The Wedding
This is your big moment to shine. This is the moment that all fathers of little girls simultaneously dread and get all giddy over. No matter what time the ceremony starts, make sure you're leaving yourself plenty of time to prepare, even if you normally dress yourself in three minutes flat (and you're currently working on whittling that time down). Your responsibilities for the big day are outlined in further detail in Chapter 12, but the following pointers will give you a general idea of what will be expected of you.
Dress Up Time
You'll pick up your rented tux from the tux shop a day or two before the ceremony. (If it's been a while since you've rented a tux, don't worry. You'll get all the info on choosing the right outfit in Chapter 6.)
If you're wearing your own tux, you should plan to have it cleaned and pressed at least two weeks prior to the big day, just in case your shirt should be misplaced or something should happen to your pants.
ALERT!
If you're scooting over to see your tailor about some adjustments for your own tux, do it at least six weeks prior to the wedding. The man may be a miracle worker, but he only has one set of hands and a limited amount of time in any given day.
As soon as you've got the tux home, try it on. Try on all of the accessories (the bow tie, the cummerbund, the cuff links — everything) to make sure you have every little piece of the suit in your possession. Imagine dressing yourself just before the photographer arrives, only to find that your vest is missing or is the wrong color. Taking a complete inventory before the wedding day is a must. Give yourself (and the tux shop or your dry cleaner or your tailor) plenty of time to work out any mishaps.
Keep Smiling!
You may be called “Dad,” “Pops,” “Hey you,” “Guy,” or any number of things by the photographer, and by the time you hit the reception later in the day, you will be tired of posing and smiling, but do it, anyway. Wedding albums become the focal point of clan gatherings, and you don't want to go down in family history looking as though you're truly pained by the flash of the camera.
FACT
You may feel nervous or out of sorts, but this is the day that
The photographer will likely arrive at least ninety minutes prior to the ceremony, if your daughter has signed on for pre-wedding pictures. She'll be photographed with her bridesmaids, with her mother, and with her dear old dad. After the wedding there will probably be a whole variety of family portraits for you to participate in as well.
