Stand Up for the Bride

This weekend I officiated at a lovely outdoor wedding in northwest Florida. As the bride and her parents walked to take their place in the processional I suddenly wondered, "Who is going to signal the audience to stand as the bride walks down the aisle?" 


Typically, the mother of the bride is in charge of this time honored tradition. When the mother stands, and not until, everyone else follows her lead. Saturday's bride had asked both of her parents to walk her down the aisle. Her mother couldn't signal the audience to stand. She was already standing.

There was a dear family friend and second mother to Saturday's bride sitting up front. I tried to catch her eye as if to say, "Why don't you stand up and then everyone else will too." She didn't get my signal. The crowd remained seated.

Saturday's bride was extremely organized throughout the entire planning of her day. Her wedding invitations went out exactly on time. Her wedding programs were perfect. I am trusting that if she had wanted people to stand, she would have made that plan clear to me and others.

Standing as the bride walks down the aisle is a sign of respect and a way for those present to actively participate in the ceremony.  
Suzanah 

How to Create a Wedding Invitation List

Readers, readers, readers. This just in, Google Docs is a lifesaver for the woman on a wedding list mission. If you have participated in a wedding list work day, then you know the tedious process a list creation becomes. 


The bride sits down with a variety of people including her fiance, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, grandmother-in-law, and maybe even her mother's sisters. Pain-staking care is taken to ensure every friend, cousin, and 1st grade teacher is included. Then the catering estimate comes and revisions begin! Before long there are at least five re-worked lists on your hard drive. "Did I name the latest one 'Wedding List Final' or 'Wedding List Final Final'," you ask yourself? 

Enter Google Docs and the days of pulling out your hair are fewer and father between. First you must create a gmail account if you do not have one. If using Excel, simply upload your file to Google Docs and share with as many recipients as needed. If you do not have Excel, the guest list can be created directly through Google Docs. 

Once shared, list recipients are free to make changes from their computers. This eliminates the 337 updated lists and new files. No more wondering if you are working from the most updated list. Once completed, email list to your wedding invitation source for easy uploading. 

Thank you Google Docs and Morgan Gunter from celbrationsinmylife(dot)blogspot(dot)com for the tip.
Suzanah