Weddings!

I feel the same way as you do, i don't even think we'll have a wedding as such, we'll probably just elope & have a couple of witness's! Anyway, i reckon if you want extravagant then you need to make sure you can manage all the organising & preparation, you cant expect everyone else to do all the hard work for you, it just work like that. It's your big day - but if something goes wrong then they can blame everyone else. I reckon, leave it to them to do, it's ok for someone else to have a look around for you but it's wrong that they expect everyone else to do all the work - are they even doing anything themselves for their giant wedding or not?

Sighhhhhhh... LOL! Some people just get on your last nerve, don't they? ;) Yep! I've known a few couples where, because they are getting married, they do believe that everyone else's world should stop and revolve around them and only them. Then, there are others who hire a wedding planner / coordinator and hand the whole thing over to them, with a budget. I WANTED to plan my weddings (I remarried three and a half years ago). First wedding was pretty small (60 people, max). The second wedding was very small - less than 20 people.. but you go through the same planning process with a small wedding that you do with a big one. We were really pleased with how it all came together. In the situation you're describing, I think it's a bit ridiculous that they've got all these people doing their research for them. Are they asking people in their wedding party, in addition to the parents, or are they just expecting *everyone* to do things? You have to be careful how much you ask of the wedding party, I find... yes, they've agreed to stand with you on your special day -- but they haven't agreed to become your slaves for the time it takes to get there! LOL In spite of weddings being happy occasions, they really do involve a lot of stress! That's why I did all my own planning... I never asked for anything from anyone, other than asking my bridesmaids (the first time around) to go to a specific dressmaker (a distant relative of mine) to have their dresses custom-made. But -- I went out and bought all the fabric and everything and they just paid me back a portion of that cost for each of their dresses. I also found out where they could buy tintable shoes at a ridiculously low price (under $20) and gave them all the information. If they wanted to go elsewhere, that was ok too -- but I was trying to save them money. I think you get back from people what you give and if you treat them shamefully, they aren't going to be very inclined to be involved.