Two Happy Events
June 13th, 2008 @ 12:25 pm by Mrs. Hummingbird
Picture courtesy of http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/
June 28th not only marks Mr. Hum’s and my anniversary/wedding, but as I have discovered, another special occasion. You see one of Mr. Hum’s cousins, Kara (one of the constructors of the ribbon hat that ate Toronto) is also celebrating a milestone - she is turning 17 years old.
I suppose because there are a finite number of days crashing into someone else’s special event was unavoidable, but I can’t help but feel a little bad about basically annexing her birthday, so I’ve been trying to think of a nice way to acknowledge and celebrate her day as well since it is also important and shouldn’t be shoved aside just because it was the day we decide to get married.
I have a couple of ideas but I figured I would get the help of the hive as some of you might have encountered this kind of situation before and would have a good sense of what to do to highlight another special occasion in the midst of wedding chaos.
Have any of you ever celebrated another event in the middle of your wedding? What did you do to make it special?
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33 Responses to “Two Happy Events”
I love the idea of birthday cake. You could bring out a small cake for her after dinner (while everyone is still seated) and have all the guests sing happy birthday.
We’ll also be singing happy birthday (it’s becoming a bit of a tradition in my family…). I doubt we’ll have a separate cake, though my cousin did, but their wedding fell squarely on our grandmother’s birthday whereas our wedding is flanked by two birthdays but not the day of, but we still want to celebrate them a bit.
I like the cake and singing idea too… :o)
Our wedding falls on a sad event - it’ll be right around the 7th anniversary of my older brother’s passing. Our wedding date was picked based on other factors (priest availablility, school schedule, etc), so we’re going to go ahead with it, but I’m still uncertain how to handle it. We’ll have flowers in my brother’s favorite color and a few other ways to commemorate him, but I’m nervous about bringing it up too much - I don’t want the whole room depressed but I don’t want the anniversary of his death to go totally unnoticed… it’s a fine line, I suppose. Current idea is to have my other older brother say a few words about how my brother is missed, and then segway into something more lighthearted…… anyone have any ideas for me??
This would be an issue no matter what time of year we’d be getting married, but since the wedding falls around the anniversary we just need to be a little more cognizant of my family’s feelings/sensitivity…
Thanks in advance…
My nephews 16th birthday is the weekend of our wedding. Actually, it’s the same day as our rehersal dinner. Since it really sucks to have to attend your aunts wedding events on your birthday (especially when your a teenager) we’ll have a cake and presents for him at the dinner and then a bunch of us, including his parents who are young and fun, well fun anyway 
are going to take him out afterwards. Maybe bowling, I don’t know….
I was in a wedding last month at is was the groom’s sister’s birthday! After the bride and groom cut their cake, the caterer brought out a chocolate cake (groom’s sister’s favorite) with candles and everyone sang Happy Birthday! She didn’t have any idea this was happening so she was really surprised and I think she cried!
One of my dear friends was turning 25 the weekend of our wedding and she flew from WI to VT to celebrate with us. I did two things — first I paid for one night at the inn for her as a birthday treat and then I surprised her with a cake at our rehearsal dinner (which was her actual b-day). I got everyone to sing happy birthday and she was really touched.
HTH!
I am a maid of honor in an upcomming wedding and recently threw a shower- that also happened to fall on the bride’s mother and aunt’s birthdays. Rather than move the date (as invitations were sent and no one mentioned it until a week before)… we suprised them with a short photo-slideshow of them through the years which ended with a brief video clip of the bride and groom letting them know how much they mean to them- at which time we came out with a birthday cake and sparkler candles. It was a nice way to take a moment and indulge in each person’s meaningful day.
I think that a birthday cake for your guest would be a lovely idea…
Piggs2002: First, I am very sorry for you loss.
In terms of acknowledging your brothers passing to extended family and friends, I would mention it in the program Ths same way most people acknowledge others who have passed and could not be there to share the day (grandparents, for example.)
For your immediate family, I think carrying flowers in your brothers favorite color is a perfect idea. It will be a subtle reminder for you and your family that he is missed and thought of on this special day. Perhaps, your brother had cuff links or a watch that your father or older brother could wear that day as well???
Will someone from your immediate family be giving a toast at the reception? If so, when they do, have them look up when they say “we” wish you all the best, etc… Everyone who knows will understand. It will be subtle, yet moving.
Our officiant’s son’s birthday is our wedding day. We do want to honor him but haven’t really talked about a way to do it yet!
My wedding is going to be two days after my future sister-in-law’s (and bridesmaid!) birthday and the day after my future mother-in-law’s! I’m not sure yet if/how I want to recognize that at the wedding - neither of them like to be the center of attention, but I also have a feel that they’re not going to get to do anything for their birthdays because they’ll be so involved in the wedding planning!
My husband’s cousin’s birthday was the day of our Farewell Brunch (day after the wedding) and we had cake and sang happy birthday to her. We would have done the same thing if it was on the wedding day. I think it just adds to the fun and gives you one more excuse to celebrate.
My birthday was the same day as a friends wedding last year. When we got to the reception there was a little birthday cake at my seat, it was a little bigger than the size of a cupcake. I thought it was really sweet that she thought of doing that for me at her wedding.
My parents got married on my uncle’s 21st birthday (yes, it was after the drinking age became 21). I’ve watched the wedding video, and they sang happy birthday and he took birthday shots at the bar with my dad and his mutual friends
Our wedding date is also our officiant’s wife’s birthday (we found out after the fact). We plan to have a birthday cake for her and sing to her during the reception. Also, since I was planning to give the centerpieces to guests as prizes (for example, the longest married couple), I will give her one as well.
one of my closest family friends will be turning 50 (!). . .50!!!! at our wedding. . .since that is such a HUGE birthday and cake cutting doesn’t really interest us we are going to surprise her by bringing out a tray of cupcakes in the shape of a 5 and a 0 and sing happy birthday with everyone. . .
My FFIL will turn 60 on our wedding day - I love the idea of birthday cupcakes and singing, and also of keeping it all a surprise for him.
piggs2002 - I’ve attended weddings that placed individual favorite flowers in small vases on the alter or near the guestbook, with a small card indicating who they were in memory of. So sorry for your loss.
My friend included one of her guests in the program saying *Special Birthday Wishes go out to Jane Doe*
My grandma’s 80th birthday is on our wedding day, as is my cousin’s 17th, so we’re having a cake!
Our wedding is on my BFF (and MOH)’s 6th wedding anniversary, as well as another couple’s. In addition, it is one of our ringbearer (BFF’s son)’s 4th birthday.
Since we will be having centerpiece cakes, I am thinking of asking our cake vendor to write “Happy Birthday” on the cake that will be at the birthday boy’s table. I would also like to do something to honor the couples who share our wedding date, but I’m not sure how yet.
My mom’s birthday is the day before the wedding so we are going to celebrate with a cake at the rehersal dinner.
And…
My sister’s first wedding anniversary will be about a week after the wedding. I think we may play the song they had their first dance to for them.
One of my dearest and closest friend is having her birthday on the Friday of my destination wedding - and the night of our welcome party. We are going to decorate her hotel room with balloons and banners and leave cupcakes in the room for her and we are paying for her room for the night of her bday. She knows how much I love bdays, and I think she thought I forgot, but I mentioned something about “you should extend your trip for your bday weekend”… and she looks at me and says - “no announcing my bday at the welcome party..” I so wanted to make everyone sing to her - but I know she doesn’t want that.. so a group of us will just sing to her in her room at the end of the night. She’s so wonderful. I hope she has a fabulous bday weekend.
But on this note… we were at our best man’s wedding shortly after we got engaged and he had the DJ announce that we just got engaged and made us stand up so everyone could clap for us… but then like a dozen other people went to the DJ and said “it’s their anniversary, it’s his bday, they got engaged last month…” and we had an hour straight of announcements! I felt so bad for the bride and groom. We were the only “sanctioned” announcement (the FI and the groom being inseparable for the past 30 years)… So that experience made me not want to announce anything for fear of excluding others milestones and turning it into an hour of shout-outs.
It would probably mean a lot to her if you and the groom, all dressed up, walked over to her privately at her table and gave her a wrapped present and said happy bday.
my aunt’s birthday was the day we picked to get married and since she is such a wonderful person, she didn’t mind a bit. we brought out a mini cake for her during the reception and sang to her and she cried! it was a fantastic way to recognize her–i gave her a gift the night before at our rehearsal when we recognized all the important peeps!
I don’t have any specific suggestions about how to acknowledge her birthday…though I had to share that our wedding anniversary is my FIL’s birthday, and my in-laws wedding anniversary is my FIL’s father’s birthday! We picked the date because of convenience AND tradition, and FIL was touched at the thought (although on the day of, MIL did forget to wish him a happy birthday because she was so caught up in wedding preparations).
My fiance’s grandmother is turning 91 on our wedding day!! She is even traveling all the way to Aruba for our destination wedding, so we are DEFINATELY acknowledging her birthday at our wedding. We’ve ordered a birthday cake for her and will also sing : )
My parents got married on my cousin’s 5th birthday, and he spent the entire reception going around telling people the wedding cake was his birthday cake, and where were his presents? They had a cupcake and a toy truck for him instead, which thrilled him (doesn’t take a lot when you’re five). I think no matter what you do, the fact you’re acknowledging it is something and a great idea.
One of our ringbearers and a friend’s little girl’s birthday is on our wedding date. Before we cut our cake, we will take a moment to thank them for allowing us to share our wedding date with their birthday and then our cater will walk in with a cupcake with a candle on top (and maybe a small present) just for them. And we will probably sing Happy Birthday to them. We felt kinda bad when we found out that it was on their birthday but hopefully having everyone there wishing them a happy birthday will help.
I love the idea of a little cake for her!
Also, maybe you could pass around a card for all the guests to sign for her? or maybe just the family-member guests?
I’m sure she’ll appreciate your remembering the day is special for her too.
I was best woman at my best friend’s wedding on my birthday. And I made the cake.
They sang happy birthday to me at the reception, and I went out to a non-wedding related brunch just for me. It was perfect.
Plus, I always remember their anniversary.
At one of my friend’s weddings, she announced a special father-daughter dance–her sister (and MOH) and her dad. Her sister had eloped a few years earlier and never got a father-daughter dance. It was really sweet.
You could honor the cousin with a spotlight dance for her and Mr. Hum–if that’s something that’s your style, that is 
We’re getting married on my Mother and our Page Boy’s birthdays…
So we are going to celebrate that as well. We started off prepping our Page boy in particular by telling him that we chose our wedding date because it was his birthday and it was special!!!
The celebrant will acknowledge them both as the birthday girl and boy… with a rousing 3 cheers + we’ll have a cake at the end of the ceremony (the children aren’t coming to the reception!)
My wedding day coinsides with my baby sister’s 25th birthday (I say baby since I have 2 younger sisters & 2 younger step sisters). We asked if she had any objections to sharing her birthday and she loved the idea. (Free alcohol and an oportunity for her friends to come for the after party doesn’t hurt at that age!) She will be able to have her leave (she’s military in will be stationed on the oposite side of the country) coinside with both her birthday and my wedding and not use up any extra days. Her one request is a strawberry ice cream cake as a birthday cake. I may make it myself since i can do it way ahead of time when I’m visiting the area.
We just found out it is our friend’s anniverary also.
Mrs. Hummingbird, Toronto
Age and Occupation: 25, Publishing Coordinator
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Videogame Designer/Cartoonist
Engagement Date: May 4, 2007
Wedding Date: June 28, 2008
Blogging Since: September 18, 2007
Venue: A garden wedding followed by a tented reception on Mr. Hummingbird's father's property.
About Me: I’m a pop culture loving, vintage obsessed foodie living in Canada’s biggest city with my fantastic fiancé and our lovable fluffy cat Bettie. I’m stoked to marry my best friend and to throw what I hope will be
the most fun and colourful party of our lives.
A whole slew of our guests have birthdays on or around the wedding day. I am planning on making a birthday cake and taking a time out to thank those people for sharing “their day” with us, along with a happy birthday sing-a-long. It may be a bit wacky, but I don’t mine taking a time out to celebrate all the birthdays too