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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

SIL's Wedding

148 replies

FerretsRfun · 11/01/2014 15:42

Firstly some background i'm 28+2 with my first, arraigning my own wedding, arraigning all the details for our first mortgage, PIL's offered a loan to cover the deposit for this year, out of work currently with work guaranteed for July and while me and DP are surviving on his wages alone once i am back at work i will not be earning that much more than maternity allowance so would much prefer a few small family treats eg being able to have a take away or being able to buy a few new things for baby rather than all second hand rather than saving for this "holiday" (also will be paying back loan to PIL's as well)
To top it all of me and DP have thankfully very similar ideas of what we like in holidays which is a caravan in the New Forest taking the dogs with us :)

Just to compare our "wedding" will consist of me and DP signing a wedding certificate just before we register Baby's birth as it saves 2 trips and possibly a small party at my Uncles property (he hosts wedding's lots). several months later our honeymoon including baby's travel is very generously being paid for by PIL's a 3 day cruise to France/Germany

SIL announced yesterday that she wanted her wedding in either the Canaries, America or a Private island which they would hire for 2 weeks at a cost of around 100k and splitting the cost between the wedding party as "you would all be staying on the island with us"
She also said that as she was giving family a year or two's notice that we all had no excuse not to come and pay 3k or more for the privilege, she hasn't decided on summer 2015/16 yet

Now are me and DP BU in saying no way will we be able to afford it already?
We mentioned it to her yesterday and she basically told us if DP loved her we would save the money somehow and that we were expected to be there under any circumstances
to top it all off PIL'S said we should easily be able to manage to save the money, they have been very generous but do not seem to realize our financial situation

Our arguments are that :-
We will have a child under the age of 2 for possibly a flight of several hours or more, we may even have another baby by that stage
Kennel costs of someone watching our animals for 2 weeks

A mortgage and other debts to pay
And to top it all if we did somehow due to lottery or death of family member leaving us money manage to save that amount of money we have talked for years about saving for a caravan or being able to get those odd bits we have always wanted but never been able to afford before eg replace our awful falling apart death trap lovely car, being able to go out for a drink without saving for 2 months first

Are we BU saying that even if we can magically save the money that we will unfortunately not be attending if the wedding is overseas, i mean can they really expect all their friends and family to pay that much?

P.S after a quick read through i just want to state we are in no way jealous of their disposable income we just have very different ideas of what will make our wedding day special and hope they have a lovely time x

OP posts:
SomethingkindaOod · 11/01/2014 18:17

Christ On A Bike. Shock
Can't really think of much more to say to be honest apart from YANBU at all.

Objection · 11/01/2014 18:19

tell her to stop being such a princess! I would be furious is someone tried to emotionally blackmail me or OH that way!

Bloody private island. I'd she were my SIL I think I'd pay the 3 just to have her kept on a private bloody island

fuzzywuzzy · 11/01/2014 18:19

£3k per guest, So basically that will be her and your PPIL's turning up then.

That's ridiculous, if I had that kind of money I would not be spending it on paying for osmeone elses wedding.

BTW you'd also need ot factor in cost of flights for all of you, insurance, wedding outfits, spending money whilst you're out there (I imagine everything won't be free for the entire duration of your stay?) and wedding gift, a spoilt woman such as your SIL is probably registered at Tiffany's.

So nope I'd let your DH tell her, whilst you update us.

ferretyfeet · 11/01/2014 18:19

I suspect you will not be the only one giving a big fat NO to this stupid cheeky woman

Panzee · 11/01/2014 18:21

Oh this is hilarious. How did you keep a straight face when she told you? I'd still be laughing now. :o

MerylStrop · 11/01/2014 18:34

YANBU

Private island. Snort.

Just tell her (and your PILs, who must understand already) that you couldn't possibly afford to save that kind of money at the moment. Even if it's 2016 it's still £100 pcm minimum.

SIL should not be surprised if she finds many other guests don't want to chip in to pay for her wedding, especially in these uncertain financial times.

However if you do receive windfall from a mysterious benefactor or win big on the lottery I think you must force yourselves to go.

BillyBanter · 11/01/2014 18:42

The private island thing simply is not going to happen. She's never going to get enough guests to agree to contribute. Surely?

Are the other things cheaper? If so, if you are not willing to do those either, you need to make sure the reasons you give for non-attendance also cover downgraded plans.

AuntieStella · 11/01/2014 18:44

Good grief!

I'd want to tell her in no uncertain tone that if she equates "love" with earning power and spending pattern you have less in common than you thought. But that she is asking you to spend x% of your projected income for next 2/3 years to Show "love", does she love her brother that much. Would she spend £Y to attend your wedding and go on a holiday she'd never choose for herself?

WhereYouLeftIt · 11/01/2014 18:55

Stand your ground and hold tight - you may be the first to tell her to get stuffed delicately that her demands are unaffordable, but rest assured you will not be the last ...

Finola1step · 11/01/2014 19:00

Wow. I've read some outrageous things on Mumsnet but this is a winner!

A private island for her wedding that everyone chips in for! That is effing unbelievable. It won't happen. Has she asked close friends as well? I would love to know what they think of this ridiculous plan.

I would say that from now on, refuse to be drawn into discussions on the matter. Very hard, but it has to be done. You and your DP have said no. You do not need to explain yourself. I trust that its 100k for the island itself not including flights. So that would be flights for you, your DP and baby (who will be most likely over two). As well as perhaps taking a new baby. And the money to have your animals looked after. The clothes, wedding gift, passports, transport to the airports ... the mind boggles at how much this two week jolly would end up actually costing you. Do not give in!

QuintessentialShadows · 11/01/2014 19:07

Yanbu.

SIL is choosing the venue over her guests.

If her venue is more important than sharing the day with friends and family, she should prepare for the fact that Venue is all she gets.

I reckon her upset is more to do with fewer people to share the cost between. Will the 100k package include travel to and from, or just b&b accommodation?

ENormaSnob · 11/01/2014 19:07

What a nob

MimiSunshine · 11/01/2014 19:13

I think this is the time to nod and smile.

Just say you'll do your best but you have baby's, weddings and houses to save for first. I guarrentee that not many of the other 25+ people they want to invite (discounting PIL on both sides if you assume all "guests" will be charged £3k) will be accepting her kind invite to pay for her wedding and the plans will change

CrapBag · 11/01/2014 19:22

YANBU!!!!!

I had a very similar thread recently, wedding abroad, going to cost over 3k, been. Given to years notice to save. It was a rare unanimous IWNBU.

Luckily my relative hasn't spelled it out in such terms as your SIL and I don't think they will, but fuck me some people are fucking entitled wankers. I bet half the people who have been told about this don't end up going. How. Dare they dictate to everyone where they spend their holiday and how they spend their money.

I'd be telling them right now that it isn't going to happen and you don't have to. Justify how you spend your limited income.

ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged · 11/01/2014 19:37

Anything she can do, you can do better.

An island wedding here would be lovely.

BrownSauceSandwich · 11/01/2014 19:47

You do know it will never actually materialise, right? The wedding party will get ever smaller, and the price per head ever larger, until it's bird, groom and maybe one parent, each paying £33k for the privilege. Then they will settle for a registry office on the Isle of Wight, and you'll torment her for the rest of your lives with "d'you remember when you suggested we all chip in £100,000 for your wedding?" Grin

BrownSauceSandwich · 11/01/2014 19:48

That should be bride, groom and parent. Grin

Meerka · 11/01/2014 19:51

Save the money for the divorce party

Objection · 11/01/2014 20:04

Private bloody island Angry

nkf · 11/01/2014 20:09

She'll be lucky. Nobody will go. Unless she moves in very very rich circles.
And even then, probably not. It's plain silly. She'll be embarrassed about it one day.

YoureAllABunchOfBastards · 11/01/2014 20:23

The line you need is 'Are you on glue?'

HTH

LindyHemming · 11/01/2014 20:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Toecheese · 11/01/2014 20:31

You could do it if you saved £20 a week for three years but would you really want to spend the money on a dictated holiday even if you had the cash? If I had a spare 3k it would go on essentials and a small caravan type holiday

ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged · 11/01/2014 20:35

£20 a week for three years would be £3k?

I might start saving for something better than someone else's wedding

MissBeehiving · 11/01/2014 20:46

YANBU - it is really very rude when the bride and groom expect the guests to foot the bill for their own wedding. What a nobber your SIL is.