Do you like weddings?

MissAdventure

I went to a whole weekend wedding once, in a castle.
I was chatting to my uncle, with a drink in one hand, and a plate of food in the other, when the straps of my dress slipped off my shoulders, and my dress fell down to my waist.

sounds like an episode of King Gary

There is a lot of divorce in my family so we've been to lots of weddings

Each to their own . I married in the 70s. White dress with very high neck and long sleeves, no plunging necklines then! Church service , lovely reception then left immediately from wedding venue for honeymoon. Had to take my ' going away outfit to the venue! How times have changed - but times DO change and I try to keep pace as best I can.

I went to a whole weekend wedding once, in a castle.
I was chatting to my uncle, with a drink in one hand, and a plate of food in the other, when the straps of my dress slipped off my shoulders, and my dress fell down to my waist.

I think some young couples get so caught up in the idea of their 'special day' they forgot that guests have travelled from far and near, spent a fortune on outfits, presents and overnight stays, and given up their entire weekend and they're entitled to some consideration. Leaving them sitting in the bar for hours while you have photographs taken, and subjecting them to another few hours of absolutely ear splitting music is not considerate. Would people do this to guests they'd invited around for dinner?

Nowadays some couples also think it's fun to split guests up from everyone they know and seat them at tables of strangers for the meal and speeches. I find that rude.

MissAdventure

It's the dressing up part I dislike the most.
Any kind of a "do" that involves proper shoes and a non elasticated waistband is a nono for me.

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It's a reason to go on a diet!

I love a wedding, the ones I’ve been to all stick out in my mind, all different and reflective of the couples. It’s important to celebrate the good things in life. I enjoy getting dressed up, seeing family and friends - and most of all the joy of the couple getting married.

Well I suppose if you're someone who enjoys clothes, then it's likely you'll utilise them again at some point. .

I enjoy any wedding the couple have decided is for them.

An opportunity to meet up with family and friends to celebrate thé happy couple has always been my experience of a happy day welcoming either bride or groom to the family.

MissAdventure

It's the dressing up part I dislike the most.
Any kind of a "do" that involves proper shoes and a non elasticated waistband is a nono for me.

Dd ditched the idea of ‘favours’ on the tables, for a lot of flip flops in various sizes, for the women whose feet were starting to kill them later on - they went down extremely well.
It was a height of summer wedding, though.
The blokes got nothing, but I doubt that they cared - we had a free bar!

I agree with that part the formalities of an outfit never to be worn again and proper shoes!

It's the dressing up part I dislike the most.
Any kind of a "do" that involves proper shoes and a non elasticated waistband is a nono for me.

Our son and daughters weddings were beautiful but on both of these occasions the catering was a total let down. It's one of the most important parts of a wedding and should be amazing. Although the last wedding we went to was a traditional Jewish wedding the food was absolutely amazing. Unfortunately that marriage ended just after a few years. Two other weddings we attended also ended in divorce after such a short time. I am now wondering if some people just want the wedding day.

I love weddings, with all that hope and optimism for future happiness. Yes I know many end in tears, but many don't, and to look forwrad to something positive is wonderful.
The best weddings that we've been to are those that are low key, and focused on bringing everyone together. Expensive hotels and meals are so unneccessary.
And they're a great excuse for a new dress, and seeing DH smarten himself up for a change.

I was at a wedding once where the father of the bride, who was paying for the wedding, went up to the band before they started playing and warned them to keep the volume DOWN. It worked and was very pleasant.

Depends on the wedding.
What I really dislike is very loud music later on, with nowhere to escape to. A sister in law who I rarely see and I, once had to go outside into drizzle, because inside the venue it was impossible to hold any sort of conversation.

Dh and I, plus 2 other similar age family couples, once apologised well in advance to the B & G that we would not be staying for the later part of the wedding (dinner and dancing, presumably with the usual over-loud music.).

We were all staying at the same hotel, so the 6 of us had a quieter, civilised dinner elsewhere.
B&G were also saved the cost of our meals.

The rest of the wedding was lovely, though, and I honestly don’t think the B&G cared (G was a not-close relative) - they had plenty of friends there to make merry with - and all of us boring old farts/fartettes had included nice amounts of cash in the cards.

Congratulations to the happy couple, nanna8
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nanna8

We just went to the best wedding last month. Our granddaughter got married on her father’s farm and it was a perfect afternoon and evening in the open with an open sided marquee, hay bales round the edge and a food truck where you went and ordered whatever food you wanted. There was a bar outside,free drinks for all, and we danced way into the night with a great band who could play anything you wanted. A far cry from the formal garbage we had to put up with.

I do enjoy Aussie weddings ?

Well, I enjoyed weddings here too if they're a bit more informal.

Two family weddings have been postponed because of Covid and I don't know if they'll bother now.

I don't mind the ceremony and the meal. It's all the other stuff - the four hour gap between the I dos and sitting down for dinner while the happy couple disappear to have six million photographs taken, the aimless waiting around while the room is set up for dancing, the ear splitting music that goes on until the small hours, and the pressure to stay on for the next day barbecue/barn dance/post wedding party.
It's just too much and too dragged out.

Nanna8, the farm wedding sounds wonderful! I love small, informal weddings; I'm convinced that in many cases it's; "the bigger the wedding, the shorter the marriage". (Our wedding cost £40 & our marriage has lasted 39 years, so far...)

I love weddings! Sharing the happy couple's joy, a chance to catch up with family and friends, enjoy good company and an excuse to get glammed up!!

Not the ones that start at 11a.m. go on to one or two in the morning, unless you pay an exorbitant price for a room in the hotel where the wedding venue is and you can escape for a break.
The last few I have been to have followed this format and I have stated I am going to no more pantomimes.
As stated above the couple have usually lived together for quite a number of years, need nothing and ask for a contribution to the honeymoon which is usually taken abroad on Safari in India or sailing down the Orinoco. In fact, anything they can come up with that is different to what their friends have done.
You are on no photos and miss the champagne reception because you were taking a nap.
I know I sound like a grumpy old lady but unfortunately, that's what I am where today's extravagances are concerned.

Some I have enjoyed went to a very nice wedding in a beautiful outside area with tee pees, enjoyed that because most of the family were there.

The last wedding we went to was that of second timers five grown up children between them, long drawn out affair which went on all day, nice lunch, but guests were expected to go back to respective hotel for a couple of hours, after which was an evening do standing around in marquees for hours on end nursing a drink, by which time many people had had enough. My thoughts were such a hoo ha! for a couple who had been living together for ages and had already done this once before. .

When we married we were both divorcees so it was down to the Registry Office for us, and as we already had our three year old and another on the way at that time so we had a very low key affair, a couple of close friends as witnesses a fantastic lunch in a beautiful hotel overlooking the Thames, all in all a wonderful day, still happy having lived together for thirty six years, which is when I date our time together from, not the day we married, enjoyable as it was, essentially it was just a formality.

Being brought up a catholic, I was imbued with, marriage being a sacrament, and as such hugely important to have a religious service, as indeed it is to other practising members of different faiths. I don't for the life of me understand those who never go near a church then fall over in ingratiating themselves to the presiding cleric to have a religious service, just seems all about the photo opportunity in the aftermath.

In this day and age when most couples live together plus the struggle to get on the property ladder my feelings are money would be better spent on bricks and mortar. Having shared an office with a girl who was planning her marriage the minutiae of her arrangements were interminable and soooo boring! I sometimes think those who go down the Bridzilla route lose sight of the fact that it's not about that one day but the quality of their relationship and the life together thereafter. that really matters.

I wish weddings end we d in the late afternoon, the way they used to in the 50s. Marriage ceremony, wedding breakfast somewhere close by, speeches, bit of music and dancing, bride and groom changing into their going away outfits and being waved off by t h e guests.
All done and dusted by 5pm

The best wedding I ever attended was just the bride and groom with my husband and I as the only guests. We all wore jeans and drove to Paris in a mini afterwards.

Formal weddings with all the speeches, clothes from House of Mary, hours of photos, mobile DJs, drinking sherry at 2pm then standing around starving and making polite conversation until your 4.15pm lamb shank and cake are my idea of hell. I just don't go any more.