So technically they are already married….but the first time they said ‘I do’, both were 18 years old, my mom had a bun in the oven, and my grandma was chasing my dad out of the house.
Growing up we always heard stories of the first wedding…uncle Manuel (mom’s older brother) and the Morales cousins (dad’s cousins) were in rival gangs and did not get along. Their wedding brought together these cross-town rivals and they weren’t exactly worried about upsetting the bride by starting a huge brawl outside. The picture of my grandparents standing next to my mom on the wedding day says it all…why is my youngest daughter marrying this hippy dude…there’s still time to drive away from here.
Fast forward 50 years…
They’ve since had 3 amazing kids (i’m one of them), 6 biological grandkids, several more additional grandkids, kids in laws, etc., and my parents have built one heck of a family that loves to par-tay.
So when the big 5-0 was coming close, we were all excited when mom decided she wanted to throw a 50th wedding anniversary to celebrate the many years of trials, tribulations, joys, and wonders of hitting this milestone.
So we went into full planning mode…que the pinterest board! Tropical oasis? Havana nights? Boho chic?
No, mom had a specific vision for what she wanted. A simple and elegant fiesta at a local community center.
Mom knows what she wants
Part of this, I know, is that she and dad are retired on a fixed income. Part of this was a nod to her roots…she’s a simple gal and never fed into spending money on unnecessary things. While the rest of us go overboard on custom cookies and selfie walls, she wanted the true meaning of the celebration to come through…a gathering to celebrate love and tradition.
So finding the venue was challenging. What was available, when? What are the fees? What are the restrictions? Why is it so hard to get a straight answer? Why is it that I can only get answers Monday-Friday from 9 am to 4 pm?
We found a place…an amazing place, that was right under our nose. A beloved family restaurant that we’ve gone to many times to celebrate different milestones. The place is beautiful and was the right price. Plus we wouldn’t have to decorate from scratch.
Let’s party!
We pulled all the pieces together. Those details will have to wait for another blog post. Luckily, we’ve had a few things already locked in. A cousin is a photographer. Another cousin does cupcakes. A friend could lend us linens. Another friend was able to come and help set up the place while we’re at the church. Isn’t that what it’s all about? Everyone coming together to support each other?
There’s a ton of other things to think about, but knowing we can count on each other to pitch in, share recommendations, and lend a helping hand is so helpful.
This reminds me why this site is so valuable. Every day, people have a million reasons to celebrate, but they want to celebrate within their means and in a way that’s meaningful to them. Not everyone needs or wants the fancy arrangements and extra cool balloon arch. And those that do, more power to them! But we all want our special days to be memorable in ways that match our character and style, and that doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
After all, we’ll all be outside anyway cheering on uncle Manuel in the rematch against cousin Joe Morales.
