Monday Motivation: “Perfection”

“I just want it to be perfect,” the groom-to-be said as the threatening skies rose above the gorgeous outside deck overlooking the white capping dusty grey waves as they swelled. “There are a lot of definitions of perfect, honey,” I said to my son. “Perfect is finding the woman to love for the rest of your life. Perfect is the group of friends and family gathered here. Perfect is so much more than the weather,”
as he peered above and out at the sea nervously.

I know what he wanted – a gorgeous sunny day with crystal blue skies above like the previous day at the wedding rehearsal. He didn’t want to be stressed or for rain to fall on his beautiful bride and guests. He paid a lot of money to have the venue and be outside for the ceremony. I understood. We all wanted the same thing.

In thirty years of event planning, I’ve learned to pivot when unplanned situations arise always going back to the main reason for the event. The weather, details, and perfection exist but bringing the client or son back to the main reason for the event is essential. Focusing back on the “reason” and forgetting the ancillary.

With the most extraordinary female rabbi with a cheerful and yet traditional viewpoint, we moved the ceremony up ten minutes to miss the rain predicted midway through the outside ceremony. She made the situation so much calmer and more doable for everyone – a brilliant light of hope in the darkening skies. She was one of the gifts from God during the wedding.

As we linked arms with our son, as done in a Jewish ceremony, with the wedding party lined up behind us, a swell of cheering rose from the back relaxing our son who said that was the moment he settled and knew this wedding was underway and everything would be “perfect.” We walked with him slowly toward the chuppa with periwinkle blue hydrangeas and white roses matching the colors of the roaring sea behind it.

When the bride walked down the aisle with a majority of the important guests in their seats, her white veil went vertical in the air with the darkening skies behind her and her gorgeous smile and twinkling eyes, a sign her father was holding her veil from the heavens, since he passed when she was a freshman in college. With her mother on her arm, she joined our son centerstage. The rabbi announced, “We’ll start and if rain comes down, we’ll simply move the ceremony inside, but I trust God will help us get through this outside.” As promised, he did.  

It was the most beautiful ceremony visually filled with abundant love between the couple and the crowd gathered to witness this ten-year-old love officially tied together for life.

As I joined my son on the dance floor inside safe from the downpouring rain, that didn’t matter at that point, I whispered in his ear, “Has your wedding been perfect so far?” He smiled and said, “Yes, Mom it has been perfect. Thank you. I love you.”

Today’s lesson is to redefine your perspective on perfection.