Nope, eloped. I would not have had a big wedding if my parents have wanted it. I was way to shy to have all of those eyes on me. LOL

Like you Glenda...we had a sort of small wedding...But it was a nice one...

I alway cry when I go to weddings...but that day, I had a smile I couldn't get rid of if I'd wanted to.

Nope...got married on the preachers lawn...just he, his wife, my brother and mom and our 2 1/2 month old son.

My mom bought dinner after wards.

No.....my mother was in poor health.
We went to Las Vegas and got married.....in a huge Presbyterian church on Charleston Blvd. A friend for life of my parents lived in Las Vegas and their son was a junior lay minister so did most of our arrangements. The flowers, the music, the photographer, etc.
My parents, Roy's parents, my BBF and her DH, Roy's brother and sister in law and my parents friends were in attendance. About 15 people in this huge church.
We met with the minister before the ceremony for counseling....he was wonderful.
It was an inexpensive wedding and so much easier on my Mom than getting married in Bakersfield where our family had lived for many, many years.
We had wedding cake and coffee in our suite at The Stardust Hotel out on the strip. It has been razed but I think the church is still there. A beautiful old church.
That was 48 years ago in October.

I guess ours was small as far as weddings go. My Mom made my wedding dress (which I still have). It wasn't the long flowing kind..just a simple white dress with lace. She also made my veil (still have that too). I've never been one to do things to impress other people and we were all happy with our wedding. Friends and Family!

Justice of the Peace the first time, judge the second time.

No. My Father In Law is a pastor. He married DH and I in their living room. No one was invited. My mom had to work and was hurt that my Mother In Law would be able to watch and she wouldn't, So MIL was sent to the bathroom and locked herself in. She was calling people on the phone saying "My son is downstairs getting married and I am locked in the bathroom!" LOL!

I loved it though. It was very special and I wouldn't change it for anything in the world. :)

Big Italian wedding at a church, couple hundred people,catered reception, DH has a big family.

We just plain old eloped. We had recently graduated from college. My parents were dead, and two siblings lived across the world. I lived with my younger sister at the time. His parents were divorced and did not even bother to raise him. We had no money to foot a wedding, so eloping seemed the best solution.

WE had our wedding at my aunt's house.About 50 people.Just cake and punch for the reception.Like CB my mother made my wedding dress and veil(which I also still have!LOL)It was a white tafeta "tea length" A line with a sweetheart neckline.The veil and dress had pearl seed beads and sequins and lace cutouts on it.My mother sat up in the hospital at night with my grandmother who had suffered a heart attack 3 weeks before the wedding and sewed the beads and stuff on the dress.Grandmother passed a week before the wedding and didn't get to see her first grandaughter get married,but she did get see Mother working on the dress.Mother made the maid of honor and 4 bride's maids dresses also.
It was nice and intimate.

I would say my wedding was nice. Church wedding with a catered reception and band. Around 100 guests.

Problem was it wasn't really my day. It was my mother's wedding to show off her DD (me) to her friends.

We had only a handful of guests that were personal friends. Most were friends of my parents. Some I had not seen since I was an infant. I was so busy doing the "meet and greet" and "thank you for coming" that I don't really remember it being fun. More of a duty. It was weird.

Just a small, but nice wedding in a church, two bridesmaids and a flower girl (and two groomsmen) and the receptin at my in-laws hoouse. No honeymoon and we went to our APT after the reception, where i invited our landlady in for coffee, but hubs very nicely pointed out that I didn't KNOW HOW to make coffee. LOL

First wedding - My parents gave us a largish church wedding, like Glenda's, reception at country club.
Honeymoon at a beach resort in Puerto Rico

Second was a chapel wedding and casual catered reception at our house, in the garden. Family, neighbors and a few close friends.
No honeymoon planned, but caterers cleaned up so well, we had nothing to do the next day...so we drove down to a Victorian BB in Cape May for a couple of days.

We had a nice wedding.. in a church with a reception following.. It wasn't lavish, but it was nice. We had his friends and co-workers on the fire dept. and I had my friends and co-workers from my office. We drove to Tampa for our honeymoon.. no biggie since we lived across the bay in Clearwater..

We had about 150 people. Church reception with a catered dinner. Did Williamsburg and skyline drive for honeymoon.

We, kind of, eloped...DH had just come home from Korea and my father had just passed away so we had a very small wedding at the parish and then a breakfast right after....We did the traditional Niagra Falls thing...

First time I was married in my church. There were 75+ guests and the reception was held in a restaurant. After that we went back to my (now our) apartment and waited for our "friends" to bring the wedding gifts. They (on purpose) went clubbing until after two a.m. In the meantime, we played gin rummy. Next morning we had to get up early and head for Lafayette where DH was graduating from Purdue the next day. On the way up, his parents, grandparents and every relative he knew passed us on the road. Spent the rest of the weekend with all of them We had a very public honeymoon!

Harry and I went to a notary's house, which was decorated with that old Spanish style furniture that was popular back in the 50's (but this was the 80's). We stood in her archway (nice touch) while she read the vows. All the time we could hear the TV blasting away in the family room where her mother and son were watching. They came out long enough to sign the papers at witnesses.

Over 57 years ago, got married in the Submarine Chapel in Hawaii. Mom only relative that attended==later my Dad said he wished he had gone, never gave a reason why he did not as he got along with DH great> DH in the navy, no leave. Lived there for 10 months than came back to CA. Most of the guys from the boats were their and the Lieutenant from the boats gave me away and DH's best friend's wife was my matron of honor. Had cake/coffee and no honeymoon as he had to go out to sea. Later had a nice reception for relatives and friends in CA.
Sure was cheap and so pretty. All white, with so many orchids.

Sunday wedding in my church, not very large, friends and family from both sides. Cake only at reception, black and white photos taken by a close friend of my husband, his sister (collage classmate of mine) was my maid of honor. I met my husband at her wedding a few years before. One bridesmaid who was a childhood friend and neighbor. She later married the assistant minister whom she met when he baptised our daughter four years later. My daughter and I were both born on summer Sundays, 27 years apart.

Reason for our Sunday wedding was that the minister, who was also a family friend, had two weddings on the Saturday we picked, by the time for our rehearsal he was tired and giddy and and so was I. After the relearsal my father told my mother, who had stayed home due to having guests, that it was a good thing she hadn't been there we were a giggling mess. The minister and I almost broke out laughing during the wedding, he always had a ready smile and a twinkle in his eye. He also married my brother years later.

My mother served a picnic style dinner for the wedding party and those who had traveled from Fort Belvoir VA. to Springfield Delco PA.

We went to Williamsburg for our honeymoon, then spent time near Fort Belvoir before my husband was sent to McMurdo Station Anartica for over a year. We were again stationed at Fort Belvoir twice, over the next few years. Strange being a navy family on an army post. For the first 5 years we were married he spent half in Anartica, where the navy had a nuclear power plant. Married for 43 years, he died 3 years ago.

Sue

Afternoon church wedding w/maid of honor and two bridesmaids. Dinner reception at the country club with band. Off to NYC late that evening. (Hotel room service was closed, so our first meal alone as a couple was at a drug store lunch counter. Grilled cheese sandwich, I think.) Next day off to London and Paris -- and Nice, to escape rain in Paris. Home to our first apartment and back to work. We've passed the 45-year mark now.

We were married in the church by Fr. Angelus who had come back from Canada that morning. Ceremony was 30 min late getting started. I wore the wedding dress and veil I had made (with the sleeves designed by Hubby). I had also made his suit, and the shirt he wore. Cheryl, (my BF) was maid of honor, wore dress she made, our daughter 1 1/2 yrs, wore dress that matched hers. Our florist had suffered a fire earier in summer and had "lost" our order- so when sister went to pick up flowers- there was a blank look on her face...she helped them put together something simple for us... We had been out till 4am and I spent most of morning at beauty shop worked on by 3 people, who finally just concluded I had too much hair...I cried like a baby through entire ceremony, could barely squeak out I DO. We had small reception at parsonage, with beautiful cake and punch. We later ate supper at Pizza Hut and took boat and friends to lake for water skiiing in the evening. I was so tired by 10 pm that instead of going to hotel, we spent night on my parents living room floor with our daughter and niece in playpen...very impromptu plans...
We have added another daughter and two sons to the party...August 9 will be 35 year aniversary.....I still can go with the flow, and believe that it doesn't matter how you plan, somebody else really has the control....lol

We had a smallish wedding. This was 1944 and there was a War going on. My DH was in the Army, stationed in Idaho at the time, and we planned the wedding around the time he was able to get leave.

I lived in Arlington, VA, and the wedding was in my church and the reception was at home. The guests were my large family and my friends from school and work, plus my DH's mother and cousin who came by train. My mother had a beautiful cake made and other refreshments were made by my sisters. I still have the dress; my mother made the veil.

We didn't have a honeymoon as such. DH had to be back on base, so we left two days later on an old train filled with GIs. We "honeymooned" in a tiny apartment near the base for 3 months until he was sent overseas.

When the War ended he came home safely!

Sue

I got married in an LDS temple. We had 60 family members in attendance - the room we were married was small. Mirrors on opposite walls so that when we looked across the alter at each other, we could see "eternity". It was a simple, quiet, spiritual ceremony - and afterwards, a backyard party. No one had a credit card bill to pay after my wedding - I'd do it the same again. But I would have had better bridesmaid dresses - ugh.

Nope, not at all. We had 11 people at my wedding, including the bride and groom. Oops--11.5, I should say, because my matron of honor was pregnant. Ceremony in the chapel at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian, cocktails at our apartment down the block, then dinner in a French restaurant. Flew to my mother-in-law's house in Bermuda the next day. (She stayed at our apartment.)

I never regretted not having a bigger wedding. I did regret my choice of matron of honor. Very nice person, but someone I worked with at the time and never saw much of after the wedding. My best friends from home were Catholic, and at that time the Catholic church didn't permit participation in Protestant weddings. My co-worker was Jewish, and we were close friends at work. Unfortunately, we drifted apart quickly.

Interesting reading about everyone's weddings!

Wow, to me 250 guests is a big wedding!! I'm divorced but when I got married I had a sit down reception and dance for about 100 guests.

About 150 people, married with just family and then a reception immediately there after. Celebrated in a barn with two oldest brothers providing the music. I had planned no elaborate wedding dress, I'm just not a girly girl but mom had 5 boys and me, she waited all my life to do the wedding dress shopping and the whole bit. I gave in to her, it made her happy. All 5 of brothers walked me down the aisle, my dad died when I was a teenager. It was very informal but everyone had a great time and the music was great.

neither time did i go all out...wore my prom dress the first time (it was white) had a small reception at the church (no booze, yea!) the most expensive thing was probably the flowers...

next time it was vegas (parents had moved ther), bought a pretty dress on sale, just my dad's office people came...he did spring for a case of champagne, (know ing he men like he did, lol) mother bought a cake but the one she made as much better...and this time it "stuck", lol...40 year, 4 kids and 8 grands...

would i have wanted more either time? not really..better pictures, both times, would have been nice...

We eloped in 1985. But not really... We were married by my DH's cousin who is a Pastor. We married on July 13th. My DH's birthday! We decided to just go see his cousin and get married. Our families knew what our plans were and were fine with it. I asked my dad for a car instead of a wedding. He obliged with a brand new 1985 blue BMW I'd had my eye on! Soo much better than spending all that $$ on a wedding! Married now for 25 yrs!

Married in my SIL's backyard with her DH doing the deed. He was a Baptist minister. Just my parents and two brothers, and DH's parents and his two sisters and the 4 children of SIL and the minister, and DH's 18 month DD. My first marriage, his second.

Had wedding cake made by SIL and pictures taken by her with her camera and she used DH's 35 mm camera, also, to take pictures and he didn't realize that he only had 1 picture remaining on it.
Later went into kitchen and his DD and a couple of her cousins slightly older than her had got the film from SIL's camera, that was on the kitchen table and unrolled it! SIL had made an appointment to take their family portrait that day, so gave us her appointment.

We went to have the picture taken, then to Woolworths's lunch counter for a plate lunch, costing $1.25. After that we had to go to the court house for DH to pay a speeding ticket so we could leave on our honeymoon the next day.

We went to Florida, from Ca., staying with relatives along the way and sleeping in the back of the station wagon when no relatives available. DH had made a bet with a co-worker that we could go on our honeymoon for $200 and she just laughed and said we couldn't and she knew our relative plans also.

We not only made it, I kept meticulous account of everything we spent, we got back with a little extra and went to a pawn shop and bought a radio and a sewing machine.

Next March will be 50 years.

We got married on a Thursday night, our weekend, being airline people then. Jim and I paid for it ourselves, kept things in line so we could buy a house. The reception was at MIL's country club but wasn't stuffy, although it was a blur to me.

My MIL did a lot of the planning, asking me what I wanted with every detail. I cared more about the wedding ceremony.

I was the third daughter to get married and felt guilty..so I shopped for my wedding dress on my lunch time, by my self..paid $33. My Mother took care of the cake and flowers. My to be FIL passed away one week before the wedding in Iowa and we were getting married in KY. So I didn't even see my hubby to be until a couple of days before the wedding. I felt so bad for my DMIL and believe me she was a Dear..I really don't know how she could even get herself together enough to come to KY for the wedding..but she did. We had a very small wedding. We were married almost 50 years..missed it by two weeks when my DH died of cancer.

Nope First one a military chapel the second just downtown at the lic Bur

Our wedding was pretty low key. I had the dress, flowers, etc., but didn't go to huge expense. The chapel was a country one near my parent's house. I bought my dress on clearance off the rack for 1/4th of normal cost because I bought it at the end of the season. We did the food ourselves and didn't serve alcohol. It was very relaxed.

Had a smallish wedding in the churches chapel. 50 or so people. then a BIG reception with a band, food etc.

Heck, no. No interest in weddings, period. Married by a JP.
Went out to eat Mexican food, and one night in a motel. It must have worked....going on 45 years.

We didn't go "all out" b/c my mother was NOT happy about me getting married and I would have eloped if DH would have agreed to that, but he said he wouldn't do that to my mother. She didn't like him for several reasons, one of which was my fault. I'd had a lot of different boyfriends and felt serious about a few and then I didn't feel serious anymore and dropped them like hot potatoes, so she didn't see much of a future this time around. We had only dated a few months, which didn't help her feelings. Within a year or so, she loved him probably more than she did me. LOL My Daddy just kinda went along with whatever. Anyway, we had maybe 100 in the chapel at the church I grew up in and then had a home reception. My first words to DH as a married woman were "I'm glad that's over!" We've been married 43 years, so I guess this one took. While I sorta understood how she felt, when my daughters got married I told them it was their day and we'd do anything they wanted, and that's what we did. They had much more expensive weddings w/ the country club dinner, reception, entertainment, dancing--the whole 9 yards, but, no, my wedding is not something I have fond memories of.

When DH and I married it was a second marriage for both of us. We already had custody of his two older children and another child of our own. We got married in my Dad's backyard. DH's suit cost us $250.00 and my wedding dress was $19.99! We had wanted to be married in judges chambers but the judge that married us would not do it. He said way too many criminals passed through his office. He was the judge during the Cinnamon Brown murder trial in Santa Ana. Anyway, he requested a $200.00 fee payable in a fancy restaurant gift certificate. I can't remember the place now, but after the ceremony we gave him the certificate and he gave it back to us and made us promise to use it ourselves! So our wedding was very small and wonderful. Anyone on my facebook list can see one of the photos as my picture!

Trish

All this says is we are all OLD. BIG $$$$ weddings began about five years after I got married. Thank Goodness!! My wedding cost in total what the average wedding gown now goes for. We are living in an age of horrid amounts of discretionary spending. We do not live in enough of a recession when kids are willing to have each parent and themselves spend ten thousand dollars+++ on ONE party. Mines was perfect. Church wedding, buffet reception in the church hall, 250 guests, family, friends had lots and lots of time to catch up and enjoy. Not a single regret here.

Trish! WHAT a great thing that judge did!
VERY thoughtful

We had a nice church wedding but nothing huge. I found my dress on clearance for around $200. My sister altered it for me & my mom added some extra beading. The reception was in the church fellowship hall. My mom, MIL & aunts made a lot of the food and we didn't serve alcohol. Flowers were very simple. I don't remember the cost of the whole thing, but it was less than a lot of dresses cost now.

Kat! It was wonderful. We took another couple and went to this ritzy 5 star place in Newport Beach. I'll be darned if I can remember the name of it. But it rounded out a perfect wedding for us. I just never did see the point of spending all that money on one day. But I guess if you have that kind of money for one day you have plenty left to live the big life. All I know is that DH and I used to make a lot of money. Now we don't. We are actually happier now than ever before!

Trish

We had a lovely church wedding with the reception at a Hall nearby that was well known for great food. My parents told me to get whatever I wanted as it was my day....but BF(hubby now) and myself didn't want to do that. Why spend just for the sake of spending.

My only sibling, a brother, was in the wedding party and two months later to the day he was killed in a mining accident...leaving behind two young sons.

There were about 140 people attending, roast beef for dinner, and I was too young to even (legally) have a drink as the drinking age at that time was 21 LOL!

Lots of great pictures and memories.

We had a small wedding in a very large Catholic church. I thought my poor Dad and I would never make it down the aisle. My DH's Aunt made my wedding dress and I borrowed a long vail. Reception was at the church hall, only cake and punch, etc. DH and I then loaded up the smallest U-haul we could find and moved to Gainesville where the following Monday he started school and I started working at Winn Dixie. Oh, we also spent our wedding night cleaning out the fridge in the one room apartment we rented cause DH had left the door on it closed and it stunk up the whole place. Then we went to Mister Donut at 2am (Pizza Hut and Mr. Donut were right in front of our place) and had donuts and milk. Never did get a honeymoon.

But, we will be married 40 years this Sept. so I guess there is still hope I will get one - just may have to plan it myself.

No - my father was dead and my mother didn't have a lot of money. I paid for most everything myself - bought the dress off the rack for $120. My bridesmaid dresses were $38 each. Had a reception in the church which my mother did pay for. In retrospect - after 32 years of marriage - I'm quite happy I had a low budget wedding. You think it's such a big deal when you're young and naive - but it's not such a big deal later in life. And for those marriages that don't last - what a waste of money.

I agree, Casey - 250 people is nothing big? Wow. I had 140 and I thought that was big. I think I'd have been completely overwhelmed if I'd had 250 people, bug Glenda, I'm sure it was lovely.

So anyway, no, we didn't go "all out". It was still bigger than I'd intended but it was fine.

"BIG" as in elaborate, opulent, excessively expensive or big as in how many invitations sent out? Huge difference. When you figure you are combining the friends and family of basically four different groups:Bride's family,Groom's family, bride, groom,it isn't tough for the numbers to rise quickly. Heck in this day and age add to that steps etc. and the numbers can easily rise to well over 300. The size town, how connected you are to church/community all makes a difference in how one would define "big". In the small town where I got married I was a newer professional very involved in many charities. The norm was to invite EVERYONE down to the mail carrier. I broke a lot of small down "norms" by keeping it as small as I could. Heck my mom's family list was well over 50! I am just glad the day of $$ sit down affairs at the nicest hotel in town were not here yet when I got married. My kids have been warned, at the rate things are costing they should count on a BBQ in the back yard so we can welcome everyone to the party.

I had a huge Wedding. Why my Mother agreed to let me choose time and place I'll never know. I had a August Garden Wedding Reception at a Plantation Home....In Texas! I was a idiot. It was probably 100 degrees.

Small wedding, probably less yhan 100 people. But it was fabulous-held in my parents back yard. All my relatives on both sides showed up. Only bummer was it rained-I kept joking the rain was Good Luck from God. and the caterer delivered the wrong cake. Mine was supposed to have columns, two levels, instead we got a decorated sheet cake, lucky they didn't put our names on. It tasted okay.

Second time around...my church, families and a few friends for the wedding. All of the kids in the family stood up with us :^) My son sang, his son photographed, his grandson videoed, the assorted girls worked on the reception at his church. A lot more people there than at the wedding. It's been 13 years and I don't know that anyone remembers or cares who they originally belonged to. It's wonderful!!

We were married by a judge, with only a handful of "nearest and dearest" on hand. Another couple was being married just before we were scheduled, and when I saw how casually the judge was dressed, my heart just sank. I didn't mind being married by a judge, but I wanted him to look like one, not some schmo who'd wandered in off the street.

Our turn came. In we marched, the men in suits, myself and mother-of-the-bride in color-matched dresses, all the ladies with corsages. The judge looked at us for a moment, then excused himself and disappeared.

A couple of minutes later, back he came, in full robes with a necktie showing. I could have kissed him!

And he did a pretty good job of tieing the knot. That was 1985 and hubby and I are still honeymooning!

Jann