Four weddings and an overdraft

[oliveoil]

What do you do about wedding invites that are piling up and you can't really afford?

At the last count we had 4.

Travel, outfits, presents, hen and stag.

And one of the stag do's is a weekend away! Not found out about the hen nights yet.

It is going to cost us about £2k to sort all these weddings out, with all the hoo ha involved (presents, hen/stag etc) and we are supposed to be moving house this year and REALLY NEED THIS MONEY.

Pah.

I think I can fob 3 of them off with just dh and plead no babysitters but 1 we have to attend - and want to, they are long standing friends - but the cost!!!

Only go to weddings you really want to go and where you really really like the people. Otherwise terminally dull.

How many outfits could you recycle?
Could you make any of the presents?
Could you turn any of them into your holiday by staying a few days after?

don't do the hen/stag - that will save a bundle.

wear the same outfit.

don't go a bundle on the presents.

say no to the stag and hen dos and perhaps invite them round for dinner just the four of you instead? Don't worry about new outfits - can you find something in your wardrobe or borrow outfit from someone? (No-one will be really loking at you anyway ) and, if they are such good friends, tell them you are waiting until you see the "perfect" present to buy them and hold off on that for a while as well.
(Mu Mum gave us our wedding present a few weeks ago - we've been married 5 years )

Dh has to do at least 2 of the stag do's, old old friends. One suggestion is a weekend in Spain, 5 star!!!! Er Hellooooooooooooooooooooooooooo? £300 just to get there and accom......

Hen will be w/end away too, I will have to say no, but then feel peeved that dh gets his jolly and I am stuck at home.

Outfits - same people going to all 4, no way can I wear the same thing .

Presents - will skimp on these definitely and if anyone asks for cash, I will give them an envelope of Monopoly money.

i think it is incredibly selfish of people have expensive hen/stag w/es as well as a wedding, tbh. having said that, i did have w/e away with friends before my wedding but it was a low-key, modestly priced affair!

as far as the 5* trip to spain goes - if they are such good friends, can your dh have a word and get them to scale down the cost a bit - e.g. cheaper accommodation.

outfits - try new look? or can you use just 2 outfits but with different accessories each time to ring the changes?

do people actually ask for cash????
blimey

Borrrow clothes - what size are you? Bet mumsnetters would lend you stuff, I once lent Fio2 an outfit for a wedding.

If the same people are going to all 4 then swap outfits with them!

Share car with other friends going to avoid transport costs

Don't go to the stag and hen nights - just say you can't afford them. FFS if people choose to have these that cost £300 they should expect people to dip out.