The wedding was a success. Absolutely a smash hit. I’ll tell you all about it when I get back from my honeymoon, but for now, I want and need to take a few moments to thank the one woman who made the whole weekend extravaganza possible: my mother.

The thing you need to understand about my mom and me is that we’ve been talking about my wedding since I was a little girl. I am one of those people who has dreamed about the day well before the groom came into the picture. (In all fairness, I grew up to become a bridal magazine editor, so he knew what he was getting himself into.) Mom and I have pulled pictures from magazines, we’ve kept invitations and ceremony programs, and we’ve always been on the lookout for new ideas and things we loved. As I’ve said before, we were (and still are) wedsessed.

Once The Fiance proposed, my mom and I got right to work planning. We already had a handful of components decided (the place, the florist, our overall approach), we just needed to start to execute. It wasn’t until we started getting into the smaller details that we really needed to curate our ideas and pick the ones that we actually wanted to implement. You’d think for two people who have been talking about this day for so long, we’d have more decided, but in the past, it was all hypothetical, and once I became engaged it all became very real. My mother was amazing about letting this wedding be my vision. I’m sure she’s always had an idea in mind about what she wanted the wedding to look like . . . after all, I am her only girl . . .  but other than a few specific ideas, she let what I saw in my head play out in the plans. She reigned me in when I needed it, and she voiced her opinion if it was needed, otherwise, she let me call the shots on the vision, and she helped make it all happen. In short, she was amazing.

I’ve heard tales of brides bickering with their mom during the planning process, but truth be told, if anything, we’ve grown closer. As the wedding date neared, we talked probably five times a day (if not more) discussing details, sharing concerns, expressing excitement. The honeymoon has been a real departure having not talked to her on a daily basis . . . but I can’t complain about being in Bora Bora with my new husband!

Honestly, she’s been my own version of a super hero through this whole year. The wedding would not have been as successful as it was without her continued direction, involvement, support, and expertise. And I certainly wouldn’t have been able to get through the planning process without her. She’s organized, dedicated, knowledgeable, experienced, and just overall amazing.

I am confident that throughout my childhood, at some point or another, I took my parents for granted. Every kid does. But I can honestly say through this entire process, I’ve been thankful to have my mom by my side for each and every step of the way. She is the reason that this wedding was the wedding of my dreams, but beyond that, she is the reason that I am now able to head confidently into this marriage with a knowledge base of what it takes to be a great wife and an amazing mother. She’s my role model, and I can only hope that in 38 years (that’s how long my parents have been married), I’ll be able to share this amazing experience with my daughter and she can have as much fun planning her wedding with me as I’ve had sharing this with my mom.

Words are simply not enough to show my gratitude, but it’s a place to start . . . so thank you, mom, I’m eternally grateful.