A Wedding VIP (Very Important Papa)

I'd like to take some time to discuss a very special participant in my wedding day.

Image via MasJo / Credit: Touchstone Pictures

No, not Steve Martin.  I'm talking about my dad, AKA the father of the bride!  

Wee Miss Snow Cone + Dad Snow Cone, circa 1989

Here's the deal.  I have three brothers, but my dad has always been the go-to man in the Snow Cone household.  When I was a little squirt, he worked as the team physician for our local minor-league hockey team.  What that meant, for him, was that he had to go to a fair number of games, tending to busted up hockey players if the situation arose.  What that meant, for me, was that I got to tag along and score some nachos and cheese, which was kind of like junk food Mecca for five-year-old me.  I have a feeling my motivation for asking to go to the games may been a bit transparent, but my dad always gladly took me along, funding my nacho habit.  I still clearly remember getting back to the house after the boring, cold games (minus the nachos), and he'd always thank me for being his date that night.  I remember thinking that was kind of goofy, since obviously he was married to my mom and therefore shouldn't be going out on dates, but that kind of sums up my dad.  Combining humor, family, love, and a non-stop work ethic, and doing whatever it takes to make me happy (in this case, lots and lots of nachos).

He's also one smart cookie.  He knows a ridiculous amount of stuff about a ridiculous amount of stuff.  I am seriously amazed at both his breadth and width of knowledge, ranging from complete, off-the-wall trivia to intricate medical procedures.  I consider myself to be an above-average crossword puzzler; despite my best efforts, I'm still stumped more than I'd like to admit.  Over the years of road tripping to various sporting events (more often than not at Notre Dame), I occasionally barraged him with a crossword clue that I had NO idea on, and he'd immediately spout off the right answer, whether it be about historic British colleges or endangered species of American birds.  99% of the time, I'd fire back with a "How'd you know that?!" and he would just kind of shrug and keep on driving.

Bleeding blue and gold, 2009

His smart cookie-dom seems to have rubbed off on his kids, too.  He went to Notre Dame and absolutely fell in love with the place.  Whether intentionally or not, he managed to instill some of that adoration onto his five kids.  All of us have followed in his footsteps, making a home in Northwestern Indiana for four years of our young adult lives.  Look at the proud parentals during my graduation:

And how could they not, given what a class act I had become?

Now that I'm preparing to marry my dream guy, I'm continually struck by how much Mr. Snow Cone reminds me of my dad, in ways big and small.  I won't go into detail here, but suffice it to say that every time Mr. Snow Cone does something reminiscent of my dad, I know, without a doubt, I've made the right choice in my future husband.

Aside from yammering on about my daddy-o, this post does actually have some wedding-related point to it, I swear.  My dad is one helluva music fan.  He has more LPs, cassettes, and CDs than any five people I know combined.  He's been fanatically accruing some sweet tunes since his high school days, so his repertoire is quite extensive, quite varied, and quite awesome.  As a result, I decided that it would be foolish for me to try to pick the perfect father-daughter song for the reception.  I'm only familiar with the new stuff and the oldies that are so popular (and maybe overdone?) that they've resurrected themselves in the 21st century wedding circuit.  I presented my dad with three options: I could pick the song, he could pick the song and let me in on his selection, or he could pick the song and keep it a surprise from me.  I'm happy to say that he picked the last option.  I have no idea what song he'll select, but I what I do know is that it will be exceptionally well thought out, personal, and one of my favorite parts of the entire wedding.

So, Dad, here's to you.  Thanks for spending the last 23 years teaching me what a man in my life should be, and for helping get me to where I am today!

Would you consider giving your dad full song selection power, or do you have a specific song that is "your" song?

(all photos personal unless otherwise noted.)