Wedding day for my first born son coming up this weekend. It’s been a learning curve being the Mother and Father of the Groom…or as I call it the MOG and FOG. I couldn’t be more happy or more excited but I would like to pass along a couple of things I learned along the way.

• Little girls dream of their wedding and discuss it with their moms. Little boys don’t. So, you’ll be surprised.
• When your kids are paying for the wedding, they get to make all the decisions. You get to pull out your credit card on occasion.
• The bridal shower is a wonderful chance to meet the friends and family who helped make your future daughter the amazing person she is. Don’t spend all your time talking to people you already know.
• You may love the bride to pieces (I do) but you are not her mom and you need to be sensitive to that role.
• Your own wishes for the wedding and for their “happily ever after” take second place to theirs. Always.
• Nobody cares what the MOG wears. My friends & colleagues keep asking me about my outfit, my jewelry etc. I’m not that into it. No one will look at me. All eyes will be on my beautiful daughter to be and son. However, I did splurge on a mani-pedi last night. For me!
• In the same vein, stop agonizing about losing weight before the wedding. No one is gong to be looking at you. At least I hope not since my diet plan was a failure.
• FOG generally doesn’t get to do much except walk his son down the aisle. Mine wrote a lovely speech,
• You may feel incredible emotional surges during the months leading up to the wedding. This is a big transition and you are never ready for it.  Because you realize that on Wedding Day, a brand new nuclear family is launched. You are now outside that nucleus.  We did it to our parents. Our kids are now doing it to us. It’s okay to feel a little sense of loss.
• But now…just 3 days out, is the time to turn your thoughts to the joy of this new union. You did a good job raising your baby, your boy, your son. He’s become a man you are proud of. He’s joining his life to a woman he loves. What could be better and richer in life than witnessing and being a part of that?

So, as the MOG and FOG, we are going to dance our asses off at this wedding. And we are thrilled to have our friends and family dancing theirs off with us.

Related articles

• MOG Advice: Advice According to the Gospel of Aunt Linda (alwaysablogsmaid.com)
• The Engagement Period (alizaandjeremy.wordpress.com)