To not go to this wedding (camping in the rain)

[Raisinbrain]

We're supposed to be going to a wedding on Saturday. It's a beach wedding (we're not in the UK) in a national park and we're supposed to be camping. It's a five hour drive to get there and we have an 11 year old and a very active, hard work 16 month old.
The weather forecast is looking dreadful, very heavy rain all week.
We haven't been camping for a couple of years, we have a new tent but we don't have a lot of gear, just the basics. The children don't have waterproof shoes or clothes. We live in a flat and don't have any outdoor space at home to dry a wet tent.
The wedding is a very casual bring-your-own-food-and-drink type thing with not very many guests as we're all expats. They're friends in our circle who we've never spent time with outside group get togethers.
We're skint and can't afford alternative accommodation nearby.
Would it be awful of us to cancel at such late notice?

There's no one we could leave the DC with.

Thanks crabb. We've only ever camped up near Port Stephens. Now that we have our new tent we are hoping to explore some more. In nice weather.

Good luck! Hope the bride and groom manage to sort something out that makes it doable.

Oh dear. I was in YABU till I saw that warning. They will have to change plans surely.

If it's a small group of guests then could they get a last minute restaurant booking? Everyone brings their blow up beds and sleeps on floor of whoever lives most locally?

I also thought Australia due to the enormous journey and camping in march.

Don't go. Weather warning says, Adam hills style, don't be a dick. Tell the bride and groom who will need to make plan b.

For God's sake don't go. That's proper big life-threatening weather, not "get-a-bit-soggy-then-warm-up-with-a-jolly-thermos-at-Bognor" drizzle. Flash floods could sweep away a tent!

TBH the happy couple need to be shifting their plans too.

I take it back. A serious weather warning is not the same as a bit of rain.

See what the B&G say, but yes I'd be cancelling in though circumstances.

I was in the 'go and make the best of it' camp until you posted the weather warning. It's bad enough that they need to cancel. I'm sure you won't be the only ones to have concerns.

This is easy: don't go. For anyone except the people getting married a wedding is only a party. If they're going to resent your absence then you don't want them as friends anyway.

What a nightmare - definitely a last minute stomach bug. This life is full of uncomfortable things that we have to do so why do something you don't want to when you have an option.

No, not with that weather warning, I mean I'm all for digging the waterproofs out and letting the kids jump in puddles but that isn't rain, that's Weather Weather.

Ah, ok OP. That weather warning does change things. I've witnessed a storm like that near you and I agree they're not to be messed with.

But don't bail, ask the bride/groom what's happening. Try to be involved with their new plan. They'll be gutted about their wedding day.

I wouldn't claim a sudden illness btw. With that weather warning, it will be obvious you're bailing and it's not really right either. Or necessary!

Just be honest and say you're not prepared to take those risks but what's the alternative plan? There has to be one!

OP have you spoken to your friends who are also going? It might help to see if others have any ideas / plan to speak to the couple getting married. I feel sorry for everyone involved, what a shame.

It would be irresponsible to camp when there are severe warnings about life threatening weather in place.

Is anyone else laughing (hollowly) at 'avoid flash floods' in the weather warning?! No shit Sherlock...

I'd have imaginary tummy bugs as well

All the difficulties for you were foreseeable: really rude to accept when it was always going to be difficult to attend. But sounds like the whole thing will need to be postponed anyway.

I think faking a tummy bug is an insulting excuse and rather patronising. If I was the bride I would far rather the guests were being honest about bailing out, given that the extreme weather forecast is a very valid one at that.

So just tell the truth and find out about plan B.

It sounds like fun, I'd go. The kids will have a great time, just take a few extra clothes in case it does rain

You don't need to invent a (very transparent) excuse like a tummy bug. Just say you don't think you can do it given the weather warning and ask if they are making alternative plans.

Agree with minipie just use dangerous weather warning and send a nice gift and card by first class post tomorrow/courier whatever you can afford. (Something light!)

It sounds like fun, I'd go.

To me it sounds absolutely awful. Short of stuffing a cactus up every guest's bum as soon as they arrive, it's hard to see how they could make it more shit.

It is unreasonable to consider camping in Australia any time of the year. Snakes, spiders, beached sharks. Nope nope nope...

The bride and groom are going to have to come up with an alternative plan, or cancel altogether, aren't they? Assuming they are rational people who realise they can't ask or expect their guests to camp in the face of a severe weather warning! I feel for them. Planning all this and looking forward to a lovely wedding only to have it ruined by something completely out of their control.

Nope. I wouldn't go either.

You probably wouldn't all need to fake being ill anyway after spending the night in a tent in torrential rain.

I went to a wedding last year when I was skint. It was a very good friend and I didn't feel I could say no but I felt really awkward.