MOG: Laurie Patragnoni
Mother of: Philip
Venue: Hanover Manor, East Hanover, New Jersey
Vibe: Semi-formal
Dress: Tarik Ediz from Jan’s Boutique
Philip surprised his mom with the song, “You’ll Be in My Heart” by Phil Collins. It’s a song Laurie played for her four kids when they were young on rides home from weekly visits to their grandparents' house.
“A thousand emotions hit me all at once,” says Laurie, who, along with the rest of us, has enjoyed watching the Reel shared on Instagram by Live Picture Studios. “We are so grateful to be able to view this very special dance from that perspective. In the moment, you don’t see all of each other’s expressions.”
The wedding culminated a decade of dating for Philip and Sarah. “I adore my daughter in law,” Laurie says. “She’s such a blessing to our family and fits right in.”
Laurie also appreciated that Sarah made no demands about what the moms wore. Laurie waited for the mother of the bride to choose her dress before shopping. She wanted to coordinate with the MOB’s lavender and the sage green of the bridesmaid dresses without completely matching. She found a multi-colored beaded column gown that blended in with the wedding party, and also stood out.
She spotted the Tarik Ediz dress it on the rack at Jan’s Boutique in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. “As soon as I put it on I just knew it was the one,” Laurie says. “Although it was ornate, it was so tastefully done. I loved the fit, I loved how I felt in it.”
She had a seamstress close the front slit a bit to show slightly less leg. And because the dress had so much bling of its own, she kept her jewelry simple, just a jade green and rhinestone earrings. Her gold sandals were a $35 bargain on Amazon. “Quite surprisingly, all the more expense sandals went back. These had the look I wanted and were as comfortable as can be expected.”
Besides the mother-son dance, one of Laurie’s favorite moments came the night before the wedding, at the rehearsal dinner. The groom’s parents both gave tributes there. “We so enjoyed that inimate time with just hte family and wedding party the night before to express our emotions and welcome Sarah to the family. It’s one of my most treasured memories of the event.”