Weber Wedding Weekend: Who Are These Ladies in Red?
I’m abundantly blessed to have so many dear friends in my world who put up with the good, the bad and everything in between. One would think this is an AMAZING situation to find yourself with…but when it comes down to the question of bridesmaids, it can be a little tricky.
Yeah, tricky.
Once upon a time, long ago I decided I was the Bride who wouldn’t have Bridesmaids. Yep, that would solve everything. If I don’t know how to choose, I just won’t choose! Let’s follow my progression over the years shall we?
2006: Wedding Season (I find it funny I use the term GROOM-ELECT in this post. Hahaha.)
I started thinking: I might not even want bridesmaids. I mean I do want all my friends and family there, of course. But really? By the time I get married?… unless I plan on having a wedding of 1000 people? Having 12 people stand up for me is CRAZY.
How do I choose? I want everyone I love to love me and have fun too! I know who I am in weddings. I’m the happy Jen who dances with the grandmas and little cousins and knows all the crazy aunts and uncles (even if I have no idea who they are) I hand the mom/dad types the tissues. I keep the bride excited and happy. AND I LOVE planning. Therefore, I’m a natural bridesmaid type friend. But not everyone is me, thankfully.
2008
If I ever had a need for bridemaids…Not that I’m getting married. OR having bridesmaids when I do get married, but…
2011:
He Who Makes Me Smile and I have been talking about getting married and planning a wedding weekend etc…etc…etc…and when the subject of Bridesmaids/Groomsmen comes up—well I just can’t even begin to imagine where I would begin!
I just can’t imagine asking the 12-(27) people closest to me to stand around in matching $200 dresses. And how could I choose just a few?
How can I choose just a few? I can’t.
And while we are not having 1000 people at Weber Wedding Weekend like I mentioned in the first post above, we are having quite a large guest list. So, to make this long story longer, yes, I’m having 16 bridesmaids (Ladies in Red) along with 1 junior bridesmaid and 1 flower girl (My Penguin Girls).
I’m referring to these amazing women as Ladies in Red because they aren’t necessarily going to be the typical bridesmaid. Our wedding ceremony doesn’t involve walking down the aisle or introducing the wedding couple entering the reception so there isn’t any “lining up of 18 people” happening. The Ladies in Red are my sounding board, my confidants, my cheerleaders, my event coordinators, my Board of Directors, my Cabinet of Advisers but most of all a group of women I have found myself turning to over the years for friendship and support…and I wanted to be able to celebrate with them and acknowledge them as a special part of our lives, not just our wedding.
(Sniff, sniff.)
Of course, as an event planner I realize one cannot have 16 people planning a bunch of fabulous events so I have sort of unintentionally created a group of 5 Ladies as my Matrons-of-Honor and a group of 11 Ladies as Bridesmaids. In the very, very beginning I thought I was only going to have the first group as Ladies in Red and that would be all. But honestly, I had others I wanted to involve too…so it got a bit larger than I thought it would…oops?
ONWARD!
I will introduce all the Ladies in Red in the next few months…but for now, let me introduce you to the #1 Lady in Red and in Charge- Mary.
Mary and I have been friends since our Freshman year of college at Allegheny. We both pledged Alpha Delta Pi and within weeks of meeting each other…decided we would room together the following year. (Along with Erin and Karen.) From this point on she would be my Partner in Crime over many, many, many adventures. And I don’t know what I would have done without her…
5 minutes after I got off the phone from telling her about our engagement.. she had a plane reservation made for Buffalo. Despite the fact she has a fancy job with the government, a husband and two little boys! She’s THAT friend.
And I was honored to be THAT friend for her back in 2005.
I think I might have made Mary tear up a bit when I told her that I wanted HER to be the ONE. I can’t imagine doing this without her. She keeps me grounded, and smiling, and laughing, and focused and reminds me of what’s most important…Me and Chuck. Not to mention the woman is a KICK ASS planner and knows how to GET THINGS DONE.
Yep. That’s my Mar-Mar!
Thank you Mary for accepting this honor and taking this task upon yourself. (And Rob and Ry and Matty!) I hope I don’t drive you TOO crazy, relatively speaking to how crazy I have been the prior 38 years before being engaged.
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