I'm trying to wrap my head around this. What is planned for people at the reception to be doing while the bridal party is dining inside? Are they dining as well, but outside? If not, is there an open bar and entertainment? Otherwise, will there be cornhole or tiddlywinks?

I genuinely don’t understand this. I’ve never been to a wedding where we did not have a communal feast with the bride and groom, or at least break bread and have a ceremonial toast. I thought that was part of sealing the deal, to be honest.
I’m feeling my age here.

F that!

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
I'm trying to wrap my head around this. What is planned for people at the reception to be doing while the bridal party is dining inside? Are they dining as well, but outside? If not, is there an open bar and entertainment? Otherwise, will there be cornhole or tiddlywinks?

It's cocktail hour outside. I'm not sure there will be food as the RSVP didn't have the usual pick a dish. If there is food outside, I'm going to be too hot to eat.

Attend, be seen, then depending on the temps and food selection, say your goodbyes and head out.

Avoid the potato salad.

That sounds like some serious BS. I agree, go to wedding, sign the book, make a mental note of something specific you can compliment your friend on later, and ditch the rest.

As anyone who has been in or thrown a wedding knows, the whole day is a complete blur, they will have no awareness of you being there or not in all likelihood. If pressed, and he's really a friend, tell him it was too fucking hot and you had to leave!

quote:

Originally posted by xd45man:

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
I'm trying to wrap my head around this. What is planned for people at the reception to be doing while the bridal party is dining inside? Are they dining as well, but outside? If not, is there an open bar and entertainment? Otherwise, will there be cornhole or tiddlywinks?

It's cocktail hour outside. I'm not sure there will be food as the RSVP didn't have the usual pick a dish. If there is food outside, I'm going to be too hot to eat.

The most likely scenario here is that the Bridal Party will have a separate Cocktail Hour w/ Hors D'oeuvres inside. Typically the Bride & Groom will circulate w/ among the Wedding/Reception guests during during the Cocktail Hour, but they've got pictures and such to get done first, so that usually occurs after pictures.

If there's no meal/entree selection on the RSVP, it's probably a buffet, and that's probably inside, in the AC!

Honestly, NOTHING else would make sense! Of course, if the Bridal Party has a separate dinner amongst/for themselves that Bullshit, AND Rude!

I get the AC area for the Bride and Groom to get pictures done before the heat and humidity get to her makeup and hair, last thing you want is pictures where the spouse is sweating his hind end off in a Tux.

Imagine they'd be out mingling as well, go, enjoy, get some free drinks and horse dey orvers and decide if you want to stay or go..

1. Make an appearance
2. Be sure to be seen, especially by Bride and Groom
3. Perform an Irish Exit
4. Go enjoy yourself

Don't go and be honest on why you didn't.

Ah, pictures make sense. They do need sometime for pictures between the ceremony and reception. They should have something going on for the guests during that time.

If it turns out to be a private dinner for the bridal party while guests wait, then you aren’t guests, you are decorations and checkbooks.

Never been to a wedding where the groom and bride didn't eat with all the guests.

Very disrespectful to not feast with the guests on a special day. After all they spend their precious time and money to be there.

Too good to spend time with the guests....fine. Go at it. Your wedding, your choice. I'll be too busy somewhere else. Just not there.

Thats a wild request. My wife’s step siblings all got married outdoor on labor day weekend in the central valley of CA and all 3 were hot as blazes. Never mind it’s a holiday weekend.

I’m just west of you in the panhandle and you didn’t say when your event is but it’s gonna be hot. And if your lucky a nice evening thunderstorm will hit.

The wedding party eating inside thing is a bit much.

Don't go to the reception.

Or duck out and later tell them you felt ill. (not a lie.....you already do!)

Thank goodness both my daughters had reasonable weddings. Only one hitch-the father of the groom was to pay for the rehearsal dinner. When the bill came, he tried to skip. His son, the groom, cornered him and embarrassed him into paying. Yes, he can afford it-he's a union heavy equipment operator. I'm afraid I laughed quite loudly. I was entitled-I contributed heavily to the wedding and bought the dress.

I wouldn’t bother with polite excuses why you didn’t attend or make a brief appearance. I would simply tell my friend the heat was too much for me. If he’s a friend, he will understand.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 400m,

This wedding has caused one of the worst fights between my wife and I.
To begin the day, my 4 year old wanted to go to the pool. So at 7am, I spent a wonderful hour with him playing at the pool. After we changed, we went in search of breakfast. This took us to the Auburn university campus. We walked and shopped the streets near campus and finally found a food court. Our first meal of the day was at 11. Afterwards, we walked some more and had delicious lemonade at Toomer’s corner. We arrived back at the hotel at 2. Dude wanted to hit the pool again, so he and I did that until 4. The women folk said the pool would be bad for their hair.

So we get ready and drive to the outdoor wedding. We parked probably 300 yards away from the seating. We sat down after greeting folks and the sun was blasting us in the face. It’s about 5:20 and 92 degrees. I take my jacket off and don’t care what anyone else thinks. There were people in Polo shirts and Khakis. My wife insisted I dress in a suit because the invitation said formal. Wedding starts at 5:40 and everyone is holding up their paper fans to block the sun from their face. The ceremony is thankfully short. I’m not feeling well. I think I’m dehydrated and overheated. After the ceremony, I quickly congratulate my friend and say I regret that I need to leave. My wife did not want to leave. She said I should have sat under the pavilion and gotten some water.
So I am the bad guy. I am to an extent. If my wife wanted to attend the wedding and reception, then she shouldn’t have taken the fat man out and walked him all day. I’m spent.

Chicago in August can be pretty brutal also. We're going to my niece's wedding this weekend.

She is a self-absorbed 20 something and I am only going because the wife really wants to go. But, if they pull any similar crap, I'll be out of there and on my way home.

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
The last wedding (and hope it is the last) I was invited to was over the top in pointless spending. The amount of cash expended would have been an excellent down payment on a house. What a disgusting spectacle.

We attended one of these a few years ago. The reception was at the ballroom in one of the fancy Chicago hotels. No expense was spared; it must have been obscenely expensive.

During the reception, I casually asked what the happy couple had planned. It turns out they'd both graduated from an elite business school and both had gotten jobs right away. Except the groom's job was in Chicago and the bride landed a job in another city. They were going to live apart and see each other on the weekends. Yeah. Sure.

They broke up less than a year later.

Next time use a shorter fuse.