Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Weddings

Chat to other Mumsnetters on our Wedding forum.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Advice please on my unusual (I think!) wedding idea

38 replies

balancingfigure · 23/09/2013 13:40

A bit of background: I have been with DP for 16 years and have one DD aged 6. DP would like to get married but I have never been keen. He is becoming keener (!) and I am tempted to agree because it will make him happy and some legal things seem clearer if married. However my major sticking point is the ceremony. I don't want the hassle both practical and family eg with guest lists and I don't want to spend a huge amount of money. But a simple ceremony with one or two guests doesn't seem right either.

So my brainwave today is this: I have a milestone birthday next summer. We could arrange a big party and invite friends and family. Then when everyone is there we could stand up and say something along the lines of 'thank you for coming and we thought we'd get married today as well so could everyone go to the garden/hall/whatever for the ceremony. Then follow with some kind of party. I would have to tell my mum before the day. She wouldn't be happy but would hopefully except. We wouldn't tell any other guests before the day.

What do you think? Is this mad? Or could it work?

OP posts:

Trills · 30/09/2013 15:16

I think that if it is DP's big birthday, there might be people who are your friends (but not so much his friends) who would want to make the effort to come if they knew it was a wedding (and about both of you) but might not make the same effort if it was just a birthday.

(by effort I mean if it is a tricky weekend for travel or babysitters or cash flow etc)

MissRabbitRules · 30/09/2013 15:20

Sounds fab to me.

I had a civil ceremony and had to submit the witnesses details with the application so you might need to consider telling another couple of people? Not sure if that is particular to Scots law so might not be applicable depending on where you are.

Wearegoingtobedlehem · 30/09/2013 15:22

Lovely and wonderful idea!

HeirToTheIronThrone · 30/09/2013 15:22

I think that's lovely :) If you go with Fellatio's suggestion you could then have the party at home/in a community hall type place which would cost a lot less. You can have a humanist celebrant to do a 'ceremony' wherever you like - at home or whatever - then you can make it really personal too, having done the legal bit earlier.

Oooh, can I come??

Trills · 30/09/2013 15:24

the people who would make a special effort for a special birthday are the ones you want at your wedding anyway.

I agree to some extent - but birthdays only have one person in them, and weddings have two. People who are my friends would make an effort for my birthday, and people who are DP's friends would make an effort for his birthday, but those two groups are not exactly the same.

Leopoldina · 30/09/2013 15:26

My boss invited 400 of his nearest adn dearest to his 50th birthday party. He got up to do his speech & went through his thanks to the women in his life - his mum, his PA, his good friend then his OH at which point he said sthing along the lines of "I don't like to call her my girlfriend, so I'm very proud to tell you that as of today, I can call her my wife"

the room erupted, I can tell you. Was fantastic. She didn't even know what he was up to until just beforehand - had gone to the dressmaker with her to pick her dress for the party & "strongly suggested" white / cream, & even she didn't know why.

SockQueen · 03/10/2013 00:16

I think it's a fab idea, but do make sure that people you want there will come. My dad's friend did this a few years ago, though it was disguised as his DP/DW's gallery opening rather than a birthday party, several hours' drive away from my parents. Dad wasn't very well, and isn't exactly an art connoisseur, so decided on the day not to go. He was a bit miffed when he found out afterwards, as if he'd known it was actually a wedding he would have made the effort to be there, and felt bad that it looked like he had "snubbed" them.

DameFellatioNelson · 03/10/2013 04:07

Leo had they got married earlier that day or did they do it there and then in front of everyone?

Leopoldina · 03/10/2013 15:24

earlier that day at a registry office

DameFellatioNelson · 03/10/2013 22:19

Aw, that's lovely. I wqs worried for a moment that he'd put her on the spot in front of everyone.

WaitMonkey · 04/10/2013 14:39

How did it go at the venue ?

ZingWantsGin · 09/11/2013 15:40

brilliant idea OP!

video the guests reactions though!

M10s · 18/11/2013 21:56

I think I've possibly told this story on mumsnet before, balancingfigure but I was the celebrant at a just such a wedding, and it went exactly as planned. One or two people have mentioned that guests might not turn up for a birthday party, or just the 'birthday' person's friends might come.

We found that not to be the case. Like you and your OH, 'my' Bride and Groom had been together for a number of years, had children, and therefore already had a close involvement with each other's friends and family. Add to that they had booked a hotel (supposedly) for a lavish Birthday Party, which was sufficiently important to warrant an RSVP invitation.

It happened as they planned. The Groom led the Bride up to a microphone (things were set up for a band) and started to talk about his partner's birthday, that they had been together for x years and that this was an extra special celebration because ... because ...
He then said he wasn't explaining this very well and beckoned me over (from the doorway) to take the microphone.
I just managed to say ".... a very special celebration and you might guess why if I tell you that I am the local Registrar of Marr......" before the room erupted in cheers!

Their families and friends were so happy and excited and it took quite a wee while for everyone to calm down, before the couple were married right there on the stage, in a ceremony involving their three children. It was lovely!

Flip

1 2