I'd like to own up to having two weddings. Neither of which were of my own devising, seeing as I am pretty much in hatred of white flouncy dresses and the whole thing.
BUT, I married a Mexican (sounds like a cheap soap really). We got married for visa reasons, but 8 years on I still have no regrets. It turned out to be a Good Thing.
His family and friends couldn't afford to come to the UK, mine couldn't go to Mexico. But for both families (for religious reasons) the marriage ceremony thing was important, so we did it to please them.
We had a civil ceremony in the UK organised by my mum, who graciously allowed me not to wear a meringue, but convinced me in to a cream evening dress, when I had picked a rather snazzy trouser suit and hat. It turned out this was because she had already got her eye on a hire hat she had seen and didn't want to be upstaged by me. Her hat, eedless to say was the biggest there, much to her immense satisfaction.
In Mexico my MIL took over and meringue was insisted upon. I still can´t bear to see the photos. We had just close family (ie DH's aunties uncles and cousins) there were over 350 of them. Still, no hall or hotel, just the porch (we were squashed to say the least)of an aunties' house. The food ran out and we forgot to do the toast (v. important here) or the first dance (ditto). Some of the said 350 (especially he who provided the fake champagne and he who provided the music) are still not talking to us.
This year we had to do the christenind thing for DS as well.
I certainly never wanted the ceremony thing or the christening. But family politics obliged. And it wasn't that bad really ...
Relations, who'd have them?