I'm not sure if this is the best place to post this, but here we go.
An old college friend of mine moved to the UK to be with his girlfriend. They got married and had a ceremony in the UK sometime last year. I received a save the date in the mail for what I thought was going to be something like a reception in the US, but today, I received the actual invitation, and it's going to be another full-on wedding ceremony! Here's how the invitation is worded:
"invite you to share in the joy
of the beginning of their new life together (but they're already married!)
when they exchange marriage vows"
I know that the bride is going to wear a wedding dress and the whole nine yards. It can't possibly be acceptable to have two wedding ceremonies, can it? Even if they take place in different countries? Once you're legally married, you're legally married...so wouldn't the second ceremony be something of a sham?