Traditions to Keep and Traditions to Change

(Catch up on previous wedding recaps and follow along as we wrap them up one year later.)

About an hour into the dance party, Nick and I took center stage to thank our families and friends for traveling from California, Utah, Michigan, North Carolina, and Germany to share the day with us. I think our guests really appreciated the acknowledgment. (And Nick made everyone laugh, as usual.)

We also gave a special shout out to our parents for setting wonderful examples for us to follow — in life, love, and marriage. We then asked them to join us on the dance floor to celebrate 30 years of marriage (my parents) and 36 years of marriage (his parents).

Yes, it was time for the Anniversary Dance. Rather than tossing the obligatory bouquet to a lucky — and likely embarrassed — single lady, we chose to honor the couple with the longest marriage. My grandparents, who have been married for 57 years (!!!), joyfully received the bouquet.

And in lieu of the garter toss, DJ Wild Bill suggested the groom and groomsmen perform a special dance. Honestly, nobody knew what to expect — bride and groom included. Bill lined them up on the dance floor and led them through a series of moves, then asked them to “pay respect” to the bride and bridesmaids. The grand finale was unrehearsed, too. Nick strutted toward my chair, showed off his red socks, and planted a big kiss on my lips. It was one of my favorite moments of the night.

So we decided against the bouquet toss and the garter toss, but we did do the Dollar Dance. It was not at all about the money; it was totally about spending a few minutes with individual guests. Our aunts and uncles and cousins especially enjoyed it. And to make it more classy, my mother ordered a monogrammed ivory satin bag to collect the dollar bills, proudly displayed by our maid of honor and best man.

{Photos credit to Robert Winton}