No Foolin, They Made It Fun!

Ben Miller and Melanie Wetton met through mutual friends. They were together six years, and Ben planned to propose in January, 2007. But in December, 2006, they found out that their first baby was on the way. Suddenly, a long-term wedding plan was out of the question.

"We had to put everything together faster than we thought," Melanie says. Keeping in mind how she would look and feel in a wedding gown as her pregnancy entered its second trimester, she opted for a spring nuptial.

She let Ben choose the date. He picked April Fool's Day. So, they had just three and a half months to plan. And they had just begun the purchase of their first home.

Smile... This couple would need to keep their sense of humor. Much to the delight of all their wedding guests, they did. They displayed it throughout the wedding weekend with unique music, interactive events and a genuine concern for their 160 guests.

"It was not just our wedding, it was everybody's wedding," Melanie says. "It was not just about two people getting married."

They chose the Beverly Mansion at Grand Tradition in Fallbrook as their venue, with the ceremony outdoors and backup plans in case of rain. And then, three months before the date, the serious planning began. "Our venue would take care of the food and linens," Melanie said. To complete the vendor list, she went to the bridal fair at Grand Tradition and picked from the vendors who were there.

Ben is a builder for Advanced Systems Construction Company, and often travels throughout the state, so most of the home buying and wedding planning would fall to the bride-to-be.

Organization is the Key
A business student at San Diego State University, and accounting manager for Outback restaurants, Melanie was used to organizing her time. She obtained a planning book, "like the one I use for school and work," and kept it with her "like a bible."

"It all flowed," she says now. "I had something to do every weekend, and I knew every day where I was supposed to be."

Her three bridesmaids, junior bridesmaid and matron of honor were always there and supportive, she says. "Just knowing I had people to depend on made it all easier."

The Disappearing Dress
But even her support system couldn't have anticipated the dress problem. She had purchased her gown even before booking the venue. "It was the second one I tried on," she says. But the manufacturing company in China closed for two weeks during the traditional Chinese New Year, and somehow Melanie's dress was misplaced.

"It finally arrived two weeks before the wedding," she says. Of course, they had to make alterations, and in the process, the dress disappeared again. Three days before the wedding, it reappeared and alterations were completed just in time. "I had already started looking at rack dresses in other stores, just in case," she says.

That situation turned out to be the only difficulty, she says now. And when her wedding weekend arrived, she was calm and confident.

Three Months Later
"Taking such a short time to plan was actually good because I didn't have time to dwell on it. I could stay focused. If I'd had a year, that would have driven me crazy because I'd have had too much time on my hands."

Everyone was on time for the rehearsal. Afterwards, they all went to Pizza Hut "because our wedding would be so royal," Melanie says. "And we just hung out in the hotel pool with friends. Everyone but me was drinking margaritas. But that was good, too. My mind felt clear and I wasn't stressed at all."

The Big Day
The morning of the wedding, Melanie and her matron of honor went to breakfast, then to a salon for manicures and pedicures. Hair and make-up were done at the hotel, and everyone walked across the street for the four o'clock ceremony.

"We got there at two and finished getting ready and took pictures," she says. Champagne, cider and fruit trays were there to bolster any sagging energies, and appetizers were waiting for the guests to nibble when they arrived.

The weather was warm, the staff was experienced and efficient, and the day's events segued perfectly. The wedding gown fit perfectly.

"I wasn't showing at the wedding," Melanie says. "I just looked like I had eaten two pieces of cake. But the weekend after, I just blew up! If that had happened earlier, my dress wouldn't have fit."


The mothers of the bride and groom entered to "Pretty Woman," and Melanie and her bridesmaids made their entrance down the grand staircase to the hip-hop tune, "Let Me Clear My Throat."

"Everything was so romantic and serene and then we come down dancing," Melanie says. "Our guests loved it." It was just one of the many moods guests would experience during the day.

A sand ceremony to symbolize the blending of two families and a moving tribute to the couple's late grandparents brought tears. But there were more moments of fun and laughter.

The DJ took over right after the ceremony, getting everyone up and moving in a musical game to win the table centerpieces while the bride and groom posed for the rest of their photos. "We could hear everyone laughing," Melanie recalls.

Her new mother-in-law added more amusement during the mother-son dance. "We had arranged with the DJ to do something silly," Melanie says. "It was her idea."

The traditional slow music began, only to morph into a rock and roll tune, with mom head-banging and moving in synch, switching to a waltz as the music changed again. "People talked about that for the rest of the night," Melanie says.

But the guests would soon participate in an outlandish boogie of their own when the DJ's version of the funky chicken dance had everyone out on the floor.

"No one was allowed to sit," Melanie says. "He had them all in huge circle with us in the center and played this hip-hop music for a silly dance. Everyone was laughing."


Special Moments
There were poignant moments, too. Melanie's grandfather said grace before dinner, and a minister uncle who was overseas had emailed a blessing to be read.

Party favors were bottle openers shaped like antique keys in velvet cases tagged with the couple's names. "I found them online, and they were inexpensive," Melanie says.

A chocolate fountain flowing all night long and the chocolate mousse wedding cake satisfied everyone's sweetest tooth.

The groomsmen tied Ben's hands so he had to use his teeth to remove Melanie's garter. "People were laughing and cheering," she says.

The happy couple made their grand exit in a Bentley and stayed at the Pala Resort on their wedding night. They will take their delayed honeymoon to Europe on their first anniversary.

"It was such a relief afterwards," Melanie says, "A good relief because we all had such a good time. People called the next day saying it was the best wedding ever. We were not trying to be anything but ourselves.

"I wish it didn't go by so fast," she says.

"If I'd been planning for a year, that feeling would have been even worse because the wedding day just zipped by. "But now, we have a baby to anticipate."