Planning a wedding as a fatherless bride
Despite the joy and enthusiasm I felt about getting married, not having my dad there meant there was a shadow, which for me made wedding planning — especially some of the emotions and complexities — as if I were planning both a wedding and a funeral. Death and life. Beginnings and endings. Joy and grief. It was all wound up together in a giant ball of messy emotions.
Surprise your dad with his own first look (and make us weep!)
By now you maaay know my love for first looks. They just get me every damned time. But Danielle’s take on the first look really got me right there in the ticker. She decided to have a DAD FIRST LOOK. Sure, dad might already be seeing you before the ceremony if you’re going that route (and if he’s there), but doing the surprise-and-turn just makes it that much more adorable.
Not being given away: how I skipped the aisle-walking drama
For some women, walking down the aisle with their father (or fathers!) can be a really beautiful way to honor the role that relationship has played.
For me, despite the fact that I’m a total daddy’s girl, it wasn’t a tradition that felt like a fit with my ceremony.
Have both your dads walk you down the aisle
What to do when you have both a father AND a step-dad who you want to walk you down the aisle? Skip the drama and have them BOTH do it, like Keli did.