Halfway Through Wedding Season: Mixed Reviews

[wannaBMrsH]

So FI have been to 3 of 6 weddings this season and we have gotten some really great notes for our own (the fifth of 6!)

Wedding 1:

Likes: Wedding was very intimate (only about 60 people); everyone that knew the bride and groom was asked to give a toast instead of only the wedding party and the toasts were disbursed throughout the reception (there were about 20 of them, but it didn''t feel like it and it was really nice that everyone had wonderful things to say about them; the buffet dinner and cake was delicious and plentiful; they had no alcohol, but honestly, I didn''t realize that until we were driving home! so that was not a dislike at all.

Dislikes: There was no seating chart; didn''t really get to spend much time with the bride or groom as they had a huge number of family and we didn''t want to be too agressive; there was a 4 HOUR gap between the wedding and reception with nothing to do in the middle of a severe thunderstorm.

Wedding 2:

Likes: Wedding was very simple and very heartfelt; the wedding and reception were held at the same location and no downtime; DJ kept all things moving (dances, speeches, bouquet and garter toss, etc.); great music and dancing; bride did a very sweet gesture with her bouquet instead of tossing it to the single girls (there were about five of us), she gave it to the longest married couple there.

Dislikes: There was no seating chart; cake tasted dry; taco bar buffet; they had a cash bar (which we weren''t expecting, but luckily FI was able to start a tab); they had a dollar dance (FI and I didn''t participate); it really seemed like they kept pleading for money (there was a wishing well when you walked in, the aforementioned cash bar and dollar dance) and it was just a real turnoff. FI and I left about 2 or three hours before we normally would have simply because we felt that we were imposing.

Wedding 3:

Likes: This was a huge reception in a beautiful garden observatory; the sit down dinner just looked delicious and made us glad we had skipped a snack before the wedding; the cake was lemon and was soooooooooooo good, I went back for seconds; I didn''t realize that the other weddings hadn''t had favors until I saw the ones at this wedding!; the music was fantastic and we stayed long after we should have gone home celebrating with the bride and groom and their whole family.

Dislikes: No seating chart, only because for the third time this season, we had to wander around and claim a table or try to find people that we knew that had room at their tables...but that was the only thing.

Does anyone else have any wedding reviews? I am trying to take notes so that we don''t do the dislikes at ours and so that we can find ways to incorporate the likes to ours!

 

[SapphireLover]

Is it awful to say that I am so happy we only have one wedding to go to this summer! Yay!

I don''t know how I would cope with 6! Nevermind the expense of it all.

No seating chart always annoys me, but TBH, I have only been to two weddings without them. I am glad you didn''t notice that the first two didn''t have favours- we aren''t doing them and will have a card on the table saying we have donated to charity instead.

 

[sunnyd]

We only had one wedding this summer, and it was last weekend for FI's best man.

Likes:
Small, intimate on a beautiful lavender farm. It was just really laid back, like the couple. Delicious coconut cake too!

The couple spent a lot of time at each table. We felt like they really wanted us there.

Dislikes:
The food was really good (little sandwiches and shrimp and fancy chicken nuggets) but they ran out of plates and silverware. Ran out of sangria. The old fart sitting behind FI and me was insulting the bride's weight...I almost punched him in the face.

The only bathrooms were porta-potties, which, in heels, is not so fun. The ground was really bumpy and soft. I aerated the lawn with said heels.

At the end the bridal party started cleaning up, making it seem like they wanted everyone to leave.

Okay, so it seems like I hated this wedding, but I swear I didn't! LOL...it was perfectly them, and since neither have really even been to a wedding before, much less planned one, they did good.

 

[Inanna]

GREAT idea Mrs.H! I've been to 2 wedding so far this year.

Wedding 1:

Likes: Extremely unique in every way! The location was in an old Pittsburgh brewery that's been converted into an art gallery on the first floor and artist loft apartments on the upper floors. DJ was amazing. Bartender was one of the live-in artists and was very interesting to talk to. There was a video confessional booth where guests privately convey there thoughts, memories, and congrats to the couple. Outside there was a high-powered telescope for guests to view the skies - I saw the rings of Saturn in amazing detail, which was really cool!

Dislikes: The food was very disappointing. It was 100% vegetarian/vegan, which normally wouldn't bother me, but it consisted of all cold store-bought hors d'oeuvres (celery & carrot sticks with various dips, stuffed cherry tomatoes, etc) and nothing substantial. I wish we had been warned to eat beforehand, but the wedding was at 5:00 pm! How were we to know?

Wedding 2:

Likes: Although not particularly unique in any way, this was a very happy wedding. The couple looked elated the entire time and the other guests, who we didn't know beforehand, were a pleasure to be around. The bride and groom did an excellent job with the seating chart - everyone at our table got along superbly.

Dislikes: The minister seemed to be pushing his very anti-gay marriage agenda during the couple's wedding ceremony. He kept mentioning that marriage is ONLY between a man and a woman. It made their ceremony seem less about the actual couple and more about the minister's belief system, and honestly that made me angry. There were a TON of guests (I'd guess 300), which seemed impersonal to me, and it took place in a very large undecorated reception hall. We probably only got a minute with the couple. All in all, there seemed to be no special personal touches (decor, favors, or otherwise) to this wedding.

 

[sunnyd]

Dislikes: The minister seemed to be pushing his very anti-gay marriage agenda during the couple''s wedding ceremony. He kept mentioning that marriage is ONLY between a man and a woman. It made their ceremony seem less about the actual couple and more about the minister''s belief system, and honestly that made me angry. There were a TON of guests (I''d guess 300), which seemed impersonal to me, and it took place in a very large undecorated reception hall. All in all, there seemed to be no personal touches (decor, favors, or otherwise) to this wedding.

OMG are you kidding me?! That is just gross. I''d be pissed at the minister if I were the bride.

 

[SapphireLover]

Date: 6/23/2009 12:53:15 PM
Author: sunnyd

Dislikes: The minister seemed to be pushing his very anti-gay marriage agenda during the couple''s wedding ceremony. He kept mentioning that marriage is ONLY between a man and a woman. It made their ceremony seem less about the actual couple and more about the minister''s belief system, and honestly that made me angry. There were a TON of guests (I''d guess 300), which seemed impersonal to me, and it took place in a very large undecorated reception hall. All in all, there seemed to be no personal touches (decor, favors, or otherwise) to this wedding.

OMG are you kidding me?! That is just gross. I''d be pissed at the minister if I were the bride.

Word! I''d be p!ssed off and highly offended as a guest too. If I was a guest I would have been tempted to walk out. I wouldn''t have done as it would upset the B&G, but seriously.

 

[Inanna]

Date: 6/23/2009 12:53:15 PM
Author: sunnyd

Dislikes: The minister seemed to be pushing his very anti-gay marriage agenda during the couple''s wedding ceremony. He kept mentioning that marriage is ONLY between a man and a woman. It made their ceremony seem less about the actual couple and more about the minister''s belief system, and honestly that made me angry. There were a TON of guests (I''d guess 300), which seemed impersonal to me, and it took place in a very large undecorated reception hall. All in all, there seemed to be no personal touches (decor, favors, or otherwise) to this wedding.

OMG are you kidding me?! That is just gross. I''d be pissed at the minister if I were the bride.

Yeah, that''s exactly what I said and I was quite angry on behalf of the couple. Then again, I don''t really know the couple all that well and I''ve started to wonder if they actually wanted that message in their ceremony. It was really weird (and extremely offensive IMHO).

 

[wannaBMrsH]

Wow! I''m glad I started this topic!

Very cool responses, Sunny, don''t worry about seeming to hate the wedding when it''s not the case because I completely agree! I love all three brides very much and they all had very beautiful weddings, but there were aspects I certainly didn''t like!

Inanna, I would be soooo upset about a minister pushing their political views during my wedding!

 

[decodelighted]

Fun topic! I''m attending my first wedding of the season on Friday. Will keep my eye out!

Last year I went to a really interesting "reception" for a couple who''d eloped. The only downside to the whole night was my own selection of footwear! LOL!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Went to one wedding this year.

Likes: it was fairly small (about 100) and sweet. It had some interesting cultural elements which I enjoyed learning about. No gap in between.

Dislikes: standing in the buffet line for an hour to wait for food, and finding that most of it was gone by the time I got there. Cash bar (just wasn''t prepared, didn''t have cash on me). And surprisingly, the photographer. He was super pushy and kind of rude and curt.

 

[wannaBMrsH]

Date: 6/23/2009 2:30:06 PM
Author: decodelighted
Fun topic! I''m attending my first wedding of the season on Friday. Will keep my eye out!

Last year I went to a really interesting ''reception'' for a couple who''d eloped. The only downside to the whole night was my own selection of footwear! LOL!

Haha! I could start a whole new thread on wedding guests! Sunny mentioned the guest that kept referencing the brides''s weight, and I''ve heard of others.

The funniest one at one of the weddings this season was a guest that was wearing Louboutin booties. First of all, they weren''t dressy booties, they were the kind that you would wear with jeans. She wore them with a slinky fuschia dress and kept refering to them all night. It was amazing to me that she kept bringing them into the conversation. "I am wearing Louboutins because they are sooo comfortable"; someone complimented her on her dress, "but did you see the Loubies!?"; walking back from the dance floor "I didn''t want to break my Louboutins!" SERIOUSLY? Is it your first pair? your only pair? it must have been! By the end of the evening, everyone was saying stuff just to prompt her! haha! FI was laughing in the car saying that at one point he wanted to point out that they looked familiar (because they are in my closet) but he was afraid she would be devastated to realize she wasn''t so original...he asked me why I never brought up the fact that I was wearing Manolos....um...because really? NO ONE CARES!!!!!!! Everyone is looking at the bride, who cares what the guests are wearing?

 

[LilyKat]

I''m just about to start my wedding season, so no reviews on the actual days themselves. But I already have an invitation review. Registry details both on the invitation itself, AND included in a separate card with the invitation for good measure

 

[princessplease]

We''ve only went to one wedding this year, last month. FI''s sister. MrsH, 6!!!??? Holy cow!!!

Likes
FI''s BIL is Indian, so we got to see the cultural aspects of family intertwined into the wedding. I didn''t attend the Indian ceremony, but the wedding reception involved Indian food, Indian music and Indian dancing. The photographers were awesome, so much so that we hired them for our wedding!

They were so friendly and outgoing, and really made us feel like they were part of the wedding party. Open bar, of course. The wedding was on Penn''s Landing, so it overlooked the water which was nice.

Dislikes
The wedding was too big, over 500 people, so I felt so little in that huge group of people. No real time with the bride and groom. No American food, which is fine by me, but FI can''t eat Indian food because of the spices. Cake was not very tasty, either. The hall had a wedding coordinator who was a complete jerk and beyond rude to all in the bridal party. Not too much American music was played, so we didn''t dance all night. We didn''t know about 475 of the people at the wedding, so we felt really isolated.

 

[SassyB]

It looks like I''m in the minority here - I hate seating charts. I want to sit where I want!


Wedding 1-

Likes - Loved the BM dress, food, venue, DJ. So fun! No seating chart! Cute favors

Dislikes - Hated that someone stole my shoes during the reception. WTH?!

Wedding 2 -

Likes - Fun DJ. Cute BM dresses/shoes

Dislikes - Cake was not good. I don''t care for fondant....
Too cutey of colors. Boring decorations.
Seating chart. Bad favors.

 

[Squirrly]

ooo this is a good idea.
i''ve been in one and attended 2 others this summer and M''s was in one as well that i couldn''t attend so i''ll put down what he liked/didn''t:

Wedding One
likes: the cake was good (had 4-5 different flavors to chose from), so was the DJ. it was a very personal wedding for the two of them, first outdoor wedding i''ve been to and it ended up working out ok weather-wise, her photog was exceptionally nice (bought us BMs lunch since our hair/makeup ran late and she ran interference with the stressed/angry MIL), had a buffet style of dinner which worked well, ceremony and reception in the same place. they also had a pinata for the kids.

dislikes: bridezilla MIL (fear the missing napkins), the 15 minute "rehearsal" we had the night before which ended up in an out of order processional and the DJ not switching the song for the bride in a timely manner. the dog as the ring bearer. cute idea, but the poor thing had been cooped up and taken to a completely new place and was very excited, ended up dragging the kid walking her down the aisle and the best man had to control her the whole ceremony. making the 3 yr old flower girl "stand in one place" for the entire ceremony, she ran all over the place, stepped on the bride''s dress, ran into the seating area to her mom, who then sent her back up. having the two flowergirls stand between MOH and bride''s train making fixing the thing an ordeal. BM drama (from having 2 of her 4 drop out and then issues tracking down the two that stepped up the week of her wedding). this has also been the only wedding i''ve been to that the bouquet/garter toss wasn''t fun. the bouquet toss was fun, with me being the oldest girl out there (bride and groom are 19) the youngest out there was 5, and an 8 year old got the bouquet (it was adorable!), garter wise, the groom mis-fired and shot it forward (later the ring bearer educated me on how he should''ve taught the groom how to shoot rubber bands) but with all the guys being so young they just stared at it on the floor and avoided it like the plague. made for funny pics though.

there''s more but it''s mostly logistical since i was in the party and the poor things had bridezilla MIL, BM problems, and in general knew nothing about weddings/how to plan one. though i can say for an out door wedding, having only a half-run through once outside with not mentioning of how to work it inside was quite stressful until the rain stopped.

Wedding Two
likes: small personal wedding, reception was at the hotel so people could drink safely, did have a cash bar but did have free champagne toast and free beer from the keg they purchased, as well as free shot trays outside during dancing, which kept the guests happy, but only one person got trashed (and was escorted out in a timely manner). the catering was delicious, DJ moved things along and did a nice job of playing background music, cake was delicious and had 4-5 flavors to chose from, bride and groom spent time with each table

dislikes: the bride and groom going to a bar with most (not all) of the wedding party after pictures. there was an underage BM (the bride''s sis) who ended up leaving and and another BM had gone straight from pics to reception because her daughter was the flower girl. the guests were getting tired of waiting for food by the time they arrived, and i didn''t see the point in them going out to drink when they had a bar at their reception.

there was no seating chart, but seeing as how it was a small wedding, and the only people i knew were the B&G and M, who was a groomsman and seated with the party, it didn''t really matter where i ended up sitting and the people who ended up sitting at the table i had claimed were fun to talk to, and i had fun talking with the bride''s sis and cousin.

Wedding Three(the one M went to)
likes: it was another outdoor wedding and fit with the couple quite well, M said the flower girls and ring bearer were adorable, M liked their cake topper and had fun talking with other members of the bridal party, cake was good as was the food, ceremony and reception in the same place

dislikes: at the groom''s request, only country music was played at the reception, so very few people ended up dancing. M said that people had already finished eating by the time they got done with pictures so some people left early on.

Wedding Four
likes: by far my favorite wedding, but that''s mostly because of how many of my friends i got to see. ceremony and reception were in same location (and was absolutely beautiful), it was an outdoor wedding and the site provided lots of things for it, B&G gave each other''s mother a yellow rose and a hug, they also released two white doves. the wedding was very much them (she got her princess carriage!). there was a seating chart for the reception and had been very strategically planned, an open bar, m&m''s for favors, and the DJ was awesome!

dislikes: during the indoor part of the reception, my table was in the back and couldn''t hear the DJ. as such we completely missed the cake cutting. MIL horror stories. dancing was on a wooden deck, which wasn''t a problem, but for certain songs, heels don''t work and without thinking i kicked em off, and ended up with a very bloody foot and some extra fiber in my sole.

i loved the venue so much (Leavenworth Inn in IN) that M and i are probably going to stay there sometime, and when his family comes in for our wedding we''ll be taking them to eat at the restaurant there.

 

[Amanda.Rx]

This is fun! Great for ideas!

Wedding 1:

Likes: There was an open bar & lots of food. The cake was divine. The couple made sure to come & talk to everyone/thank every for coming. There were many different price points on the registry.

Dislikes: The reception was 30 mintues away, but close to the hotels we were staying in. The BM dresses were awful. They didn''t fit the color scheme what-so-ever. The programs looked like they were made on the computer in 10 minutes. The music was strange (some metallica was played).

Wedding 2:

Likes: The ceremony was in a beautiful church downtown. The bride was gorgeous & very appreciative that we were there. There were many different price points on the registry. The color scheme was lovely & so were all the BM dresses/flowers.

Dislikes: The reception was 30 minutes away at a different church, in the complete opposite direction from the hotels. Reception had no music/dancing or alcohol, but the food was good (looks like the ladies at the church pitched in & made it). The "calligraphy" on the inviations looked like a 3rd grader wrote it... with his non-dominant hand.

 

[SeattleSweetheart]

In the past 12 months I''ve been to 5 weddings, all totally different. It''s been a great experience for helping me plan for my wedding next month.

Wedding 1 - midsize, about 80-100 guests.

Likes: Beautiful church venue and very meaningful ceremony with wonderful choral music. Good food and cake.

Dislikes: Reception was too long and I had to stay until the very end because I was part of the wedding party.

Wedding 2 - small, about 30 guests

Likes: totally non-traditional, Bride wore black.

Dislikes: set on a Friday in the middle of the day so I couldn''t attend the ceremony. Watched it on video later. Reception was at a bar and had to buy your own crappy (hotdogs, fries, beer) food. Only Cupcakes were provided, no beverages. Never got a thank you card even though we gave them $100 cash for their 2 week honeymoon to Europe.

Wedding 3 - small, about 50 guests

Likes: At a resort in Palm Springs, amazing food, open bar with top notch liquor, beautiful venue.
no dislikes, loved it all

Wedding 4 - midsize, about 80-100 guests

Likes: In the town of Tours, France. Attending the ceremony at the Town Hall and blessing at the church were both new experiences. Church blessing was in French, Hungarian and English. AMAZING French food for the cocktail hour and then full 5 course meal after!!!!
no dislikes, loved it all.

Wedding 5 - large, about 160-175

Likes: Officiant said some great things during the ceremony that we''re going to use in our wedding.

Dislikes: Wedding ceremony venue was dark and dreary and impossible to take good pictures. The bridesmaids looked dressed to go to a funeral. Food and cake was not that great. Server for our table didn''t bring DF a salad and then mixed up his meal. Then when the server brought the correct meal, he spilled some of it on my DF''s coat sleeve. Luckily the hotel took of $35 of our bill to cover drycleaning. Bride complained when I wanted to have a picture taken with her. I''ve worked closely with her for a year and she and I have been planning our weddings together, so I was hurt that she didn''t want to have her picture taken with me. I know she was busy, but no time for a single picture? Oh well.

 

[Squirrly]

i forgot one of my major dislikes from wedding tow, to get the bride and groom to kiss people had to tell embarrassing stories about either bride or groom. it was funny at first but it got old really quickly and the B&G and their families really started to get upset with it.

best way to make B&G kiss so far this year: sing love songs to them. there have been some pretty awesome serenades, and it''s something everyone laughs at, especially when the groomsmen all get on one knee and start belting the out.

 

[jstarfireb]

Wow, I''ve gone to soooo many weddings this year or so (including my own!). Let''s see if I can remember...

May 2008 (friend)
Likes: AWESOME venue, the Camden Aquarium!!! They got married in front of a giant tank with fishies and turtles swimming behind them. Never got bored because they had a few aquarium exhibits open. A really different and memorable wedding.
Dislikes: Food was just so-so. Cake was pretty but dry.

July 2008 #1 (friend)
Likes: Nontraditional reception under a pavilion in Upstate NY. Best man gave the best toast I''ve ever heard. Good food and cake. Weather was awesome. Lots of young people and great music for dancing!
Dislikes: On a Friday afternoon in a weekend vacation area (the Catskills), so I hit traffic coming up and missed the entire ceremony. Boo!

July 2008 #2 (cousin)
Likes: Really good food. Crab cake...yum! Minimal gap for a Catholic church/country club wedding.
Dislikes: HUGE (over 200 guests!), so I couldn''t see the bride and groom most of the time at the reception. I prefer more intimate gatherings by MILES. Also, very few young people in attendance.

October 2008 (friend)
Likes: My first time being a bridesmaid! That was cool. Very well put-together, cute color scheme (light blue and brown), monograms everywhere...not my style for planning my own wedding, but was cool to experience as a guest. They had an a cappella group singing at the cocktail hour, which was really cool. And as the bridesmaids, we got to PICK OUR OWN DRESSES!!!
Dislikes: Big gap between ceremony and reception, though the bridal party was occupied with photos the entire time. Location in upstate NY means I froze half to death in my tea-length strapless dress. I have pictures of myself looking cold with the other bridesmaids.

November 2008 (new siblings in-law)
Likes: Nicely planned, beautiful handmade invitations and programs. Even though it was a religious wedding, it was held at the reception venue rather than a church, so no gap! Lots of singing by the church-going crowd as well as a song by the bride''s sisters.
Dislikes: There was a head table and my FI was the Best Man, so we were separated the whole night. Big bummer! PSA: Please don''t do this to the bridal party''s guests at your weddings! Also, didn''t love the color scheme (lime green and brown), even though it''s apparently really trendy.

May 2009: My wedding! Can''t be truly objective, of course, but here''s what I heard from guests...
Likes: Short and sweet ceremony, simple decorations, good food (it really was!), beautiful venue, singer did a great job for our ceremony
Dislikes: Sound system didn''t work well outdoors (microphone interference), didn''t have live musicians for the ceremony (I deliberately had the DJ do it, but lots of people wanted live), beer/wine/sig drink only rather than full open bar, ground was wet outdoors so heels got stuck in the mud.

Next one coming up is July 2009. I can already tell a few things about it, since I''m a bridesmaid...
Likes so far: I''m a bridesmaid again! Expecting the food to be really good based on the venue. Pretty and simple invitations. And I get to play a song for the ceremony!
Dislikes so far: Really expensive hotel, going to be pretty huge, not the biggest fan of the bridesmaid dress (certainly not hideous, just not really my style, especially the color mix of eggplant purple and an ivory sash), and the infamous church wedding gap.

 

[jstarfireb]

Date: 6/23/2009 2:51:02 PM
Author: wannaBMrsH

The funniest one at one of the weddings this season was a guest that was wearing Louboutin booties. First of all, they weren't dressy booties, they were the kind that you would wear with jeans. She wore them with a slinky fuschia dress and kept refering to them all night. It was amazing to me that she kept bringing them into the conversation. 'I am wearing Louboutins because they are sooo comfortable'; someone complimented her on her dress, 'but did you see the Loubies!?'; walking back from the dance floor 'I didn't want to break my Louboutins!' SERIOUSLY? Is it your first pair? your only pair? it must have been! By the end of the evening, everyone was saying stuff just to prompt her! haha! FI was laughing in the car saying that at one point he wanted to point out that they looked familiar (because they are in my closet) but he was afraid she would be devastated to realize she wasn't so original...he asked me why I never brought up the fact that I was wearing Manolos....um...because really? NO ONE CARES!!!!!!! Everyone is looking at the bride, who cares what the guests are wearing?

HAHA! That kind of reminds me of my MIL, who later commented that none of the other guests were carrying LV bags. At least she didn't say it right there in front of everyone!

 

[DiamondsforDee]

Great topic! I''ve only been to 2 so far this year, but I''ll review them anyway.

Wedding 1 April 2009:
Likes- the food was delicious, lots of fun young people, and an open bar.

Dislikes- The dj was awful and inspired almost no dancing. Everything matched and I mean every little thing. It was more like a HS prom than a wedding and the groom had even talked the bride out of some of her excessive matching requests. People were actually making fun of it. The bridesmaid dresses were awful. I don''t see how I could have kept my mouth shut if I was a bridesmaid and asked to buy that dress. I mean, the bride is drop dead gorgeous so it''s not like she had to worry about her friends looking better than her or anything.

Wedding 2 June 2009:
Likes- The venue was amazing! It was on the harbor in Annapolis, MD so the views of the water and boats and Bay Bridge were spectacular. The bride looked beautiful. The wedding was very traditional wedding and kind of cheesy but it was clear that was exactly what the bride and groom wanted and they had so much fun dancing up a storm that everyone got out on the dance floor and just danced and sang along to all the fun songs. Even FI got into the dancing and being goofy and that is not his style. It really was fun.

Dislikes- The food was bad. Appetizers were delicious but the dinner was terrible. I honestly do not believe that when the bride and groom went for their tasting that they were served this food. I know for a fact that the groom (my cousin) loves good food and would not have picked bad food if he knew. Especially since there are several professionally trained chefs in my family!

 

[cocolaw]

we just got back from a wedding where they passed around mini cheeseburgers after dinner, after cake, and OMG yum!!! what a fantastic idea!

 

[taovandel]

Reviews I''ve heard from my own wedding

Likes: Ceremony was short and sweet, Loved the MoH dress, Venue was gorgeous, Food and Service was excellent, DJ was awesome, and everyone loved my Reverend (She is "engaged" to the DJ and she was out on the dance floor the entire night getting people to dance.) We fell in love with our DJ and Reverend also and one of the things she complimented us on was that we didn''t put them at a table in the background away from everyone. We actually sat them with my parents--who raved about them also. I found them on the internet!!

Dislike: At the ceremony, the chairs were put out on a deck in a weird way (They originally were going to be out in the grass but due to three days of rain, the coordinator was worried the ground would still be too soft/wet for the guests), so they mainly saw the backs of our heads during the ceremony. My personal dislike: the cake looked awful (but tasted great), it was put out too early and had started to melt. The venue tried to fix it, by covering it with pretty flowers, but I knew it looked terrible---I couldn''t even get an upclose picture of it because it looked so bad.

 

[Patchee]

I only read up to SassyB''s post thus far.... but surly I will read the rest

I have to say that I personally would not dig a dislike on someone wedding due to no seating chart. I feel people should be able to sit where they want and with WHO they want. Anyone here who has been to a wedding and ended up sitting next to someone that 1) do not know or 2) do not like knows why seating charts are for the pits!

And, speaking for the gal who went to the 500 person wedding and only knew 75 of them. Well, I think you would know going in that the bride & groom invited you just to invite you because at 500 people they cannot possibly make rounds to every individual there.

Ahh, the cake. I''ve been meaning to ask if people actually do eat the cake at wedding. I guess if your someone who is not dancing, socializing and partying then you would eat the cake. I''ve been to too many to count weddings and I have never eaten the cake .. and I like cake! I just don''t feel that should be on the dislike list of someone elses wedding.

I guess with this thread I feel like the dislikes are rude in a sence (especially the non american everything wedding, which again, you should have known upon RSVP-ing that it was not going to be) so therefore, you cannot put their non america ways on the dislike like - just because your FI does not like spicy food, nor only Indian music so we couldn''t dance dislike.

ALL of our weddings are going to have so kind of Flubbb-Up! No doubt!

We can say this was bad or that, but I like this about it and that ... BUT FYI - there is a 50/50% chance that someone is not going to like your cake, your linens, your favors are too cheap looking, your seating chart is the pitts, your dress is not what they expected. Etc. and the way I feel about that is, if the people who respect me, care about me who are attending my wedding - if there is something they do not like they will not tell me.

The weddings I''ve been to, yes some were a bit different. I''ve been to one where the best man was in the pool with the bride while the party was going on upstairs so.. yeah see, you take the good with the bad.

I know this was a general thread to begin with on likes and dislikes even though I got off the total subject for a moment

 

[Patchee]

Hi AMANDA

Likes: There was an open bar & lots of food. The cake was divine. The couple made sure to come & talk to everyone/thank every for coming. There were many different price points on the registry.

Dislikes: The reception was 30 mintues away, but close to the hotels we were staying in. The BM dresses were awful. They didn't fit the color scheme what-so-ever. The programs looked like they were made on the computer in 10 minutes. The music was strange (some metallica was played).


I CANNOT WAIT TO HEAR METALLICA AT MY WEDDING. A LITTLE AC/DC TOO

What I dispise (ok this can be my dislike) is going to weddings where it is general and uniform like the last 15 weddings I went to. The Butterfly Kisses song for the Daddy/Daughter dance, the ooo-ing and ahhh-ing over the garter, the Ok single ladies line up it's 3:00PM on the money and proper wedding ettiquett says it's time to throw the bouquet. Oh, throw in the electric slide now because it is 5PM. I am non typical, therefore, people will be coming to my wedding and if most everything does go wrong they still will walk away saying that was a good time....

 

[blackpolkadot]

I have only been to one wedding so far.

Liked: The BM dresses, the minister gave the couple the Bible where he had taped their vows (I thought that was sweet)

Dislikes: Waiting for 2 hours for the bride and groom to come in to cut the cake (there was supposedly no gap between the ceremony and reception); the music didn''t seem to flow very well during the ceremony; and the food. OMG, it was awful. This was a formal wedding, and they had mini-corndogs, pretzels with nacho cheese in the middle, and egg rolls; cake was coconut, so I know a lot of people didn''t care for it; B&G sat at head table the whole time (well we were so bored we left before the dancing started, but I saw pictures where they weren''t at the table

)

 

[Lynnie]

Good thread!

I''ve only been to 1 wedding this year (besides my own). I couldn''t make the ceremony (worked night shift the night before, needed to sleep). But I''ll post on the reception:

Likes: Really nice tented backyard setup, about 100 people. The bride is Peruvian, the groom Italian American. The food was FAB... all home-cooked dishes made mostly by bride & groom''s mothers. Ginormous dessert selection... a chocolate-peanut butter cheesecake that was to die for. Fun dance mix of traditional wedding stuff and Latin music, which I love. Really sweet favors (donation to a Children''s Hospital in memory of the bride''s deceased brother). Open bar, wine & beer (including some Peruvian beers, which was cool).

Dislikes: Can''t think of much. The bar ran out of red wine, which was a bit of a bummer, siince that''s what I was drinking. Found out later that the catering staff overlooked a case of red wine. The bride was pissed about that. No biggie, I just moved on to beer. lol. Biggest dislike was that it got a little too chilly; there were no outdoor heaters or anything. DH & I left about an hour earlier than planned due to the weather. Oh, and there were 2 bathrooms in the house, and always a line. Overall, though, we had a great time!!

 

[wannaBMrsH]

Date: 6/25/2009 9:32:34 AM
Author: Patchee
I only read up to SassyB''s post thus far.... but surly I will read the rest

I have to say that I personally would not dig a dislike on someone wedding due to no seating chart. I feel people should be able to sit where they want and with WHO they want. Anyone here who has been to a wedding and ended up sitting next to someone that 1) do not know or 2) do not like knows why seating charts are for the pits!

And, speaking for the gal who went to the 500 person wedding and only knew 75 of them. Well, I think you would know going in that the bride & groom invited you just to invite you because at 500 people they cannot possibly make rounds to every individual there.

Ahh, the cake. I''ve been meaning to ask if people actually do eat the cake at wedding. I guess if your someone who is not dancing, socializing and partying then you would eat the cake. I''ve been to too many to count weddings and I have never eaten the cake .. and I like cake! I just don''t feel that should be on the dislike list of someone elses wedding.

I guess with this thread I feel like the dislikes are rude in a sence (especially the non american everything wedding, which again, you should have known upon RSVP-ing that it was not going to be) so therefore, you cannot put their non america ways on the dislike like - just because your FI does not like spicy food, nor only Indian music so we couldn''t dance dislike.

ALL of our weddings are going to have so kind of Flubbb-Up! No doubt!

We can say this was bad or that, but I like this about it and that ... BUT FYI - there is a 50/50% chance that someone is not going to like your cake, your linens, your favors are too cheap looking, your seating chart is the pitts, your dress is not what they expected. Etc. and the way I feel about that is, if the people who respect me, care about me who are attending my wedding - if there is something they do not like they will not tell me.

The weddings I''ve been to, yes some were a bit different. I''ve been to one where the best man was in the pool with the bride while the party was going on upstairs so.. yeah see, you take the good with the bad.

I know this was a general thread to begin with on likes and dislikes even though I got off the total subject for a moment

Hi Patchee- I would never tell or write to my friends that I didn''t like their weddings! And I don''t think any of the other responders would either, this is just to bounce ideas off of each other about what we have and have not liked at weddings we have attended.

If you do read through the posts, every poster lists different things and some agree and others don''t. Again, this is mostly for fun and we get to know each other better by knowing what we do and do not like. I really dislike going to a wedding with no seating chart. Does that mean that other people have to have them? No. It just means I don''t like it.

I completely understand the cultural differences thing. I am Mexican and I completely undertand the lack of seating chart. Stereotypically, we do not RSVP, we show up late and bring a bunch of uninvited guests! Any bride would have a hard time trying to juggle a seating chart with our group! and yet....I hate going to weddings where I am left to wander around looking for a seat. Especially if most of the people I do know at the wedding are in the Bridal Party and therefore at a head table...

 

[lala2332]

my only wedding for the summer...yay!
june wedding

likes: bride and groom, the groom is one of FI''s good friends, but he and his now wife are two of the most gracious genuine people. They both made an effort to come talk to me, and congratulate me on our engagement at the rehersal dinner. Rehersal dinner was awesome! The families were amazing. Cake was yummy, FI had two pieces. EVeryone was pretty laid back about seating. there were reserved tables for wedding party, but FI and another groomsman cam and sat with me, granted I was at the table next to the reserved tables, so not a big deal, but that way the bridal party with dates, were able to sit with their dates.

dislikes: the groomsmen wore tuxes, FI was a groomsman and the families are old money, so I assumed a fancy wedding. 5:30 ceremony, so not black tie, but still fancy. I wore a silk cocktail dress and high, high heels. I knew the reception was at a relative''s home, but i''m having my reception at home and inside, so I didn''t think twice about it. Well the reception was outside. It was hot and muggy, and I airated the whole lawn with my heels. The worst was that there were porta-pottys. There was no way to go inside and wash your hands, or check your make-up, or anything. And with the hotness and mugginess, I look slightly more glistening than I prefer. Oh well.

 

[SassyB]

Date: 6/25/2009 12:01:02 PM
Author: lala2332
my only wedding for the summer...yay!
june wedding

likes: bride and groom, the groom is one of FI''s good friends, but he and his now wife are two of the most gracious genuine people. They both made an effort to come talk to me, and congratulate me on our engagement at the rehersal dinner. Rehersal dinner was awesome! The families were amazing. Cake was yummy, FI had two pieces. EVeryone was pretty laid back about seating. there were reserved tables for wedding party, but FI and another groomsman cam and sat with me, granted I was at the table next to the reserved tables, so not a big deal, but that way the bridal party with dates, were able to sit with their dates.

dislikes: the groomsmen wore tuxes, FI was a groomsman and the families are old money, so I assumed a fancy wedding. 5:30 ceremony, so not black tie, but still fancy. I wore a silk cocktail dress and high, high heels. I knew the reception was at a relative''s home, but i''m having my reception at home and inside, so I didn''t think twice about it. Well the reception was outside. It was hot and muggy, and I airated the whole lawn with my heels. The worst was that there were porta-pottys. There was no way to go inside and wash your hands, or check your make-up, or anything. And with the hotness and mugginess, I look slightly more glistening than I prefer. Oh well.

Hey Lala, (i''m kijacking a bit here)
I have to have porta pottys at my wedding..

I really really don''t want them, but can''t have 100 people using my Dad''s bathroom that is on a septic.
In your opinion, what could have made the porta potty situation better? Some have little sinks..maybe that would be better?

I also want to comment on this thread. I think it''s fun to know other people''s likes and dislikes even if they don''t match my own. Such as Lala''s above comment - maybe in the end she helps me come up with another/better idea! I certainly would NEVER say negative comments to the B/G!