Photo Credit: Unique Design Studios

To My Chief Daddy Officer,

As a child, I never looked at my relationship with my Dad as "different" — I just knew it as unique and special. When I was seven years old, my parents went through a tumultuous divorce, resulting in my mother deciding to leave and move to Boston. Most kids, by default, would follow their mothers. And though some may have had that same expectation for me, at the tender age of nine, I made a decision that one could say marked a pivotal point in both of our lives and paved the way for my relationship with my dad being what it is today.

I made a choice — I wanted to live with my dad full-time. As the CEO of his own pharmaceutical marketing company and now a single dad, he did not run away from the challenge. He ran towards it — he embraced it, cherished it, and gave me a life and parent that some never get to experience.

I am a direct reflection of everything he has taught me and raised me to be, and I'm proud of that fact. He has instilled values and life lessons in what would seem to be an obvious way, but what I've learned is not obvious to most. He showed me by example and then let me arrive at my own decisions (both good and bad). What I never grasped until later in life — he was always strategic, and by that I mean he was always laying down the wireframe for an opportunity to teach me a life lesson. I always felt like he was five paces ahead of me (which, when I was a teenager, wasn't always fun); however, it always was for my benefit.

Everyone loves to stop by the guest book table and write a special message for the bride and groom. After all, the congratulations and heartfelt wishes are keepsakes the couple will always treasure. Today, guest books come in such an amazing variety—from traditional white and ivory satin-covered books to posters, illustrations, picture frames, mailboxes and memory boxes. Whatever your style, you’re sure to find a guest book that fits the bill.

I recently came across these alternative wedding guest books from weddingstar.com. They’re perfect for rustic chic or vintage-style weddings and beautifully add to the décor. Bonus: you can display them afterward in your home!

I love this antique-style Classic Round Birdcage, $49.98.

And this romantic white birdcage would dress up any garden, $44.98.

You can also fill your birdcage with flowers and use it as a centerpiece for future soirées.