Found this out just too late to benefit L.E. but apparently in Viking tradition the official wedding gift from groom to bride is a kitten.
And we're probably all part Viking. So. Food for thought...
Wedding talk Page 17
OK, so now I can contribute to this discussion.
Guests lists huh? What a horrible idea!
Quote: Lee @ 14th September 2015, 10:43 AM BSTOK, so now I can contribute to this discussion.
Guests lists huh? What a horrible idea!
I got married back in the early 2000s. Although we plumped for a small wedding, it didn't stop my MIL inviting all of her bloody relatives and considering that my DH (dear husband) has about fifty cousins and me, precisely three, it wasn't on.
Can't you both make it up to Gretna Green? A colleague of mine had a lovely ceremony up there.
Get married somewhere really, really small so you can only invite 4 people.
We are getting married somewhere small! That's the problem. If I invite one person, I kinda have to invite them all! We have an 80 Max limit but we soon get to 80 when you include Aunts/Uncles > Cousins > Cousins kids.
I can't not invite them but then I can't just invite some of them either. It's a nightmare.
I have a big-close family and this is all before we consider her side too!
Isn't that why people have bigger receptions than the wedding, so you can invite everyone to that (pity invite).
We are holding them both at the same place, we're okay to have a few people show up at the reception but it's still not that many. The only solution is to cut these people out of my life and then after the wedding pretend like nothing happened. 
Sorted!
Quote: Lee @ 14th September 2015, 1:04 PM BSTWe are holding them both at the same place, we're okay to have a few people show up at the reception but it's still not that many. The only solution is to cut these people out of my life and then after the wedding pretend like nothing happened.
We did pretty much that, yeah. 
Quote: zooo @ 14th September 2015, 1:21 PM BSTSorted!
...respect due.
In days gone by, marriage was very much a 'till death' arrangement so it really was a huge step in the bride and groom's lives. Accordingly, an expensive celebration seemed quite appropriate.
Nowadays, of course, it's more of a 'till we get fed up with it' situation so, unless you're very wealthy, it's probably a good idea to skimp on the reception as you'll almost certainly be paying for another one quite soon, and then another.
That's Lee's first telegram taken care of. 
Quote: zooo @ 14th September 2015, 10:56 AM BSTGet married somewhere really, really small so you can only invite 4 people.
My daughter only invited 4 to her wedding. Me and my mum and her husband's parents. Note HER mum wasn't invited. Then there was a reception a couple of weeks later for about 100 people.
Quote: Chappers @ 14th September 2015, 9:10 PM BSTMy daughter only invited 4 to her wedding. Me and my mum and her husband's parents. Note HER mum wasn't invited.
Sounds like there's a story there.
I don't see a problem, just invite 80 of us.