<p>Run ads? What a brilliant idea! Talk about truly captive audience! :D</p>
<p>I love the turn this conversation has taken. XD I am glad you are considering bathrooms! In my lurking of wedding boards I am hearing about some brides throwing weddings in more “rustic” settings that don’t have bathrooms-- and not providing them. What are you supposed to do?! </p>
<p>I have developed a better sense of humor and have a better outlook now. It looks like none of my dad’s side is coming apart from the one cousin we didn’t expect to attend. She will be stunned, as am I, as they’ve never missed a family event before. It really threw me at first because the family showers are usually very tight knit and much anticipated events that everyone is excited for and wants to help out with, and I’m not sure why mine is different. But I guess it is just because I am different, and that’s that. And since we are coming to expect far fewer guests than we thought for the wedding, since invitations have not yet gone out we are able to add some people we overlooked. So that’s nice, I am glad we will get to include more people than we thought. My sister (MOH) is stepping up for the shower and is working on a few surprises for me which is nice. The bridesmaid that was going to help me put the ribbons on the invitations was not actually available when it needed to be done, so I just did them myself. I am happy they are done and ready to go out and looking forward to seeing what my sister comes up with for the shower. Nobody has ever done anything so nice and thoughtful for me as what my family is doing for this wedding.</p>
<p>I need to make my fitting appointments and am frantically looking for shoes. I think I may make another thread to get your assistance on that!</p>
<p>I was 25 when I got married, and I had a very nice little house. We had the reception at the house, and in the back yard. My friend made all sorts of delicious treats, and we had a keg and some bottles of wine. It was very inexpensive. Doesn’t sound as classy as a formal dinner, but actually…who wants that anyways? Everyone wants a good party. Ours didn’t get going crazy until we left for the honeymoon, but everybody had a really great time. Much better than any formal reception could ever be, and much cheaper. Thank God they cleaned up before we came home a week later, as apparently the group wide tomato fight was a little messy.</p>
<p>I don’t think that renting a bunch of spandex chair and table covers is a way to save money. Also–spandex? To each his own, I guess.</p>
<p>Ok…please note that this is Los Angeles…and the Westside…prices here are high…Well…the mob wants “nice” flowers from a florist (as opposed to going to the flower mart OR using the venues/ candlesticks and flowers…so they are at $3500 for flowers. MOB wants a certain sort of invitation…</p>
<p>Cutting to the chase: lots of extra people on her side…lots of special stuff (her wants…We went from a $30,000 to $55,000. (no I am not spending $55,000)f). </p>
<p>My biggest bargain? My dress…I shop…a lot…I “knew” what I wanted. I wasn’t sale shopping for “this” dress. Tried on Armani didn’t look are priices…</p>
<p>I was wandering in one of my favorite stores…really wandering…and saw the dress. Gorgeous…perfect…and on sale. YEAH!! And it wasn’t expensive to start with!!! Yeah me!</p>
<p>I guess I should be glad that tomatoes won’t be ripe by mid June.</p>
<p>D&her H won’t be going on a honeymoon & the party is scheduled for 4pm-9pm.
Should we stay & help clean up (its at a friends house) or should we bow out with the other “grownups”?
Im thinking, bow out, as I am likely to be worn out.</p>
<p>So do we get pics of your dress bevhills?
I still am looking for my outfit, I have a feeling it might be really hot.</p>
<p>The dress is a Tadasshi Shoji…knee length …If you really want to “see” the dress pm me.</p>
<p>Aw dang I missed the responses to the TV in the porta potty the first time around. They made me chuckle 
lol</p>
<p>
Aren’t you paying for the wedding? MOB has a lot of nerve…so did you not give in to her demands? </p>
<p>P.S. And is that great-uncle (if I remember correctly) demon driver still driving? He won’t be driving to the wedding, will he?</p>
<p>My wedding is a week from Saturday. My fiance had the girls at the county clerks office in stitches when we went to get our marriage license. “What? It only costs $20 to get married? EMA, WE DID THIS TOTALLY WRONG!” I bet they hear that joke every day. But the bills are all paid and everything is ready to go, and it’s going to be beautiful-- and it’s going to look like it cost twice as much as it really did!</p>
<p>Yesterday’s “good buy of the day” was my bridal jewelry. I got a really pretty vera wang necklace that was something like 40% off already and I sweet talked the lady at the counter to give me another 20% (by accident, I didn’t ask, she was just nice!) I got great earrings on etsy that were exactly what I wanted. I never would have thought to look there for jewelry, now I think it will be my first stop from now on.</p>
<p>Ema, you should put a picture of that up on FB! I want to see </p>
<p>My sister has kind of taken charge of my wedding (not complaining!) and we’re starting to look at food. We’re doing buffet style and the prices were no where near as bad as I thought they’d be! </p>
<p>Ok…what happens in wedding planning is this: We are part of a parallel universe. Yes, there was a bit of a standoff so this is what was decided: We pay for all the kids’ guests and all of ours. We will pay for a portion of her guests (equal to our number). MOB is paying for floral, invitations, music and the ketubba We will pay for the rehearsal dinner and the morning after brunch and the hotel room where the bride and her party get dressed. </p>
<p>Are we having fun yet?</p>
<p>You’ve been really generous as mother of the groom–I figured you were the mother of the bride.</p>
<p>Bev, maybe I missed it, but why is your side, the groom’s, paying the bulk of this? </p>
<p>We are paying because the parent(s) of the bride can’t. Their take (which we did not truly appreciate early in this process) is this is their opportunity to show off to their friends. When the sibling got married all monies were spent on him. </p>
<p>We truly believe in small weddings. In part we have a very small family and we have good friends, not a lot of them. I did all the legwork and showed mob the smallest ones (the ones that had max capacity of 130 for a sitdown dinner. I sound very calm right now…but we have had doozies of angst. And we would have definitely preferred to contribute to a down payment of a home. Or (as per my suggestions) a civil wedding in here and a religious wedding in Paris. No.</p>
<p>I have very good communication skills. I listen as well. I can’t say the same for mob. </p>
<p>The bride is trying to stay neutral. </p>
<p>Bride is in a tough spot, I don’t blame her for trying to stay neutral. I can imagine the angst. Kudos if you were able to do this while maintaining salvageable relations with all. That has been my goal in all of this and it hasn’t been as easy as I expected. </p>
<p>I know the bride is having a tough time. I have been able to keep my cool as has Mr. Ellebud…but it isn’t easy. </p>
<p>Where are marriage licenses $20? My D paid $60.
its $64 in Seattle & to get married at the Justice Center is $80 for monday - thursday, and $225 and Fridays/afterhours.
I think I will have to tell D I appreciate that they eloped!</p>
<p>
So when she was MOG she paid for a lot of the wedding and now there is no money for her daughter the bride? Nervy of her. </p>
<p>Michigan it’s $20 for a resident, $30 for non-resident. </p>