Heh- we'd decided quite emphatically that no one be invited because a small wedding disguised as an elopement would quickly turn into a nightmare otherwise
Hmm wonder if that applies to this elopement. Either way it seems to me that separating the legal stuff and the wedding trip might make things easier. That is fill out the paperwork and get married by a JP or local judge. You may need one or two witnesses depending on state, and can draft friends for that.
Then you can book a B&B without worrying about having them arrange a JP as part of deal. Most B&Bs can do cake, and if you want a ceremony, since you will already be legally married you won't have to get someone with special authority to do that. For example, I don't think ship captains actually have authority to marry people, but if you are already legally married it might be awesome to find a ships captain to perform a ceremony. Or whatever you find awesome. (I know Nora's elopement is past tense.)
{{Nora}} Transitions are always tough with the roller coaster emotions on top of all the work involved in moving. Always a tough time. Having moved a bunch of times, and having been married a whole bunch also, please know you can always drop me a note if you want a shoulder or ear.
My friend June is up visiting from RI. We actually got some kayaking in today. Crazy weather. It was in the low 40s overnight then near 80 today. [link] We got some pics taken too.
Then it seems to me that separating the legal stuff and the wedding trip might make things easier.
Eh, it was plenty easy enough. checked in, got directed to the town hall for marriage stuff, had a nice day and dinner, next day. got up, went to spa, back to B&B, got dressed, took pictures, met eleventy year old retired economist JP, got married!
Followed by 3 days of hanging out in Vermont in October eating cheese and drinking beer. And maple syrup.
My mom and grandmother and various cousins and aunts would have pitched a fit if we had a couple friends there at the ceremony. It was only about 10 minutes, anyway.
Out theory was, we didn't actually care about having a wedding, we just wanted to be married. In a place with plenty of beer and cheese and maple syrup!
we didn't actually care about having a wedding, we just wanted to be married.
That sounds like Hubby and me. Our ceremony was kind of half-assed, so I wanted to just go to a judge (if I couldn't have a shindig), but Hubby's first marriage was a sneak off to the judge, so his mother threatened much mayhem if we didn't do a "proper" ceremony. About all that can be said for the whole event is that it was legal.
TCG came home with a bottle of prosecco to celebrate one step closer to getting married. Yup, definitely found the right guy.
Heh- we'd decided quite emphatically that no one be invited because a small wedding disguised as an elopement would quickly turn into a nightmare otherwise.
That is us too. We were discussing last night how quickly just inviting the parents could turn into 20 people coming.
{{{Nora}}} I hope things are feeling better for you soon.
We were staring down the barrel of a year's separation for his training in wartime, with an active posting after that and an uncertain outcome. We got tired of waiting for his parents to progress beyond icily polite to my face and scathing and insulting in a language I didn't speak in my hearing.
My folks lent us their car. And made us a present of the money they'd set aside for my wedding.
It was wonderful just being alone together before that separation, and not having to plan something for the future, shoehorning a ceremony and honeymoon in between his training and school after being separated for months.
Followed by 3 days of hanging out in Vermont in October eating cheese and drinking beer. And maple syrup.
This has just supplanted my previous elopement plan of running off to Vegas and getting married by an Elvis impersonator.
We were discussing last night how quickly just inviting the parents could turn into 20 people coming.
What about having a dinner party. Invite the parents over. Invite an officiant friend over. Maybe a friend to snap pictures. Only the parents don't realize what's going on. Until it's happening. It could seem incredibly romantic. I dunno. Just a thought. "hey I got this new camera, mind if I snap pictures this evening to test it out?" wine & cheese pre-dinner discussion...At some point one of the parents will say something about getting married. Other friend says "oh hey, I can do that, and oh look I happen to carry the papers around with me" [snap snap of pics] "do you? I do!" badda bing, y'all are hitched, the parents are teary eyed, it's all done.
My cousins actually had a small, surprise wedding. They told their relatives to come to an "engagement party dinner" at a local restaurant and then walked them over to a small chapel across the street where they were immediately married. It was very cool.
