I actually think it is very regional. I live in NY and attended many very elaborate weddings where I had to shell out a $300 gift ($600 for close family) for a gift. I think the idea is that you have to cover your plate and then some. My DH's friend is a wedding photographer and he charges a minimum of $12K for a wedding and he is booked solid. Around here, giving money is a norm. The registry is for the bridal shower and I have seen many registeries that include plasma's and $400 place settings. I have several girls at my job getting married and they are spending between $25-$40K. It's outrageous if you ask me and quite stressful because you want to attend these events but they become very unaffordable! In addition, for the amount of money you spend on a wedding, you can put a down payment on a house! When I got married 7 years ago, my parents offered m $20K to pay for the wedding. We looked at several places that cost $150/person and it just didn't feel right sending all that money on one day. We opted to have our wedding a restaurant instead of a reception hall and invited 75 people (much to the chagrin of my parents who wanted me to invite 200 people). My bouquet and cake were from Costco. I had one maid of honor and advertised at a local college to get cheap photographer/videographer. My dress was off the rack of a bridal store and I drove myself to the church. I ended up spending about $7K and the other 13K was part of the down payment for our home. I will admit that my friends and family were generous despite the simple nature of our wedding which I was extremely grateful for.

There is a woman in our community who has been complaining and badmouthing us for not inviting her to our daughter's recent wedding. It wasn't a small wedding, but it wasn't huge, either, and it was mostly out of town family. As our son-in-law's family live overseas, none of their family friends could come, so our daughter asked us to keep our list as small as possible. There were maybe 20 local couples. But that meant that there were several more that we really would have liked to include, people who were right on that "rather awkward not to invite but I guess they will just have to understand" line. Like I think you are in your situation, Karen. But all of those others have been totally lovely about it. They congratulate us and say that they hear it was beautiful and fun, without any implication that they should've been included. In the very few instances where it would've been more awkward than not to avoid saying something like, "We really wish we could've invited more of our friends, but Daughter asked us not to as her in-laws' friends couldn't come" -- they don't even usually let us finish before assuring us, "Of course! Don't worry at all. Everyone has the same problem, so everyone understands." Anyone who has ever had to make a guest list really does understand that there are always going to be some you would love to invite, but you just can't. Except for this one immature woman. She has been giving me the cold shoulder publicly and even made a point of calling our best friends and complaining about it to them. Best Friend said, "They really had very few local guests," and Immature replied, "Bull! What about the Smiths?" BF, who was really getting angry about this, resisted the temptation to point out the the Smiths were not only among our closest friends, they had hosted a shower for Daughter in their home, and instead just said, "I didn't realize you were that close with the Gellchoms." We like Immature and her husband just fine, but we aren't especially close with them and Daughter certainly isn't. Other than 4 couples that Daughter specifically requested because she loves them, the only locals included were the officiants and people who hosted parties, housed out of town guests, made hospitality bags, baked, decorated, or helped in some other way. But although we like the Immatures enough that they were in that would-love-to-invite group, they neither offered to help nor are close with Daughter, so that was that. (They were invited to, and did attend, Son's wedding 3 years ago; you'd think that would tell them something!) The point here is that even though Immature thinks that EVERYONE but her was both invited and similarly situated to her, she's wrong. The criteria for the guest list seems as obvious to her as this one does to you, but you really don't know. I mean, it was the daughter's wedding, not hers; that bride, too, may well have said "Only the neighbors I have a relationship with" or something. And the even more important point is that even if she were correct, she is making a real fool of herself over it. You are entitled to your feelings, and you may in fact have been slighted -- how would I know? But I am confident that I am giving you good advice when I tell you to be a lady about it and not complain or criticize to anyone, because right or wrong, you will be the one who looks petty and childish.

Vickey, you CAN fix those socks to fit. With a yarn needle, thread a piece of yarn (essentially a lifeline) through the stitches a half inch further back than where you started your toe decreases, then cut the sock off a couple of rows before your lifeline (on the side closest to the toe) and unravel the yarn until you get to the row with the yarn threaded through it. Then just slide those stitches onto your needle(s) and knit another toe. If you don't have enough yarn to do that, then snip open the toe and unravel all the way back to your lifeline and reknit the toe. It's more tedious that way, but you'll have the socks you wanted when you're done. It's sort of like the method I use for heels. Here is a link to a tutorial for the afterthought heel. Here is a link that might be useful: afterthought heel

Getting ready for the last minute details here too Vikki!There is so much you can't do til the last minute. We can't get in to do any of the reception decorating til sometime that morning! I'm glad Heather is doing things very simple. I have GF and DSis and DSIL's to help and they will come running if I ask. Also at least 2 of the Grooms sisters will help anywhere needed. I have a hair appt at 9 am that day and then will be going to the reception place to start there. Gotta take all the food down that morning too. I am afraid its going to be a long day for the GB's too. Maddie and Drew need naps, don't ask me how Maddie will nap with her hair done! Still having a problem with someones mother on the wedding day. I tell ya that "someone" can be the worlds biggest pain! Maid of Honor has a problem with her dress, we gotta do a quick fix this wkend. Still don't know if pregnant bridesmaid is coming, last we heard she was! LOL My dear Uncle Gene is sick with some respiratory crud the nursing home has!!! He is in such a fragile state right now. I hope and pray nothing happens to him. He gets sick and it gets bad very,very fast. I keep taking lots of deep breaths here! It works for about 5 minutes! Bwaahahaha Glad you liked that Black Bean Chicken recipe, we sure do! HANG IN THERE Vikki!! I know I will be thinking of your wedding taking place while ours is!!! It's going to be a long day, but I know it will be over fast!