Mother of the Bride

So, in just over a week, a whole bunch of essential strangers are descending on my house. The occasion is their son's/brother's wedding to my daughter.

My sister and her son are coming too. And I am hosting an unbelievably expensive party at the local country club for our friends, my daughter's friends, and her in-laws.

Now, nobody who hasn't done the Mother of the Bride thing realizes the huge amount of time and sheer effort that goes into these things. Not to mention the money.

I have had to:

Choose wedding invitations and come up with wording
Get bride to okay invitations
Nag bride to get pictures made to put in the invitations
Figure out how much the postage is and buy the stamps
Coerce address lists from my daughter and her fiance's mother
Create database with all addresses
Address, assemble, stamp and mail over 100 invitations
Keep track of who is coming and who is not
Find an appropriate outfit in the right color
Find shoes and blouse to go with appropriate outfit
Help daughter find a wedding dress
Pay for dress
Argue with dress shop about price for bolero to match dress
Buy fabric and pattern and make veil
Help choose bridesmaids' dresses
Buy two bridesmaids' dresses
Design, make, and install sleeves in three of bridesmaids' dresses
Make matrix for sleeping arrangements of guests
Bake and freeze cookies and cakes to feed guests
Make trip to cake decorating shop to find stand for cakes
Select and buy cakes
Arrange for friend to pick up cakes
Purchase and alter new suit for father of the bride
Endure whining from other daughter about bridesmaid dress
Nag bride about ties for groomsmen and fathers
Choose and buy ties for groomsmen and fathers
Search for a tie for the groom
Buy tie for groom
Search on the Internet and drive all over the county to find reception site
Select food for reception
Get approval from bride for food
Put deposit down for reception
Make list of songs for son to put on ipod for reception
Paint laundry room
Refinish grout on kitchen floor
Get at least one chair reupholstered
Plan meals for guests
Shop for food for guests
Search Internet for purple flowers in July
Drive 40 miles to pick up flowers for dry run with florist
Buy vases for guest tables at reception
Check out purple flowers at local grocery stores
Buy little bottles of bubble stuff
Select and buy miles of ribbon for bouquets, favors, and boutonnieres
Order flowers on Internet
Find and order jordan almonds on Internet
Buy little cellophane bags for almonds
Place almonds in bags and tie with ribbons and bubble stuff
Create and send guest list for shower
Buy shower gift
Create and send guest list for out-of-state open house
Pick up and return cake stand
Send packages of bride's household goods to new apartment
Make at least three trips to airport to pick up guests
Arrange for evening photo session with photographer
Determine tipping procedure for waiters at reception
Report back to catering manager for reception
Coordinate family members to arrive at wedding site

There's more, but this is most of it. At the same time, I am doing all the stuff I normally do: work, exercise, church work, cook, clean, shop.

I hope my second daughter gives me at least two years before she gets married!