Of course, all of the information included in this chapter is just fine for the father of the bride who has a mother of the bride around to pick up the slack. What about the dad who is simply the One and Only Parent of the Bride? How do his duties vary?

Your daughter might assume that she'll have to plan the wedding by herself, because many dads are just not into the whole wedding scene. If you want to help her, speak up. She might not want to burden you with tasks that she feels you're not interested in — and you could mistakenly feel as though she's shutting you out because of your gender. The fact is, you can step in to help anywhere her mother would. Plan the engagement party; help her with the guest list; talk cakes and flowers with her.

The dad who is forced to rely on himself during the wedding season actually has an advantage over the dads who know that they really only need to slip into their tuxes and show up. Is there any better bonding experience than planning your daughter's wedding with her? (The answer: No, there isn't.)

Obviously, there are certain areas of planning that you might feel less comfortable and capable of tackling (such as helping her choose a wedding-day hairdo or the right girdle). No one is suggesting that you have to do everything. But certainly, helping her interview vendors and coming up with a guest list are things that fall within your realm of expertise.