The Ultimate Wedding Checklist for the Parents-in-Law to be!
Be their biggest support system
A wedding is one of the biggest and most certainly life-changing decisions of anyone’s life. Until someone is married, their whole life revolves around their friends and family. Needless to say, during a time when everything is changing rapidly in someone’s life, they need some support from the closest in their lives, and who is better than parents? A parent’s blessing and support can really impact the mood and stress levels of the soon-to-be married couple.
There will be hurried decisions, last-minute mistakes that can leave them taking more stress than it requires, instances that would test their patience, and just a generic feeling of wedding jitters. Having a soothing hand to hold and a comforting lap to find solace in such moments will be their biggest stress buster.
Make a list of old friends and acquaintances, and send out the invites.
Weddings are one of the most fun get-together that can take place. There is music, dancing, food, laughter, late nights, old memories, and joyful tears. It’s a lot of emotions and actions at once, and Countless memories made and photographs clicked for many years to come. Weddings are also one of the best excuses to contact the long-lost ones after years because, in happy situations like this, the best of your people will come to bless your child. Reconnect with old friends and distant relatives, old neighbors, and classmates, give them a call, and send them over the wedding invites well in advance to help them plan better.
Meet your relatives-to-be ample times to break the ice. After all, you are going to be family soon.
Your daughter’s or son’s new family is also automatically your new, extended family. One of the biggest worries of any couple getting married is how well will both families get along. Ease up their worries and meet each other often, spend time with each other like how you would do with your regular friends. Include them in your plans, and take the initiative to help them out when they include you in theirs. Keep inhibitions away and try to understand each other’s worries and expectations.
As connected as you are to your child, you need to understand that the person in front has also equally invested in their child and has their own set of worries. Talk it out within yourself and become friends like family.
Go shopping with the bride and dine with the groom
The best way to make a girl happy is to take her shopping. It is a stress buster and a great way of breaking the ice and starting a conversation to understand her dreams and aspirations from the marriage better. The whole wedding planning bit may take her stress levels to the maximum so a nice pampering outing by the man she always looked up to (yes, you daddy dearest!) will make her feel relaxed and make her get back her child-like excitement again.
When it comes to a man, it’s tough to say, but we feel some nice food and music should be good to start it off on a good note. While a good, big homemade spread of his favorites will take him by surprise, a dinner reservation at his favorite restaurant, when he was a child, will bring back a rush of memories. He deserves to know that while he has been taking care of everything around him, there will always be a family who will stand by him and his decisions.
Get involved in the wedding planning
There is a lot that happens at the present generation’s weddings. Starting from setting themes, picking out outfits, going on makeup and hair trails, reccing for venues, to going for tasting sessions, the running around is endless! Give your now grown-up little ones a hand and help them with scouting for the best wedding venues in the city. Pick a place that suits your as well as your child’s taste, something that has modern amenities with a traditional touch.
If you are the mother of the bride, give her some pep talk on married life and its highs and lows
If you want to be best friends with your now fully grown princess who is ready to take over a new step in life, discuss personal things with her. Mothers know their daughters best and will be able to help them calm down and settle into a new household. Sit down with her on late nights, share an ice cream, go through the most relaxing hair oiling sessions, tell her stories of your initial days post your marriage, of the feelings you went through because life was slowly changing course, of the many ups and downs and the good and bad times that marriages go through and, most importantly, tell her that she will always be the daughter of the house, married or not. At a time when she is inching towards a new life, the prospect is exciting but the thoughts can go haywire and a reassurance will surely make her be at peace.
Lastly, don’t stress yourself out
As ironic as it gets, weddings are one of the most beautiful events in a lifetime and also the most stressful couple of days to deal with. The planning, execution, and coordination, everything happens at once and there is no proper flow to organizing a perfect wedding. Weddings are perfect in every way but add that one scoop of comforting whipped cream, and it’s a stress-free relaxed parent. Leave the stress to the organizers and go about planning the outfits, get on a call with your best friends, and head out shopping. After all, it is your beloved child’s wedding and nothing should stop you from being the happiest parent of the moment!