“How could my parents feel left out?! They’ve been involved all along, and are paying for parts of the wedding!” We can already hear the protests to our headline, but hear us out! With all the exciting hustle and bustle of an upcoming wedding, it’s easy to forget that parents can often feel bittersweet feelings at sending their kids off to the next chapter of their lives. On one hand, they’re of course happy for your happiness! On the other hand, it’s hard to ignore that you are definitely not their baby anymore. So how can you make sure your parents don’t feel left behind in the dust, and get some quality time in before the wedding week chaos begins?
We’ve got some ideas!
-Have a DIY dinner night in! Spend time with your parents shopping, prepping and cooking dinner. It’ll give you plenty of time to catch up, and is great for de-stressing from all that wedding planning. Let Dad set the table and have Mom chop veggies while you sauté– team work makes the dream work!
-Grab tickets to your favorite sporting event. Whether you treat Dad to a hockey game or Mom to a box at the baseball stadium, sporting events are the age old way to bond with the parentals. You’ll both love a night out and cheering for the same team is always good for some photo ops!
-Two words: spa. day. Gentlemen, don’t immediately skip over this one! No one ever hated a good massage and pedicure- shhh, we won’t tell! There is no better way to relax and bond than after a serious deep tissue massage.
-Volunteer together! Is there an organization you’re passionate about? Spend an afternoon donating your time! It’ll make you both feel great to give back and better the community, and is totally free!
-Binge on movies at the discount theatre. You each pick a movie, and grab dinner in between showings. Spend the evening arguing about which movie was better. Viola– bonding achieved!
-Help them out with something on their to do list. Your parents have done A LOT for you. Show your gratitude and love by helping them out with something they’ve been putting off– whether it’s raking leaves or organizing all those outdated VHS tapes. They’ll appreciate the help and you might just find yourself having more fun than you expected! Whatever you do, it’s important to take time away from wedding planning to de-stress and spend quality time with your parents– just like it is your bridal party and soon-to-be-spouse. Don’t let your oldest relationships fall to the wayside just because they’re easy to take for granted!
Looking for more planning tips? Find them here!
