I know I am

[IHeartKittensAndWine]

...but please bear with me while I have a tiny little grumble about weddings. Two more invites through, which brings it to a grand total of TWELVE this summer. That is, between June and September NINE saturdays, TWO Sundays and a Tuesday. Plus hen nights (four at current count), outfits (is it wrong to just get the one?) etc. I love my friends and family dearly, I want to bear witness to their unions but I simply don't know if I have the strength for this!

That is a lot of weddings. I don't think I know that many people and certainly not ones who anyone would want to marry!

aw bless you, I would say recycle the outfits with different accessories to keep costs down. Enjoy them, if everyone you know is getting married this year you'll have no more to attend over the next 5 years!

yes, just buy one outfit and accessorise it to buggery

Bloody hell - I love a good wedding, but 12 TWELVE????? How many people do you know? How old are you??

I would be seriously tempted to rent a Gite in France for the summer, rendering you unavailable - it would be cheaper and less stressful!!

Do you have children? - if yes - how many of them are they invited to??

As few outfits (as few as 1 if possible!!) and accessories to the max...

Thank god dh and I are over the 'wedding phase' - it lasted about 2-3 years, all our friends got married and it all cost a bloody fortune, particularily the stag dos . I bloody hate buying 'wedding outfits' because you never wear them again and they sit on your wardrobe taunting you with their expensive-ness . Although you should get your money's worth with 9 wedding to go to - personally I would just buy maybe a couple of wedding-y trousers/skirts tops/jackets and mix and match them if you don't just want to stick to having the same outfit at every wedding. I sound like such a curmudgeon!

Hmm. Just spoken to my mother who suggested I go through late grandmother's things from the 50s "Because vintage is in and she was on the larger side as well, darling". I'm a size ten fgs!

And all of them have john lewis gift lists. I'm blaming that ad

ChippingIn we don't actually know a huge number of people but are at that "wedding age" (27). A couple of weddings on each side of the family, ALL of our close friends, and a work one we really can't turn down (long story). No children yet, but a "twinkle" which will make the alcohol thing at the June ones really difficult - and might neccessitate an extra outfit for later on in the summer!

I'm sure I'll love all of them, just a bit taken aback by the expense and loss of leisurely weekends we'll incur!

I would be tempted to look at second hand clothes on ebay! very4expensive present wise!

YABU ... to use the word "twinkle"

Iheart - Gee, I can't think what you mean?!

When might a certain twinkle become a star??? C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S!!! Do your family & friends know yet or will you be trying to cover it up still at the weddings?

I'm sure individually they will all be lovely, but it's just, as you say, the loss of so many leisurely weekends that'a a bit daunting!!

You don't have to buy off the gift list - you could get a dozen toasters .... or maybe just a dozen cards or you may have to take an overdraft out to go to all these weddings!!

Have you though about suggesting a joint wedding for all of them

I fthey all have JL gift lists, ask JL for a bulk buy discount

Thank you Chipping, we're hoping for an early Christmas present . Noone in rl apart from DH knows yet and don't want them two for a while - I had an mc last year, so want to make sure I'm well in the "safe zone". Also am paranoid, because had a fag and several bottles a little bit of wine early on before I realised.

Will definately be trying to cover up for June and July. Will be very difficult because all of our friends are permanently sozzled jovial.

I feel really bad about not spending money on gifts - especially when a lot of these friends were very generous towards us when they were a bit younger and didn't have very much. But even if we restrict it to ten quid a couple that's still a hundred and twenty quid, and then there'll be train fares, hotels, outfit(s)...

Going to tell DH to get a promotion. Right now.

maxi dress to wear then. or a few...

congrats Iheart hopefully they serve non alcholic wines so people won't find out too soon!

maxi dresses.... hadn't thought of that thank you.

I don't think any of these people would even think about serving non alcoholic wine! An acquaintaince who is a recovering alcoholic has this very gracious way of accepting a drink and then passing it to someone else, or just discarding discreetly. Must get some lessons.

how about lemonade and say its got vodka/gin or whatever in?

I am too old now, but we had a few years where there was a massive run of weddings.

Yay for you Iheart! Congrats! YANBU, that's a lot of weddings. I've got three and I'm sighing about all the to-do involved.