Weddings, I was quickly learning, bring out opinions from people you didn’t even know had them. When my fiancé, Evan, and I started planning ours, I wanted it to feel personal. One thing became obvious—there were no little kids in our families. No nieces, nephews, or baby cousins.
Instead of borrowing a child to be our flower girl, why not ask my grandmothers?
Grandma Helen and Grandma Marlene, both in their seventies, were full of life. They danced at family parties, gossiped over coffee, and still sent handwritten birthday cards. When I called to ask, Helen burst out laughing.
“You want two old ladies throwing petals?”
“Exactly.”
To my surprise, they agreed—until my future mother-in-law found out.
She pulled me aside. “Sweetheart, are you sure? It’s… unconventional.”
Then, just days before the wedding, she called my grandmothers, urging them to step down.
Helen scoffed. “If anything, I’m throwing petals with more enthusiasm now.”
At the ceremony, they stole the show. Laughter, applause—even my mother-in-law smiled.
Because weddings aren’t about tradition. They’re about love.
