colors you love will speak to you.  After all to look harmonious and pretty, the bridesmaids dresses don’t even have to match each other, let alone the mashed potatoes.

[gomelpink.jpg]

Bridesmaids and a packet of rice from America’s Matchy Matchiest Wedding of the 20th Century: Luci Baines Johnson. If she could have, she’d have painted the pillars of the white house pink!

Matches? We don’t need no stinkin’ matches!

by

The definition of Matchy-Matchy from Urban Dictionary is as follows:

Often used in fashion blogs. Used to describe an outfit that is too coordinated and consists of too many of the same types of colours, patterns, fabrics, accessories, designer pieces, thematic elements, etc. Can also be used in reference to interior design.

They don’t mention weddings specifically, but how many of us remember the eighties, when weddings were nothing BUT matchy-matchy? When the first thing brides did was select colors, and then proceed to order everything in those colors? We even remember a movie where the bride was asked by her reception venue what color to dye the mashed potatoes so that they’d match the bridesmaids’ dresses.  (Note- we are not linking to a page about said film because it was an artsy independent wedding movie so it broke the Big Studio Wedding Movie Happy Ending rule.  If you really want to see it anyway, google ‘Annabella Sciorra dyed potatoes’).
These days, people tend to choose a palette of colors they like that work well together, based around one favorite color. Basically that one is the one you’d have chosen if it were the eighties.  Then different elements of the wedding complement each other without all being the same exact color.

Check out The Perfect Palette: Palette Library for inspiration – or look at your own closet! A few colors you love will speak to you.  After all to look harmonious and pretty, the bridesmaids dresses don’t even have to match each other, let alone the mashed potatoes.

[gomelpink.jpg]

Bridesmaids and a packet of rice from America’s Matchy Matchiest Wedding of the 20th Century: Luci Baines Johnson. If she could have, she’d have painted the pillars of the white house pink!