For those of you that aren’t familiar with the acronym FOB, it means Father of the Bride. Traditionally, the Father of the Bride has one main job. The FOB walks the bride (or marrier/celebrant) down the aisle then gives the bride away at the alter. Need a visual? Check out this clip from one of my favorite movies of all time, The Wedding Planner! It includes a very cute scene featuring the FOB of this wedding!
During a typical wedding weekend, I don’t interact with the FOB much. Besides an initial introduction at the rehearsal and prepping for the processional, that’s usually it! Today I would like to talk about the best FOB I’ve ever worked with in my career! Not only did he fulfill the typical duties, but he ultimately became a member of the J. Renee Services team!
Before I introduce you to my favorite FOB, I have to introduce you to the couple that made this all possible, Erin and Travis!
We planned an amazing wedding that took place at the Bristol Train Station in August 2021! It was a beautiful event! Thank you to Meisha (The Modern Heart Photography) for capturing these amazing moments!
Now I’d like to introduce you to Erin’s father, AJ! From beginning to end, he was instrumental in making the wedding weekend a success!
I officially met AJ the day before the wedding. I knew right away we were going to be best friends! Not only was he personable and super funny, but he was also fully prepared for his duties. Since he had held the role of FOB before, he was ready to take on anything that was thrown his way!
On set up day, AJ was in full dad mode and he had an agenda (cue Home Depot theme song)! One of the most daunting tasks on his list was applying decorative window vinyl in the ceremony space. It was mind-blowing to see the amount of patience he had for the process. It took at least a couple of hours to carefully measure, cut, and apply each piece. He refused to take any shortcuts! And when we were concerned about not having enough vinyl for the remaining panels, he came up with a genius idea and made it all work!
His problem-solving skills continued on the day of the wedding. A couple of hours before the ceremony, I held a meeting with my team of assistants (thanks Trin, Mel, and Rocky). As we were going over the tasks for the day, AJ popped in and joined us. However, he wasn’t just there to hang out. He wanted to know how he could help! He volunteered to assist the catering staff to organize their setup! When I insisted he should be relaxing with the fellas and enjoying the day, he told me about his previous catering experience! Who knew!?!? From there he made his way downstairs to assist with food labeling and placement to ensure the buffet ran efficiently!
Then it was time for the official FOB duties. First, the walk down the aisle! As you can see, it was such a beautiful moment! There wasn’t a dry eye in the room! And then, there was the father-daughter dance. The dance had us all crying even more happy tears!
Once the party started, AJ was right there having a blast with the guests. He also continued to check in on me and my staff throughout the night to make sure we were doing okay! However, as soon as the last song was played and the couple made their exit, he was back in FOB mode! He helped orchestrate one of the most efficient breakdowns I’ve ever witnessed! It was so well-organized. I think he may have stepped away from the reception at some point to use a whiteboard to map everything out. We cleared the venue in record time!
I can’t thank AJ enough for all of his help throughout the wedding weekend. He truly went above and beyond the call of duty! Honestly, I’m convinced he could have planned and catered this wedding all on his own! However, I’m so happy I was chosen as the planner because I got to meet AJ and witness the best FOB on the planet!
AJ, as I mentioned on the wedding day, you’re officially a part of the J. Renee Services team!
Let me know when you’re free to join us for an event!