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Original poster

Did you enjoy your wedding day

117 replies

Popsicle72 · 23/09/2022 22:31

Was chatting to friend today and we got chatting about wedding. She admitted she didn’t enjoy her day due to in law stress etc and I said I really didn’t enjoy being the centre of attention and felt I was just going through the motions if that makes sense. In hindsight I wish we had had a tiny wedding instead of 100 guests. Do many of you have regrets about your day and wish you had done it differently?

OP posts:
Proudofeveryone · 23/09/2022 23:44

Priest called us by the wrong names.
My dad wore glasses that changed with the light he looked
as though he was in the Mafia or blind.
Caterer was moving the cake to slice up and dropped it.
DH lost his wallet with our honeymoon money in.
I didn't get anything to eat in the evening.
Someone burnt a hole in my dress with their cigarette.
Married since 1979 still going strong.
Would do it again YES

JaninaDuszejko · 23/09/2022 23:48

We had a great wedding. It was a big wedding, the party after the practice had about 50 people, then there were 150 guests on the day itself plus more in the evening and the day after the wedding my parents had a big barbecue at their house for family and our friends that had travelled a long way (so about 100 at that). One of our friends said he'd never been so well looked after at a wedding so that was good. It was lovely to have all our families and friends together and to have different events, the wedding was traditional and formal but the barbecue was much more relaxed and gave DH and I an opportunity to chat to people more.

Bbq1 · 23/09/2022 23:51

It was wonderful and all we'd dreamed over. Still remember it all 23 years later.

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Weddings
PaceyWitter · 23/09/2022 23:52

I didn't, because my meticulously planned wedding just had so much go wrong, and was much bigger than I would have wanted if it was just up to me. Suppliers cancelled on the day, best man's wife went into labour, my one surviving grandparent was ill and couldn't come. Plus so much more! Really wish I had stuck to my guns and had something much smaller.

Dinoteeth · 24/09/2022 00:00

There are things I'd do differently if I was to do it again.
Reduce the numbers 100 was too many people, only have my sister as BM, I don't think I'd do church then reception, and I'd not allow FiL to do a speech he droned on for ages.

Whichwhatnow · 24/09/2022 00:02

Mine was perfect for us. We wore normal clothes (albeit a fancier dress than I'd usually wear but my husband was in a hoodie). Only both sets of parents at the ceremony (cheapest registry office room so four guests was all that was allowed 🤣) then a steak dinner with wider family and the pub with them and friends after.

I would have utterly hated all the planning, stress, being centre of attention etc that often comes with big white weddings. Not to mention the cost!

Dollydea · 24/09/2022 00:11

Absolutely loved our wedding day, never wanted to get married because of the wedding day itself. I hate being centre of attention, honestly the thought of having so many eyes on me at one time made me feel sick, plus having to pose for photos etc...
We ended up getting married because we had to, DH is military & was being posted overseas so in order to move with him we had to get married.

We literally had our parents, siblings & partners, nieces and nephews, worked out around 18 people.
I wore a simple tea length dress and DH his uniform. Married in a registry office then went for a lovely meal afterwards, no photographer, no speeches, no first dance... home before 8pm and flew to Cyprus to live for 4 years the following day.

Not what most people call a wedding, but it was absolutely perfect for us.
Think it cost around £1000 overall, which was also a bonus.

Sparklybutold · 24/09/2022 00:13

No. I sobbed and left early. I also became suicidal during my honeymoon.

TheRubyRedshoes · 24/09/2022 00:16

Yes I did but unfortunately in laws stress was the downer

bert3400 · 24/09/2022 00:20

Absolutely loved my wedding week. Hired a big old finca in the Spanish countryside, all our family stayed and friends stayed close by . Partied all week with the people we loved ....finally getting married in the beautiful finca at the end of the week. Then off to Barcelona with all our mates for the honeymoon. When you've been together 15 years , who needs romance 😁 Would not of changed one thing about it.

DorritLittle · 24/09/2022 00:23

I didn't enjoy mine at all! Glad I married him. But the thought of doing it again sends shivers down my spine.

SudocremOnEverything · 24/09/2022 00:25

Mine was… ok. I guess. It probably represented the general folly of the endeavour.

It was all organised last minute between lockdowns. He was keen to do it (it was his idea) but then weird about so much of it. even though it was actually the real wedding - the thing that matters - he minimised it all because there would (allegedly) be a big party at some point later.

I couldn’t spend much on a dress (my entire outfit, including shoes, cost £100) and the skirt I bought didn’t fit me (too big). And I shouldn’t look to weddings because that would be ridiculous at my wedding. No hair, no make up, no photos. Just FIL and SMIL as guests/witnesses. He bought himself a new suit that cost far more than my entire outfit though. But that was fine because he could wear it to a fake wedding with guests later. 🙄

we were late to the registry office because he wouldn’t leave early. Apparently he didn’t want to be hanging around. When we got there the (2 month old) baby was hungry and he just screamed through the (mercifully extremely short) ceremony. Afterwards we had an afternoon tea, which was ok. And that was it.

I regretted having done it within about a week. Got home and it seems that he’d decided that I’d somehow signed up to be nanny/housekeeper. Struggled on but left before a year was up.

In summary, it wasn’t very special. But that seems to have perfectly suited the occasion. A disappointing day for a truly disappointing marriage.

DorritLittle · 24/09/2022 00:26

Dollydea · 24/09/2022 00:11

Absolutely loved our wedding day, never wanted to get married because of the wedding day itself. I hate being centre of attention, honestly the thought of having so many eyes on me at one time made me feel sick, plus having to pose for photos etc...
We ended up getting married because we had to, DH is military & was being posted overseas so in order to move with him we had to get married.

We literally had our parents, siblings & partners, nieces and nephews, worked out around 18 people.
I wore a simple tea length dress and DH his uniform. Married in a registry office then went for a lovely meal afterwards, no photographer, no speeches, no first dance... home before 8pm and flew to Cyprus to live for 4 years the following day.

Not what most people call a wedding, but it was absolutely perfect for us.
Think it cost around £1000 overall, which was also a bonus.

Sounds like my ideal wedding! I was persuaded to invite many more and wish I hadn't because I totally relate to your feelings about being on show. A wedding like yours would have been perfecf.

RainLover · 24/09/2022 00:26

I loved mine! Best day of my life, easily. It was low-key, casual and absolutely perfect for us. We had an intimate ceremony then celebrated with our favourite people, food and music at our favourite pub. I felt amazing in my dress, there were no dramas whatsoever, we didn’t spend much and most importantly we were grinning all day long. Knowing I was marrying the best person truly made it.

SudocremOnEverything · 24/09/2022 00:27

I guess, what I’m saying is that the MN standard wisdom that the best days are low key and cheap isn’t always true. Sometimes it’s just a bit shit.

minsmum · 24/09/2022 00:28

Yes I loved it, the things that went wrong are the things I remember with laughter. The weather was dreadful, my dh's best man wrote help on my dh's shoes as a joke so when he knelt down at the altar I heard a loud gasp. Married 35 years and the memories still make me smile

Iambee · 24/09/2022 00:29

We loved our wedding & had a great day! We pis*ed a few people off as had a small immediate family / closest friends ceremony followed by an open invite to wider family and friends to join us for drinks and nibbles after. Genuinely think one of the main reasons we enjoyed it so much is because we did what we wanted to & not what we felt we had to. We smiled, laughed, (happy) cried & danced pretty much non stop & best of all our toddler was on good form all day!

DramaAlpaca · 24/09/2022 00:32

I loved it. It was 32 years ago and it's still one of the best days of my life. We are still married Smile

Cryingbutstilltrying · 24/09/2022 00:33

It was fine. Not too big, arranged entirely by me and DH with no outside pressure, the weather was a bit crap but it was a bank holiday weekend so that was expected. No drama. I wouldn’t have wanted it to be bigger, nor could I have made it smaller without cutting out very close family. The cake was really good.

It was a day. Married 20 years now and I still couldn’t tell you what has been the best day of my life, but it wasn’t my wedding day. I did have a nice holiday with the dc about 5 years ago where they didn’t fight at all, that might be a winner…

user1497787065 · 24/09/2022 06:10

Breakfast, morning on the beach, shower and dress, off to the Register Office, just the two of us. I loved it.

I would have dreaded and then loathed a big 'do'.

KangarooKenny · 24/09/2022 07:40

Yes, I agree about going through the motions. It was such a lot of money, and I didn’t get one bite of the evening buffet we paid for. I also had to ask DH to buy me a drink as no one offered me one.

etulosba · 24/09/2022 08:54

I guess, what I’m saying is that the MN standard wisdom that the best days are low key and cheap isn’t always true. Sometimes it’s just a bit shit.

I can relate to that. My no frills, no guests, no fuss, just us, the registrar and two witnesses we didn’t know wedding was pretty bad. The aftermath was worse. We didn’t last a year.

I wouldn’t want to repeat it.

AnneLovesGilbert · 24/09/2022 08:58

Loved every minute. It was very small and relaxed and organised in a few months. Us, my DSC and immediate family. The sun shone, we were in our favourite place, the ceremony was simple but meaningful, the biggest expense was a lovely meal after the ceremony. I made my veil and the cake, DSC were amazing and had the best time. I wouldn’t have changed a thing.

Lamentations · 24/09/2022 09:02

I couldn't wait for it to be over. It was all just a bit much for me really. I loved DH and was pleased that everyone who was there was there but I just felt stressed and anxious all day.

ohfacksake · 24/09/2022 09:13

I'm divorced now, but I still often think about my wedding day and how lovely it was. It actually would've been the anniversary on Monday, and I know I'll be looking at the time thinking about what was happening at that point! If I was to do it again, though, I would do it very differently.