Someone (ginadog) posted just a few weeks ago about having a terminally ill father who will likely not make it until her wedding. I posted my advice on the matter, and just short of two weeks ago, on February 9th, my father passed away.
My advice to anyone in a similar situation as ginadog (and myself) stands. Losing my father is amazingly difficult. I cannot even fathom wedding planning right now. But something I think is important is that I discussed things with Dad before he passed. He absolutely did not want us to worry about the wedding or to move it up. While I'm unbearably sad that he will not be there with me, I at least know that we made peace with the fact that he wouldn't be BEFORE he was gone.
My wedding is not for well over a year. I cannot say how I will feel closer to the wedding date. But right now, in a period of mourning, I'm comforted that we discussed the wedding, and that my dad was very happy for us--he loved my FI very much, and vice versa.
There's more to a wedding than just...a wedding. It's about having a great relationship, and my dad was around long enough to see 5 years of that. He didn't need to see a wedding to know we would be happy together. I think that's important. Ginadog touched on this in her original post--that throwing together a hasty wedding would hardly be easier on the family than waiting until the original date, and I agree. But, it's the fact that my DAD agreed, and we discussed it, that helps me to know that we did the right thing.
I hope this post helps others in the same situation. It's just a wedding. If you lose someone important to you in the planning stages, feel what you need to feel while going through it, and deal with the wedding later.
