Wedding day....England are playing?????

[arghhhhhhh]

Just been on fb and someone I know (though not well and I am nit invited to the wedding!) is getting married on Saturday. Obviously England are playing.

She has it a status on saying she has had multiple requests from guests wanting to know if the football will be shown.

Her status basically says she's angry at the messages she's had and under no circumstances will the football be shown. It's her wedding and the day is about that and that only. She's asked that no one checks their phones during the match and is even going to have a sign made for when people enter the venue as a reminder it's a football free zone.

Now she's had a fair few comments - a couple even say they wouldn't attend if they were invited due to her attitude.

What's everyone's opinions?

Me personally, I'd show it! I love football though, I've followed the World Cup through out and I'd be gutted if I couldn't watch it! I'd be making arrangements with the venue to make sure it's on.

The atmosphere would be amazing. I'd be jumping around with everyone else in my dress.....

Also a great way to break up the day. The day goes so fast for the bride and groom but the day guests....it can be such a long and tiring day. What a great way to break up the day!

Also, we are doing well, we haven't been in this situation where we may actually have a good chance of WINNING!!!! for years and probably never will again. The whole country is routing for them. Even people who don't like football are into it. I just don't think it's fair to expect people not to watch it, or not even check their phones!

Saying that....I do understand this lady's frustrations. She's been planning this wedding for over a year. I got married quite recently and know the stress etc of planning....but yeah, wouldn't make any difference to me. I'd be so excited for it to be shown!

Opinions? Is she being unreasonable? It's her and her partners day at the end of it.....I'd be worried my guests wouldn't show up though....

I think it doesn’t really matter what she wants or expects. Come 3pm half of her guests will have buggered off down the pub. She has the choice of losing them or showing the match at the wedding.

The dates of the 2018 World Cup were announced in 2015, so I presume the information was out there before the wedding was booked, so either she wasn't bothered or didn't check. The day of her wedding would have been listed as a quarter final day as the full schedule was released, although obviously the teams were not known at that stage. When we got married 30 years ago, we went to the library and checked in an almanac to make sure our wedding day didn't clash with a major event we were unaware of. The bride may hate football, but many of her guests will resent the fact she has organised her wedding in the middle of the World Cup in the first place.

Cannot believe some of the comments on this thread eg why don’t people just record it, it’s only a game, there’s football matches on all the time etc. Missing this game is a massive deal to some people - fair enough others aren’t bothered, but the whole “it’s just men kicking a ball around” narrative is ridiculous. Posters such as reanimated are basically just demonstrating that they really just don’t get other people’s perspective. Football is a big part of our culture and it’s wrong to try to deny that just because you personally don’t like it.

And I love weddings, spent a fortune on mine and I feel desperate for the bride. What bad luck for her. No one’s fault, it’s just terrible timing. It would be very rude for people to drop out, but she has to accept people will be checking their phones.

Sad truth is, no one will be happy. She won’t be happy that some people are distracted by the football, and the guests won’t be happy they’re missing the match. A real shame.

I had the exact dilemma years ago, it completely ruined the day for me, waste of loads of money, we wanted a special day hosting our friends and family and all they wanted to do was watch football, my dancefloor was empty and the live band played to 3 kids! I am not into sports so I think it's great she is putting her foot down then anyone who really wants to prioritise football doesn't waste her time or money. Football they can watch easily after the wedding or even leave later in the evening to go home, this is their day they have spent a long time planning and can't easily reorganise. If I had know I would have spent the money on a better honeymoon, worst day ever!

I think she should make an announcement that the second half of the game can be watched. Take control a bit.

Did you hear the one about the woman who got married on the sixth of september 1997?

She has the choice of losing them or showing the match at the wedding

Sounds like she'd rather lose them. I know I would.

The game is on. She should suck it up and embrace it or the day will be crap anyway. People are more likely to remember her wedding if she shows the football!

I really dislike that attitude that guests attend weddings to pay homage the bride and groom.

The enjoyment of guests should be the most important concern when organising any party, which is all a wedding reception is.

The guest have done their job by witnessing the marriage and the after party is for them to enjoy.

Obviously she is entitled to not show it but it is rude to tell people they cannot look at the phones. Guests aren't ornaments, they can enjoy their time as they see fit and should be trusted to behave appropriately.

Personally, I would try to show it. Happy guests=good parties. You don't want everybody sat there miserable because they would rather be watching the game.

we wanted a special day hosting our friends and family and all they wanted to do was watch football

Tbh the sooner people who throw big weddings realise that their day doesn't mean as much (if anything) to their guests as it does to them, and the wedding industry collapses in on itself the better. Wedding days are not the second coming, they're not even too likely to be the only wedding day for the couple involved.

If I was here I would stick with the no showing... I would however let them check their phones and would be happy for people to disappear to watch it after the wedding.

Probably gonna get moaned at for this but inwas so hoping they lose as I hate the sport and am fed up of hearing about it

My mate got married when the 2010 World Cup was on. She's not really a football fan but had actually arranged for a screen to show the England game at her wedding, turned out we got knocked out so didn't play on that date!

She's a bit unreasonable to police people's phones though...

Seems to me any event needs to embrace the reality that in any group of people there will likely be a majority who want to watch the match on Saturday. Annoying if you were the bride. Yep. But....why need see if venue for reception could tape it. Tell everyone it will be shown at x time - after ceremony, meal, speeches etc. Phones off because we don't want to spoil the fun. Embrace the extra atmosphere it creates. Don't fight it. Work round it.

I definitely wouldn’t include the football, I’m not a footy fan, and if she and the hubby isn’t why should they have it on their special day?
People could just keep tabs on it in a discreet way, then everyone is happy

She should not have to show it. I wouldn't. However, she cannot stop people checking phones etc.

I’d embrace it cos ppl will check no matter what or even if they’re not checking they might have messages from friends saying “are u watching?” Or “what a goal!” Etc. I think not embracing it will Cs we stress. Best to put stuff around it. Maybe wedding before & food & speeches afterwards?

This may have been said already but leaving aside the guests what are the staff in her venue going to be doing? I guess they will be checking their phones or have a TV on somewhere?

I'm from the north east. There would be absolutely no getting around it, so I would embrace it as free crowd entertainment, (it would give her the chance to chill out and have a few drinks with guests), and work the day around it so there weren't tons of blokes 'popping to the toilet' in the middle of the speeches. That would upset me, given all the work that goes into planning a wedding.

Go with the flow or be a Bridezilla.

It's a no brainer really.

Or even English!! What does that mean ??

Someone just said "Football is a big part of our culture and it’s wrong to try to deny that just because you personally don’t like it."

But getting married and celebrating your wedding with family and friends is also an enormous part of our culture. It is probably the only time in your adult life where a party is all about bringing together all your friends and family. It's deeply personal. People don't get married with the intention of divorcing and remarrying, no matter what the statistics say. For this bride and groom, this is their once-in-a-lifetime. And it has clearly hurt at least the bride that several people have contacted her asking to watch the telly during her wedding.

It's childish and immature of the guests not to respect her preferences.

I got married in 2006 and we hired a big screen for the england match. At the end of the day we would rather have people there happy than not at all . To be honest not that many watched it but those who did were really grateful.

I'd be pissed off if I were the bride too. If the football is more important than her wedding, then don't bloody go.

Then again, I'm Scottish :D

We got married on a Saturday, on our local derby day. We timed it very luckily to end the breakfast and to have a break between that and the evening “do”. We watched the match while others went home / sat in the bar. It was great!

I am sorry, but I really side with the bride here. I would be so upset if my guests would all rather watch football than come to my wedding, for which they had accepted the invitation. Just what does that say to the bride about her 'friends'' priorities?

It's a bit unlucky, but if I were her I would roll with it and have the ceremony at 1 or 1:30, then put a telly in a public space for everyone to watch the match from 3-5, then start the reception at 6. People will either be in super good mood for the reception or determined to forget they even heard of the World Cup. Either way it will not impact the reception. She can have lots of time to do photos while the match is on and have some private time with her husband, bridesmaids, family, etc. There is a lot of hanging about at weddings -- why not take credit for putting on an amazing entertainment for your guests?

She can put up all the signs she wants, people will watch the match.

Weddings are mostly boring affairs anyway, not everyone will be as excited about her big day as she is. She needs to get over herself!