Weddingbee boards

hi ladies,

I just got engaged and starting the whole wedding planning thing. My FI is 51, twice married before, while I am 39 1/2, never been married. For our wedding I'll be 40.

Thus how do you go about making it special yet age and circumstance appropiate? I do want the specialness and glamour but also dont want it to be too much...Any opinions or similar experiences appreciated!

@cjfs:  I'll be 39 by the time the wedding arrives (1st time bride).  I've been conscious of my age while choosing some things, but I think what it really comes down to is having the confidence to do things the way we want to--we feel less pressure from other sources becuase we've hit the age of being much more confident about ourselves and what we want, so enjoy the freedom that brings.  These days, as long as you follow the basic principle of caring for the comfort and enjoyment of your guests, anything goes.  Check out places like offbeatbride.com and apracticalwedding.com to see how creative people can be, and just go with your heart.

As for me, we're keeping it relatively small and we drew on themes and ideas of what is important to us.  Result:  midday/afternoon church wedding with a picnic-style reception theme since we're outdoorsy and have wonderful memories of picnics early in our dating experience.  I'll be wearing an elegant ivory lace dress and he'll probably wear a light-colored suit (haven't decided yet).  As I said above, it's about remaining true to your style/interests while being a good host & hostess.  You have the freedom to do what you want!  :)