The holiday season is the time to get together with friends and family. Now that you are engaged and in full wedding planning mode you realize that you have to now plan around two families. It's not just your own that you celebrate with now. We asked Ashley, our Featured Bride, to tell us how she and her fiance Brad are dealing with this.
Vicky- Since you and Brad have been together how do you celebrate the holidays?
Ashley- For the last few years Thanksgiving has been a combined family event. With both sets of parents and my sister and brother-in-law close it has been easy to spend the holidays together. This year my mom cooked most of Thanksgiving dinner. Heather and John, Brad and I, Nancy, and Millie and Oz all went over to my mom and dad’s house. Everyone brought something to dinner so mom wasn’t overwhelmed. Millie and Oz had to travel the farthest (15 miles). It was really laid back between the appetizers, dinner, football, conversation and desert. The ladies chatted and naturally the men spent the day watching football. Two were even caught napping between dinner and desert but I won’t name any names (Brad and John).
I’m thinking until I get a bigger house, it will probably be like that unless someone else opts to host dinner. Mom and Dad have a big house that is open and works well for entertaining so everyone has room to move and the parking is really easy, not so much at my house.
V- It seems as if you and Brad have mastered Thanksgiving pretty well. It's nice that the families combine so easily. What about Christmas?
A- Christmas has also been pretty much the same for the last few years. On Christmas Eve, my family and Brad go over to the Lucke’s Christmas Party (friends of the family) for a few hours. I typically wave good-bye around 10:15 as I have to head off to the church to be part of the church choir for midnight mass at 11. After church we all head home and sleep (yea right its Christmas eve – who can sleep?!).
On Christmas morning Brad and I head over to my parent’s house for brunch and presents. Later that day we head up to Brad’s parents house for dinner and presents. This works well for Heather and John (Ashely's sister and BIL)as they go down to John’s parent’s house for dinner on Christmas Day. John’s parents always go up to New Jersey to see family on Thanksgiving so it isn’t an issue for them. I guess we are lucky that both sets of parents live close. I think it will work that way until someone else comes up with another idea of how they want to do the holidays.
V- Wow! That's great! Have you started any new traditions together?
A- The only new tradition we have is that on Christmas Day at my parent’s house, we put everyone’s names in a hat and pick a name. On New Years day we get together and give our “New Years Baby Present” to the person we chose out of the hat. You are only allowed to spend the amount of what the upcoming year is (i.e. $20.08 for next year) and the presents have to be fun. It’s like a Secret Santa but for New Years. I actually started that tradition about 5 or 6 years ago.
V- That is a good idea! It's nice to hear that not everyone has family issues with the holidays which can cause added stress on the engaged couple. Any new developments on the wedding front? What's coming up as we enter into 2008?
A- As far as planning for the wedding, we have a lot to accomplish in the next few months. I’m waiting for my mom’s revised guest list. I told her to consider removing some names – we were over 200 people on the list already.and we need to order the invitations in the next 2 weeks.
In December I have to call the florist to set up an appointment. I am waiting on a call back from my priest so we can finish the church requirements. We have to find out the results of our communication tool and to set the order for actual ceremony. Once that is done I have to see my music director about the music for the ceremony but she is in full on Christmas mode so I will meet with her after the holidays are over. I’m not worried she is my music director and my vocal teacher.
My first dress fitting needs to be arranged in January. I’ve started putting together a rough bridal registry which we will do just after the first of the year. Plus there is so much more! I guess I’m not really stressed because I’m focused on Christmas right now.
V- Well, let us know what we can do here for you and me personally. I am a bridesmaid after all! At least you aren't having any new wedding nightmares! We will check back with you after the holidays and talk about that registry!
1 comment:
I envy them...my family is divided up between NY and FL, while The Beard's family is in NV and WA. I'm sad to say that feelings are hurt when we decide to visit one family rather than another. We'd love to host the holidays at our house, but no one but us seems interested in the idea.
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