Showers of Happiness....

I forgot to share some pictures from my bridal shower a week and a half ago in Connecticut... here are some with a bit of family (and life drama) to boot following the photo goodness...

My cake. From a fabulous bakery in NY brought up to CT by Fiance's godmother. FYI, it was as tasty as it looks.

Unopened gifts. I definitely got showered with love!! Our car was JAM PACKED on the drive back to DC.

Two my college besties/bridesmaids and I enjoying the margs. My shower had a theme of Puerto Rico...also known as our honeymoon locale. A pretty awesome theme if I do say so myself!

Me opening one of many gifts - this gift was all for fiance. I don't even like waffles but he INSISTED on registering for a waffle maker. That's okay. One of my bridesmaids got me a shoe wheel off our registry.

It is most certainly a shoe wheel. It fits perfectly in my closet.

My bridal party (including the ring bearer!) minus my bridesmaid E who couldn't make it to CT for the event. S'k, she's apparently got her own tricks up her sleeve for the DC guests. Don't mind my droopy straps on my tank top...I was a little tipsy. Those silly margaritas!

Now here's my question...so my FMIL hosted my shower - well, the bridesmaids hosted it but she helped. No one from my side of the family was invited. Someone told me "all the women invited to the wedding should be invited to the shower..." Is this true?

If so, then I can understand why my step mother (who my mother doesn't really...like) was upset to not be invited but quite frankly, most of my family aren't trekking down here for the wedding so I felt it was unnecessary to extend invitations. Not to mention, my step mom hasn't really been upset about not really being included in the planning till now. Then on Wednesday last week, when I called my father to tell him about the unfortunate event - fiance losing his job - after saying he was sorry he told me that I should send my step mother a note. Apologize for not including her...even though I didn't put together the invitation list. Or any other part of the shower.

Seriously? Aside from my mother, and bridesmaids it was ALL fiance's side of the guest list. No one from my side, sans a couple gal pals in Boston, were invited. Why was he making a stink NOW???

I won't get into my personal feelings about her here but I do run hot/cold toward my step mother, and right now? I can tell you I am icy. As in, unimpressed by these shenanigans.

Who was invited to your bridal shower? Did you invite all the guests invited to the wedding? Did you have a theme? Favorite gift???

umm so.

My dad isn't going to be at my wedding.

It's not that we don't get along, or he doesn't approve of the marriage, or anything that. he just doesn't travel. he was born and raised in Maine and he doesn't own a computer or understand the internetz. He's never been in a commercial airplane. etc.

I know this. I accept this. I still love him. Like a lot.

But sometimes it just hits me that my dad isn't going to walk me down the aisle and there will be no father-daughter dance and blah blah blah boo hooo. I've asked my best friend/MOH's dad if he would do the honors and he gladly accepted. Someone asked why I didn't just have my mom do it - honestly it hadn't occurred to me. I guess I could have done that but the question has already been asked and I couldn't very well take the job away from him if I wanted to - which I don't. He's not going to "give me away," he's just going to be a strong and calming arm to hold on to as I walk down the aisle. He and his wife have been like a second set of parents to me for the past 10+ years so it feels right. But I feel like I'm going to confuse the hell out of my guests...

Sorry I don't mean to bring the tone down right before the holiday weekend! I was just thinking about it and figured I should explain because I'm going to need advice on some things.. What if Mr. Fairfax wants to have a mother-son dance? Is it going to be weird that I'm not dancing with my dad? Also should I try to explain the situation or just let it be and let guests come to their own conclusions?

in other news.. aaahhhh I love this wedding!! happy holiday weekend :)