The Beginning
We knew this day would eventually come, however, nothing can truly prepare a parent for the day their only child moves 2000 miles away to attend college. No matter how proud we are as parents, we wish our children would never leave. As we help them pack and pick out everything they need for their dorm, we ask ourselves, what is the best gift we can give them? What is the one thing they don't already have or won't want 6 months from now? Only one thing crossed my mind: memorable photos of my husband and me. What teenager wouldn't want photos of their parents for their moving-out gift?
For those of you who know me, you can already assume that I always make photos memorable. Our daughter was heading off to New York to finish up her undergrad, and knowing that she is moving to a huge city and living on her own for the first time, we wanted to make sure she knew we were right by her side. When she felt stressed and alone, we would be right by her side. When the cute boy down the hall wanted to come over, we were right by her side.
Every year, the three of us would do a themed photo shoot; whether it was a hitchhiking photo for our "We are moving" announcement, a hillbilly photo for our "We've moved" announcement, or our random "walking dead" photo. By now, it was no surprise that we would do an 80's themed photo shoot; but this time our daughter wouldn't be included. Which of course, made me a tiny bit sad.
The Idea
When I presented my 80's Jazzercise idea to my husband, he literally spits out his coffee and agreed this was going to be the best gift. The only rule my husband had was not to show him any of the costumes or ideas until the moment he had to get ready, so I had full control over what he was going to wear. Can I give a shout out to the best hubby ever?
With only a few days of planning, I called on friends to help me. I borrowed everything from a fanny pack and a singlet, to weights and wigs. The last thing I needed was a crimping iron, and Sally's had one at the last minute.
The Outcome
I wanted my husband to look like a father from the 80s and once again he nailed it. He freaking nailed every shot with his goofy smile and the perfect wig. Oh, his singlet was pretty awesome too. Every time I set the timer on my camera and ran to get into position, I would look at him in his dumbass wig, goofy glasses, and fanny pack, and would fall over laughing. In the picture below we were trying to do the famous "Dirty Dancing" lift and it just wouldn't happen. Perfect epic fails every time.
My husband and I have always tried to teach our daughter not to worry about what others think of her and definitely not to follow everyone else's trail. No matter what issues in life we have come across, one thing is for sure, we know how to laugh. So to my sweet baby girl, when you're alone and stressing over the next exam. Just remember We are right by your side
Parents: When you can't think of the perfect gift for your kids first college experience away from home. Why not do something that will embarrass the shit out of them.
Photo Credit: Tennille Melcher; Romantic Moments by T - Photography
Tennille Melcher
Photographer & CEO