What on earth is a makeup test?

Going to get makeup done before the actual wedding so we can find someone who doesn't make us look like we fell face-first back into the '80s.

But....can't you just do your own makeup?

I want a huge-ass ridiculous wedding.

Not surprised..heh.

I don't think I've been to a wedding that had more than 100 guests. Maybe one. But barely. And most were family.

All the wedding professionals referred to my 200 guest (invited, maybe half showed up) wedding as small. It seemed huge to me. Though we were absolutely swallowed up by the sanctuary.

I think once you accept the premise of a Renaissance themed wedding on Mars, cost had better be no object.

But....can't you just do your own makeup?

well, you _can_, but I, for one, dont' trust my hand not to be shaking so that I'm drawing all over my face with eyeliner.

I've been to one wedding that was HUGE, the reception was held at the country club and they had multiple carving stations -- several inside and outside. The appetizers were all served on mirrored serving trays, it was very impressive.

The biggest thing I remember is that her dress looked kinda cheap.

I wouldn't do my own makeup, especially given there will be pictures.

I was just given the "Anti-Bride Guide" by a friend that just married (not that I'm getting married, but her other good female friend is single) and it made me really depressed. It's not an "Anti-Bride" thing at all! It's a regular old wedding guide with a pink cover!

The other thing I like about the organization of Orthodox weddings is that, with all the pre-ceremony stuff (there's a word for that, right? I can't remember it now), there's much more allowance for people to get to here late and not miss the actual wedding ceremony.

I usually arrive to Orthodox weddings at 1/2 hour after the "Kabalas Panim" (reception) is called. Last year, we attended a wedding for my wife's friend who had the reception after the chupah and half her wedding guests missed it.

I think once you accept the premise of a Renaissance themed wedding on Mars, cost had better be no object.

Fair enough.

To haul out the pedant for a moment, unless the people from the Renaissance are having an "Olden Tymes" party, chainmail is pretty much gone from the armoury by then, depending on where you are and when. Transitional plate and full plate has replaced chainmail almost everywhere by that time (depending on how you define Renaissance and where/when you are). Both would still be reasonably effective at protecting an astronaut suit from swords, to bring the discussion back to the purposeful and sensible origins.

Yargh. All this wedding talk is only reminding me of all the crap I need to get done. Like send invitations to the bachelorette party which include a fun and entertaining way to say "hire a stripper and both the bride and I will kill you."

I'm entertained by the way you've put it here, but brenda has a point about people who'd consider that a challenge.

You could go vague--something like, "[Bride] and I believe no real woman ever has to pay a man to disrobe. Accordingly, I've limited the invites to real women." Might be too snotty.

In the US, it's so expensive that the number of guests is limited for cost.

Makes perfect sense. Also, in Israel, it's very acceptable not to bring a present, but money instead (a check, mostly). Usually, the price written on the check will take into account the place in which the wedding takes place (how expensive-looking it is, what sort of place it is, and so forth), as well as the degree of closeness between the guest and the couple. Most people expect that the total sum of the money-presents will cover the cost of the wedding itself, and more often than not, this is what happens.

Wolfram, I've been to several weddings here in which they delayed the "khupa" so that most of the guests would be able to attend.