There are so many precious moments when it comes to fathers and daughters and weddings. They include: the first time he sees his little girl in her wedding gown; the time they share as he walks her down the aisle; the moment he gives her away, kisses her cheek, and possibly chokes up at the thought of saying goodbye; and of course there is the father-daughter dance, which is always sure to be tear-inducing! Weddings are gorgeous, joyous occasions, but they also have their bittersweet moments, which make them so special. Not every bride involves her father, or even has a close father to involve, but for those who do the memories are precious. As we prepare to celebrate Father’s Day this weekend, LWPI wants to take a moment to talk about fathers and the role they play in weddings!

* Father of the Bride - the 1995 version, that is. If you’re like many of us you watched this movie over and over and cried and cried. It made some of us miss and think of our fathers, and it made many of us dream for a perfect wedding just like Annie’s. Here’s one of our favorite quotes: “Who presents this woman? This woman? But she’s not a woman. She’s just a kid. And she’s leaving us. I realized at that moment that I was never going to come home again and see Annie at the top of the stairs. Never going to see her again at our breakfast table in her nightgown and socks. I suddenly realized what was happening. Annie was all grown up and was leaving us, and something inside began to hurt.” See what we mean? Bittersweet. Precious. Exactly how we all want our dads to think of us on our special day!”

* The Writer of the Checks. This is always a huge joke, and maybe your dad said he also felt like a Walking, Talking Checkbook when you got married, too! But it’s a topic that deserves some serious attention. The father is definitely supposed to be involved in budgeting, and it’s helpful for him to have a few facts before he jumps into things feet-first. About.com shares some great tips on educating dad and getting him involved in the budget.

* The music is always an important part of the reception, and when it comes to the father-daughter dance the bride wants to choose something just right. Here are a few of our favorites, which you may want to keep as suggestions: Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle, My Girl by the Temptations, Unforgettable by Nat King Cole and The Way You Look Tonight (you can’t go wrong with any version of this classic tune!)

* And after the speeches are given, the champagne is drunk and the bouquet is thrown we hope all brides remember to give their dads a hug as they head to their getaway car! Annie, from Father of the Bride, calls her parents from the airport before she leaves on her honeymoon, and we think that’s a very sweet thing to do. Brides may also want to write their dads a thank-you letter. (As their certified wedding and event planner you may want to offer to be put in charge of tracking down dad and hand-delivering their note!) The father-daughter relationship should be celebrated at a wedding, and we hope these suggestions get your gears turning! Have you ever had a bride request something very sweet to honor or remember a father?

We wish all Fathers of the Bride a very Happy Father’s Day this weekend! There are likely to be a lot of weddings this weekend, as we’re in high wedding season. We hope all fathers are able to bask in the glow of their beautiful daughters and be proud of what they’ve seen their daughters accomplish!

Tags: bride, father, father's day, wedding

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