A Moment for Us: The Father-Daughter Dance

One of my favorite parts of any wedding reception is the father-daughter dance. I am undoubtedly a huge sap but there truly is something so revealing and special about this tradition. I love watching the interaction between the bride and her father while dissecting the lyrics of the song they've chosen—I weep. Every. Time.

So, when it came to figuring out how I'd approach the F/D dance at my own wedding, I wanted to make sure we chose something special and meaningful. I can be quite the ham, but I don't want to make people laugh with a choreographed father-daughter jig—I want big salty tears, people!

I'm sadistic, I know.

Image via Simpsons Wiki

Anyhow, I'm not purely evil. I just wanted to choose something that accurately reflects the kind of relationship I have with my father, and though we definitely make corny jokes and share lots of laughs, a silly dance just isn't our style.

So I started brainstorming and a couple of obvious options came to mind.

"Isn't She Lovely?"

Well I AM pretty lovely, and I love me some Stevie but it's a bit fast, a little narcissistic of a choice, and didn't invoke enough emotion for me. No go.

"Unforgettable?"

A definite contender and an obvious tear-jerker, but aside from its general sentimentality, it holds no special meaning to either Daddy Seal or I. So I nixed it.

I searched song after song and I started to feel a bit overwhelmed. I stopped trying so hard and started thinking about my dad. He's a musician and as such, music has played an extremely important role in my life—there had to be a song that meant something to us. So I kept thinking.

Little me and Daddio Seal after one of his shows:

As a result of his profession, my dad isn't physically around often and never has been. I've never ever felt deprived, but I have definitely learned to treasure all the times I share with my father. So it was then, when I started recalling my highlight reel of father-daughter moments, that it hit me.

Like a ton of bricks.

When I was little and when Dad wasn't touring, he sang me to sleep. This was something I greatly looked forward to because it was a moment just for us. I even recall a time in college when I was particularly stressed out and missing Daddy Seal—he, being ever clairvoyant, phoned to check in and unexpectedly decided to end the call with the familiar lullaby. I cried. (I told you I am sappy!)

I tracked down the song and discovered several different versions. Based on how daddio sang it to me, I was pretty certain I found the right rendition but decided to double-check anyhow.

Everyone told me to surprise him at the reception with my song choice. However, after reading his response to my email (simply asking for the artist of the song so I could add it to my collection), I knew he not only needed forewarning, but a choice.

His response:

"Hi Topo [his nickname for me],

There are a lot of different versions of the song that you've asked for but, this is the version that I remember.

I hope that you know that this is an extremely emotional song for me and that I cannot hear it without crying.

You are, and always will be, my one and only, little princess. 
I love you,
Dad"

After that reply, how could I not tell him? So I did. AND I gave him an out. If this song was going to be too emotional for us then we could surely choose something else. Heck, I'd even opt for a goofy boogie if he wanted.

Nevertheless, he decided against the latter option. In fact, he told me that no other song would do and that he would listen to the song repeatedly to practice maintaining his composure.

He's not the only one.

Here it is—it's not a very well-known song, but it's our song:

If you're fortunate enough to have your father in your life, will you partake in the father-daughter dance tradition? How did you choose your song?

With love,

Miss Seal

Visions of Mimosas, Make-Up and Music: The Wedding-Day Morning

You know what wedding-day thought gets me all antsy and giddy inside!? Other than marrying my Sealman and spending lots of time with all the people I love most in this world, I am uncontrollably excited for the morning of the wedding.

This is about how I think it will go down (I'm interested to see how this vision matches up with the day's actual events but I suppose we'll have to wait quite a few months to make that comparison):

• I will spend the night in the bridal suite with my bridesmaids and will get an insufficient amount of rest. I never sleep well the night before big important days—first day of school, interviews, presentations...you name it. I can only imagine that this will be exponentially more difficult with the presence of my ladies and our established ability to chat well into the night. 

 Image via the Frisky

• My alarm will sound and I will curse my existence for not getting more rest the night before. This awakening will be followed by a mild panic attack upon noticing some nasty bags under my eyes. 

 Image via Edvard Munch Gallery/Art by Edvard Munch

• Said bridesmaids, who will now be joined by other female family members (i.e. Mama Seal, FMIL Seal and my aunties), will assure me that my eyes look beautiful and well-rested. Eager to believe them, all will easily be forgotten and we will enjoy some breakfast and mimosas while awaiting the arrival of our hair and makeup entourage.

 Image via Bay Ridge Talk

• While listening to a customized playlist for that very morning, our make-up and hair will git did.

 Image via Lina Jang Photography

• Via a trusted courier, Mr. S and I will exchange cards and gifts from our respective rooms. This will be a widely photographed occasion of which I will immediately regret once I start blubbering like a baby—Mr. Seal's cards always make me cry.

• The make-up artist will touch up the mess Mr. Seal's sentimental words made of my face.

• I will then skip to track 12 on the wedding-day playlist and my sappy tears will morph into "I'm ready to get hitched" excitement! 

Enter Bruno Mars:

• The florist will arrive with our bouquets and all will simultaneously squeal in floral merriment!

• Mama Seal will help me get into my wedding gown (which will fit absolutely perfectly).

 Image via Kelly Chandler Photography

• After three more hairspray and perfume showers, the ladies and I will head down to the lobby. When done posing for a few pictures, we'll hop on the cable car to the church where my groom awaits. 

Image via SacBee

If I'm a big nerd for daydreaming about this so often then...color me some super nerdy color.

Am I the only one? Do you ever think about the morning of your wedding and how you'll spend it?


Lots of love and appreciation,

Miss Seal

Celebratory Cigars: Classy or Nasty?

Disclaimer: I am not encouraging the use of tobacco nor am I attempting to glamorize smoking. I am very well aware of the terrifying statistics. These are just my opinions, take them for what they are worth: not much and all mine. I am not an advocate of smoking—just a silly woman getting married :)

Image via Couture Sapier/Photo by SarahQ

I'm not exactly sure when or why we started exploring the cigar bar idea—I'm not a smoker and Mr. Seal only occasionally indulges in a nice cigar. However, I do recall that the idea was met with much criticism by Mama Seal.

I really can't blame her for not thinking the idea is as classy as I do. I mean, cigars create smoke and, well, cigar smoke is kinda nasty and dangerous! So, when she immediately thrashed the idea, I was only a little hurt. We are both pretty stubborn ladies (I guess this apple didn't fall far from the tree), so I kept bringing the idea up...and the debates kept getting more heated. I could no longer understand what the issue was—the cigars would be smoked outside and away from guests and I wasn't asking her to pay for them, just to be super excited and LOVE the idea. Hehe.

Anyway, I never won that argument but the fact of the matter is, we are indeed having a station to enjoy cigars at our wedding (and I think Mama Seal is at least coming around to the idea).

For all of you critics, lemme explain why:

1. Historically speaking, cigars represent celebration—and what will we be doing at our wedding reception? Celebrating our marriage, of course!

2. Cigars give off that old-timey feel we are going for—in fact I think it helps put the "Old" in "Old San Francisco".

I've got some proof...George Clooney looks pret-ty debonair and mature, eh?:

Image via Listal

3. Some of the world's classiest and most interesting people in the world enjoy a recreational cigar:

 Image via Cool Spotters

Image via NYDailyNews

Okay, the last one was a joke, but I do stand by my point.

4. Daddio Seal smokes, and considering the amount of time and money he is investing into this wedding, why not repay him with a small token of appreciation? A designated location for him to enjoy a nice cigar with his buddies is a thought that brings me a lot of joy.

Anyhow, Brother Seal and his wonderful fiancee Maria thought the idea was so brilliant that they offered to pay for the cigar roller as a gift. I attempted to decline their generous offer, but they insisted (and seeing as how he is my eldest brother, it served me best not to argue any further).

We did some research and with little effort found a wonderful company (Oye Productions) that will provide the service and cigars we want for our reception.

Then I bought some custom matches to celebrate the occasion:

What's your stance on cigars at a wedding? Classy or Nasty? 

Lots of love,

Miss Seal