Olivia Nicholas - Including Children When Planning a Golden Years Wedding

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Now more than ever, more and more people are either getting divorced or not getting married in the first place for a variety of reasons. This is sparking a trend of individuals who are finding that they are either divorced or single by the time the reach their Golden Years.  Dating, falling in love and getting married at this age is a fantastic adventure.  You are both mature adults, with storied life experiences and, most likely, large establish families.  You probably have adult children with their own children, or children who are at least in their teen years. You want to make sure that you involve all your children and grandchildren in planning the wedding, no matter how large or small it is.

Planning a Traditional Wedding

If you are considering a larger, more traditional wedding, then you might want to think about hiring a wedding planner who can work with your adult children and grandchildren to plan the wedding. Let the wedding planner know you want them included in the decisions, and you can rest assured everyone will have a hand in making your Big Day as special to you as your family is. Adult sons and daughters have plenty of activities they can help plan with the wedding planner to make the big day a fun, successful one:

If you are having a larger, more traditional wedding and have older daughters, they could:

• Be in charge of the Bridal Party’s wedding favors

• Help with creating the wedding dinner menu

• Help plan the rehearsal dinner

If you have younger daughters, they can also help by:

• Writing and sending invitations

• Helping pick out the cake

• Helping with decorations

If you have adult sons, then they can help with things such as:

• Plan the bachelor party

• Plan the drinks or open bar

• Plan the music

• Walk Mum down the aisle

• Stand in as Best Man for Dad

If you have sons who are a bit younger, they can also help by:

• Standing as the Ring Bearer

• Standing in as Best Man for Dad (teens)

• Walk Mum down the aisle (teens)

• Help pick out the desserts

• Help pick out Dad’s Tuxedo Color

Planning a Smaller Wedding

Revel in the glory of being 50, as being this “old” and wise has its benefits, the first one being that you do not have to be a slave to tradition. You are both old enough to understand and wise enough to know better and, as such, you both my want to do things differently by not having a traditional wedding but instead, a smaller, civil wedding. Even if this is true, hiring a wedding planner to work with your children can help make the day go more smoothly than planning the wedding alone.

With a civil wedding, there may not be as many details as a large, formal affair, but there are still many details not to be overlooked.  Involving your children with the planning and execution is a great way for all members of the family to help and be involved.  For your daughters, they can help pick out what Mum will wear on the big day, help arrange the civil service, find the Justice of the Peace, and send invitations for the after wedding party – a party the wedding planner can plan for you. If you have sons, then they could help secure the limousine, help with the wedding music for the after the wedding party, and still even walk Mum down the aisle or stand in as the Best Man for Dad; someone has to be there with the ring, right?

Weddings are a time of togetherness so the family can share the happiness and company of each other on your special day. You are certainly old enough not to have to plan the wedding yourself, no matter how large or small it is, so why not take advantage of the help that a wedding planner and your family can give and make your special day a non-stressful day too?  
 

Published 4th Aug 2011

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