Wedding Aprons

A wedding is not a marriage. A wedding is only the beginning of an undertaking that may or may not, someday, develop into a marriage. What the couple have on their wedding day is not the key to a beautiful garden, but just a vacant lot and a few gardening tools. (David and Vera Mace)

Because it’s June, the favored month for weddings, I will re-run some earlier posts about my daughter’s wedding.  Sure,  a lot of sentimental fluff is included but that’s because I’m a sentimental gal.  There are also some useful ideas for wedding sewing.

This month, my fabulous husband and I will celebrate our 46th wedding anniversary. I wish every couple could have this much happiness.

1968. Because we wanted to be married in Florida, where we would start our life together, fewer than 30 guests attended. But we didn’t care.  My mother made my dress.

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Rebecca’s garden wedding for 130 guests at our home was a hands-on affair, orchestrated almost entirely by family and friends. Only the photographer, ceremony string quartet, reception Cajun band and wait staff were hired.

As soon as Rebecca and Harvey’s engagement was announced, my dear friend Susanna presented me with her own well-used tote bag.   It was embellished with the text MOTB–Mother Of The Bride. She had used this bag extensively while planning her own daughter’s fairy tale wedding.

Susanna graciously offered to serve as wedding coordinator and was promptly engaged in that volunteer capacity. From that time on, in our conversations and planning sessions, familial relationships were designated by letters–MOTG (mother of the groom), AOTB (aunt of the bride), Grandmother of the Groom (GMOTG) etc. It was fun.

Family members from both sides of the aisle had offered to help in the final hectic days. In anticipation of their arrival, I made more than a dozen white aprons for these willing workers as a small token of appreciation.   In an effort to ease the recall of names and familial connections, the aprons were embroidered with first name, abbreviation of rank, a heart, names of the bridal couple and the wedding date. With all the beautiful heart designs available, I used a different one for each apron.

The volunteer crew wore their aprons for the two days before the wedding as final preparations were made. GMOTB and GMOTG became acquainted as they helped pack welcome baskets. These baskets were stocked with fresh citrus from our trees, a map of the area, bottled water, homemade baked goods and a variety of other goodies.  They were delivered to the guests’ hotel rooms just prior to their arrival.

SILOTB (sister-in-law of…..you know) delivered hot-from-her-oven Texas Cowboy Cookies (see recipe below) and brownies which were wrapped and stuffed into the baskets. MOTG and GAOTB (great aunt) wrapped and packed more treats into the carry out goody bags for guests as they departed from the Sunday morning brunch.

When the bride saw everyone wearing embroidered white aprons, she asked where hers was. It hadn’t occurred to me that she would have time for these mundane tasks, yet she pitched in, even without an apron of her own. Nonetheless,  she extracted a promise that I would make one for her before she returned from her honeymoon in Tuscany.

Rebecca was cooperative, helpful and agreeable at every turn.  10 months earlier, when we began the wedding plans, I asked just how much latitude I had.  My sweet baby girl said with a smile,  “Mama, if at the end of the day I am Harvey’s wife, nothing else matters.”  Whew!

The design on her apron, shown at the beginning of this post,  is from Loralie’s I Do I Do collection. For the veil, loosely wadded tulle was substituted for the fill stitches. This 3-dimensional detail adds interest to the design.

From start to finish, the wedding was as smooth as silk, due in large part to Susanna’s careful coordination and planning. The Cajun theme, chosen in deference to the groom’s Louisiana roots, was evident in the delicious reception dinner, prepared by PlayGroup Mama Gale and her Playgroup staff of gourmet cooks and prep workers.

The spectacular flowers arrangements showcased the talent of Susanna and our son’s godmother, Rebecca Kay, both of whom were honored when we named our daughter Rebecca Susanne.

Their breathtaking flower arrangements graced the dinner tables….

and the center aisle, on either side of the arch as well as every room in the house, each of the cocktail tables, everywhere–even the potting shed.

Rebecca’s apron hangs in her kitchen but it is never used. She just likes the way it looks hanging there next to the refrigerator, reminding them of that special day.   Of course, since she can’t cook and Harvey prepares all their meals, she has no need of it anyway.

From this wedding, they’ve made a marriage that is rock solid.

Texas Cowboy Cookies

These are just delicious. It was worth coming to the wedding just to get a few of these huge cookies. Thanks, Shelly, for finding this recipe and for baking 5 batches of these yummy treats!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups (3 sticks) butter, room temperature
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 1 ½ cups packed light-brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 cups sweetened flake coconut
• 2 cups chopped pecans (8 ounces)

Directions: prep time 25 minutes, bake time 17-20 minutes yield about 3 dozen

• 1. Heat oven to 350 F.
• 2. Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in bowl.
• 3. In 8-quart bowl, beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 1 minute. Gradually beat in sugars. Beat to combine, 2 minutes.
• 4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Beat in vanilla.
• 5. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Add chocolate chips, oats, coconut and pecans.
• 6. For each cookie, drop ¼ cup dough onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart.
• 7. Bake in 350 F oven 17-29 minutes, until edges are lightly browned: rotate sheets halfway through. Remove cookies from rack to cool.
• NOTE: For 6 dozen small cookies, use 2 tablespoons dough or each. Bake at 350F for 15-18 minutes.