Bride-to-be Blogger Leslie: With a Little Help From My Mom


This week, I have taken a step back from some of the wedding-planning craziness to enjoy a little ‘me’ time.

Ok — I haven’t really stepped back from the wedding; I have just rerouted my attention a bit to enjoy a new book, How I Planned Your Wedding, by Susan Wiggs and Elizabeth Wiggs Maas. Yes, the book is wedding related, so I still feel like I am being productive.

I am under the four-month mark until my Big Day, so I figured reading a book about a mother and daughter surviving the happiest day of their lives would be a fun!

This book made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me even more excited for the  next few months with my fiancé — but it also made me reflect on the planning process with my mother. I could not have done any of this with her help. There have been times when planning parts of the wedding with my mom has been difficult because she lives in Virginia, and, of course, I am in Philadelphia. There have also been times when my mom and I haven’t agreed on certain things — like the length of the veil, how much we should spend on invitations, or if we should have a band or a DJ. But for the majority of the time, everything has gone very smoothly because of my mom.

She is just as involved in all the planning process as I am, and for that, I couldn’t be more thankful. Sometimes I call home and my dad answers the phone “Wedding Planning Central!” because he knows I am calling to discuss flower arrangements or linen colors with my mom. We have a very special relationship, and my mom is my best friend.

Collaborating together on planning my dream wedding hasn’t always been easy. But my mom knows what is important to me for my Big Day (shoes, band, candy bar), I know what is important to her (veil, food selection, invitations), and we respect each other’s wishes.

I know that in the next few months, ironing out all the final details will be a bit stressful — but I am so grateful for my mother’s huge involvement in the planning process. She hasn’t missed a single meeting or planning session! I know this wedding means just as much to her (and my dad) as it does to me — and knowing that, I feel truly blessed.

How was your relationship with your parents affected by wedding planning?

For more information on my wedding planning and healthy living for brides, please check out my other blog, And Her Little Dog Too.

Getting married? Start and end your wedding planning journey with Philadelphia Weddings' guide to the best wedding vendors in the city.