Wedding Wednesday: Meeting The Parents

The title of this post is slightly deceiving. I have, in fact, met Edwin’s parents many, many times. Edwin has also met my parents many, many times. We’ve also both traveled with each other’s families. So, what’s this Wedding Wednesday: Meeting the Parents all about? Who met the parents? Our parents met each other!

First of all, it went great and was a wonderful weekend! Edwin keeps jokingly referring to it as a slumber party because it was a full weekend of togetherness. Edwin’s parents graciously hosted my parents from Friday to Sunday at their house in San Diego. While Edwin and I thought a simple dinner would suffice, parents always know better because spending the whole weekend together truly was a treat. Our moms made each other laugh and our dads found lots in common. Everyone clicked.

Our parents live in different cities as my parents spend their time living in Phoenix and Charleston while Edwin’s parents live in Los Angeles. Schedules have also not lined up the times my parents have been in Los Angeles visiting me in Santa Monica (which is a tad far away from Pasadena where Edwin’s family lives). We’ve been dating six years so the fact that our parents hadn’t met yet might sound crazy to some of y’all but that’s how it went for us and it was just fine. There’s no rulebook for these things so whatever works, works!

The moments of stress leading up the gathering and the funny moments throughout the weekend are memories I will never forget. I honestly had the thought, “I can’t believe Edwin and I will do this one day with our own kids and their future in-laws!” I think Edwin will one day use the weekend as inspiration for a screenplay (he works in the film industry) and I promise you, if this screenplay comes to life, you will laugh out loud. There were many Father of the Bride moments – I think someone changed their shirt a couple times before the initial meeting! The moms cried and passed around the tissue box, people broke out into song, the dads went on a golfing man date, challenges were made on the paddle tennis court, there was perfuse sweating occurring, the dog escaped for a roll around in fertilizer, the list goes on.

After the weekend was all said and done, my dad and I were chatting about how it went and about how much fun we had. My dad said something that really stuck with me (it’s only been 3 days but I know it will continue to stick with me). He told me how blessed I am to be marrying into a family that values family and values marriage. Marriage is so easily tossed around these days that I just can’t help but wholeheartedly agree with my dad.

How did I feel about the weekend? I mean it when I say that I thought it went wonderfully and that I had a fantastic time. The weekend marked a step for Edwin and me in the road leading toward our marriage. I’m ecstatic about that!! Would I be lying if I said I wasn’t tired at the end of it? Yes. I 100% 1000% sighed a huge sign of relief afterward because, even though I knew it would go well, I actually was relieved that everyone hit it off and because it’s tiring being “on” for 48 hours straight. When you are the common reason that everyone is meeting and celebrating you are ON. I also feel super duper über thankful to have the best family already and to be joining Edwin’s amazing family. After all, you don’t just marry the person, you marry the family.

At the risk of sounding cheesy, Edwin stole the show for me. Though he battled a bit of anxiety leading up to the weekend, he mediated and hosted everyone so well. The thank you notes he sent to both sets of our parents brought me to tears and had me literally pinching myself that I get to marry a man like him (insert tears rolling down my cheeks now as I write this). He impresses me every day and makes me feel so loved. I hope each and every one of you finds a catch just like him! He also bought hydrangeas like the ones in my above photo to fill the house with. Such a great moment, when boys master all your favorite flowers!

Has anyone else experienced a similar weekend or event of parents/future in-laws meeting? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments below or in an email (jillian@rhymeandreason-jillian.com). Please also don’t hesitate to share with me what kind of Wedding Wednesday content you’d like to see. I have a post about bridesmaids coming in about a month that I’ve already started working on and already can’t wait to share! I truly hope reading this ‘Wedding Wednesday: Meeting The Parents’ post wasn’t boring… it’s hard to tell if I’m sharing too much or not sharing enough or just rambling! To read more of my Wedding Wednesday posts, search “Wedding Wednesday” next to the magnifying glass at the right of the navigation bar.

P.S. The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is still knocking on your door! Nordy is adding new items and restocking items everyday. This post I wrote about using the sale to create fall outfits will help you shop for all the sale must-haves and everything you need! xx