Predicting the weather

Take a look out the window, and you’ll see it’s raining and dreary — weather that started last night and could continue throughout the weekend. If your wedding is this weekend, did you plan for rain?

It’s tough to predict the weather more than a week out, but if you’re still choosing a date, a couple of tools I found online show you past weather patterns so you can make future plans. The Weather Channel has a whole wedding section on its website, including a “Set the Date” tool that shows you historic weather patterns for location. Accuweather.com also has tools to show you historic weather data. Nothing’s a guarantee, of course, but knowing past weather can help you plan for whatever Mother Nature might throw at you.

Asking for your hand

It used to be common practice for a man to ask his intended’s father for her hand in marriage before proposing. To not do so was a major faux pas and could offend the woman’s family.

Of course, things are way different now. Women are no longer seen as their parents’ possessions, and few women go directly from their parents’ home to their husband’s. Still, some men ask for their girlfriend’s hand in marriage; some ask just the father, some ask both parents.

My husband talked to both of my parents before proposing to me. It was less of an asking for my hand than asking for their blessing and telling them he was going to propose. I thought it was sweet, and I liked the old-fashioned feel of it, but my feminist side can see how some women might find it offensive.

What about you? Did your fiance talk to one or both of your parents before proposing? What do you think of this practice?