Father of the Bride, Part I

I used to think a wedding was a simple affair. Boy and girl meet, they fall in love, he buys a ring, she buys a dress, they say I do. I was wrong. That's getting married. A wedding is an entirely different proposition. I know. I've just been through one.

There's no mistaking that the entire Rowley family has a thing for the movie, Father of the Bride.  My siblings and I can recite almost every line, my Dad thinks he's the real Steve Martin...  It's the movie that not only stamped our childhood but now, in our adult lives, has taken on a whole new meaning. 

Call me cheesy, but taking cues from the movie only seemed natural and appropriate when planning my own wedding...and I started by giving my parents an anniversary addition copy of the movie when I got engaged.  My dad and I then chose our father-daughter dance song (which was a classic in its own right) from the movie.  I also gave my dad a pair of decorated high tops to wear on the big day.  We did not serve our guests the "chipper chicken".  My dad even had a minor breakdown in the grocery store over hot dog buns and my mom had to bail him out of jail!

Ok that last part I am 100% joking!!  (Sorry, Dad!)

But, some girls want princess carriages and tiaras; I wanted my own version of a fairytale that places as much importance on the joining together of husband and wife as the merging of our two families, and that significant and everlasting father-daughter (and mother-daughter) relationships.  One that truly captures all those crazy nuances of planning a wedding!  And ours most definitely did.  (Although my Dad handled the "giving me away" part a bit better than his alter ego, George Banks!)

Though my chapter in playing the leading lady in Father of the Bride has come to and end, I know it continues and will continue to hold a special meaning for our entire family.  Particularly as my dad is already up at bat again as the Father of the Bride as my sister Ashley plans her wedding...and will have one final turn one day with Emily!  :)

But what's most remarkable (in my opinion) is that this 20+ year old remake of a 1950s movie has transcended generations and still remains very relevant today. 

And I honestly can't think of a movie that reminds me more of my parents, both Mom and Dad, than Father of the Bride...

Except maybe one. 

(To be continued).