Wedding Woes

Destination wedding... in three months

A couple of weeks ago, my fiance's brother called from China (where he lives) to let us know that he proposed to his long distance girlfriend of six months.  She is Chinese, so all of her family lives there as well.  He asked my fiance to be his best man, and he agreed before asking when the wedding is taking place.  

Then he told us that he wants to get married in three months.  When my fiance told him that there is no way that we could afford to go to China that soon, his brother offered to pay for his flight.  There was no mention of how I would get to China.  We are still recovering financially from his sister's destination wedding a month ago, and we are trying to save for our own.  Even if his brother paid for his flight, we wouldn't be able to have the both of us go, because last minute tickets can be over $3000 a piece in addition to hotels and passports.  

I like his brother, but I'm really mad that he would put us in this situation.  He refuses to change the date to something further out, saying that they want to move in together when his lease is up, and his religion forbids him from moving in together before they are married.  My fiance feels bad about not going to his brother's wedding, but he will not go if I can't go.  I feel that his brother is being selfish by forcing his family to either spend thousands of dollars a person to attend a small restaurant wedding where they can't interact with any other guests (nobody speaks the same language) or being guilted for saying that they won't go.  Are we overreacting here?      

Re: Destination wedding... in three months

  • Ditto PP. It's not the most considerate action in the world, but I'd be pushing FI to go without me if this were the situation. Is his brother being kind of a douche? Yes. But it's family and you make allowances.
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  • your FI needs to make a decision here. If he wants to attend the wedding, his brother will buy the ticket, and your FI can afford the incidentals, has the vacation days, etc. then he should go for it. Would it be nice if you could afford to go? Sure. Would it be nice of BIL to pay your way? Yes - but it's not necessary, and you don't get to dictate how BIL spends his cash.

    Your FI can go and you can politely decline. Take the opportunity to have a girls' weekend, and enjoy your free time. Unless you two are physically attached, there's no reason you can't spend a few days apart. 

    I flew to PA back in May to attend a friend's wedding - my husband and daughter stayed in TX. I realize that it's not quite the cost differential of going to China, but the cost would have added up considerably if the two of them had gone  - rather than my $250 airfare, we'd have paid $750 airfare, $200 dog boarding, $200 or so in meals  $50 in parking at the airport, etc. - and we were fortunate enough to be able to stay with my parents and skip the hotel and rental car. Sure, we could afford the $1300 or so that the trip would have cost, but we have other things we'd rather spend that money on. There's nothing wrong with declining an event for that reason - even if it is family. 
  • His brother can chose to get married where and when he wants. Yes, he could be more considerate and give people more time to save but he didn't. Your FI can either go without you or decline. It's his call and his brother is probably prepared for that since he is having a destination wedding with 3 months notice.

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  • they could make at least one of them a non-destination destination wedding.
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  • Did the brother actually guilt you or do you just feel bad? No one that has a destination wedding anticipates that many people to go (or at least they shouldn't). It would be terrible for your FI not to go just because you can't go.  People are not obligated to arrange their personal affairs for the convenience of others. I don't understand why people get so upset about destination weddings - if you can't go then just don't go. There is always a reason for the destination wedding.
  • snoopy76 said:
    There is always a reason for the destination wedding.
    And that reason is: the location is more important than the guests.
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  • Yup, that is one reason. SO that gives you an answer= don't go! If the couple wanted more guests there and the guest were the most important part, they'd have the wedding in a more convenient place. Definitely don't spend all the money to go and get yourself all upset that you were "forced" to go because no one is ever forced to go.
  • It's not a destination wedding.  They're getting married where they live - that's a normal wedding, IMO.

    I agree with the others - your FI should be at his brother's wedding, even if that means you don't go.  That's his BROTHER.  Yes, it would have been nice of them to pay for you as well, but they're not obligated to do so.  Give him your blessing and tell him to go and don't make him feel bad about it.  It doesn't really sound like you want to go anyway since it's "only" a restaurant wedding and you don't speak the language. 
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  • NerdyLucyNerdyLucy member
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    edited July 2013
    It's not a destination wedding.  They're getting married where they live - that's a normal wedding, IMO.

    Agreed. I don't consider this a destination wedding. 

    ETA: I get that everyone else has to travel, but the brother lives there, as does soon-to-be wife and her entire family.

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  • I wouldn't go to a destination wedding in any of the island locations that friends have chosen in the past, but I would bust my butt hard to try and get to China for a wedding.  B/c China.

    It's his brother and his brother lives in China.  There's nothing to be done about those 2 facts.  Send your FI, with well wishes and a smile and get over it already.

  • Apparently the OP didn't get the answer she was hoping for...

  • Sorry I haven't been back here in what feels like forever.  I wasn't trying to guilt my FI into not going, he just doesn't want to spend a week alone in another country with nobody to talk to.  Also, it is still a little pricey for him to go alone.  I tried to convince him to go, but he just won't.  

    I'm still upset that his brother didn't consider any of his family when picking the wedding date.  I know that it is their right to choose whichever date that they like, but when his sister got married, she coordinated with her brother's work schedule to make sure that he could attend.  To me, that just shows how much it meant to her to have all of her family there at their wedding.  He just didn't give anybody else that kind of thought.  

    It may not technically be a destination wedding, but it still involves all of the guests, including the bride's family, to travel three or more hours to attend.  

    In re-reading my post I think the last bit is a little unclear.  By picking that date and location, he is forcing us to make a choice between going and being bitched at later for not going.
  • Your FI needs to just shut any bitching down.  "Sorry, I couldn't make it".  He's an adult, he doesn't have to explain his decisions.  

    Also, put yourself in this man's shoes.  He's found the woman he 1) wants to marry, 2) live with and 3) probably shag finally if he's this religious.  THAT is what is is the #1 priority in his mind, not anyone's schedule.
  • I have been in his shoes though.  My FI and I were separated for a while due to work, and I wanted nothing more than to fly over and stay with him.  

    If he's prepared to make a lifelong commitment to this woman, he shouldn't have a big issue with postponing the date so that his family can be there.  At this point, his parents aren't even going.
  • Siren89 said:
    A couple of weeks ago, my fiance's brother called from China (where he lives) to let us know that he proposed to his long distance girlfriend of six months.  She is Chinese, so all of her family lives there as well.  He asked my fiance to be his best man, and he agreed before asking when the wedding is taking place.  

    Then he told us that he wants to get married in three months.  When my fiance told him that there is no way that we could afford to go to China that soon, his brother offered to pay for his flight.  There was no mention of how I would get to China.  We are still recovering financially from his sister's destination wedding a month ago, and we are trying to save for our own.  Even if his brother paid for his flight, we wouldn't be able to have the both of us go, because last minute tickets can be over $3000 a piece in addition to hotels and passports.  

    I like his brother, but I'm really mad that he would put us in this situation.  He refuses to change the date to something further out, saying that they want to move in together when his lease is up, and his religion forbids him from moving in together before they are married.  My fiance feels bad about not going to his brother's wedding, but he will not go if I can't go.  I feel that his brother is being selfish by forcing his family to either spend thousands of dollars a person to attend a small restaurant wedding where they can't interact with any other guests (nobody speaks the same language) or being guilted for saying that they won't go.  Are we overreacting here?      

    Siren89 said:
    Sorry I haven't been back here in what feels like forever.  I wasn't trying to guilt my FI into not going, he just doesn't want to spend a week alone in another country with nobody to talk to.  Also, it is still a little pricey for him to go alone.  I tried to convince him to go, but he just won't.  

    I'm still upset that his brother didn't consider any of his family when picking the wedding date.  I know that it is their right to choose whichever date that they like, but when his sister got married, she coordinated with her brother's work schedule to make sure that he could attend.  To me, that just shows how much it meant to her to have all of her family there at their wedding.  He just didn't give anybody else that kind of thought.  

    It may not technically be a destination wedding, but it still involves all of the guests, including the bride's family, to travel three or more hours to attend.  

    In re-reading my post I think the last bit is a little unclear.  By picking that date and location, he is forcing us to make a choice between going and being bitched at later for not going.

    Siren89 said:
    I have been in his shoes though.  My FI and I were separated for a while due to work, and I wanted nothing more than to fly over and stay with him.  

    If he's prepared to make a lifelong commitment to this woman, he shouldn't have a big issue with postponing the date so that his family can be there.  At this point, his parents aren't even going.

    Sounds like your FBIL has made his choice, and there is really nothing wrong with that.
  • I understand that he has made his choice, but I'm also worried that he's going to regret getting married without his family there all because he didn't want to wait a couple of months.  I can't change when he wants to have his wedding, but nobody is going to go.  
  • well, too bad for him.
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  • So first you were mad he "put you in that situation" and now you are worried for future regrets that he may never actually have?

    I feel like you care way more about this than FBIL does. He has picked what is more important to HIM. Let it go.

  • Siren89 said:
    I understand that he has made his choice, but I'm also worried that he's going to regret getting married without his family there all because he didn't want to wait a couple of months.  I can't change when he wants to have his wedding, but nobody is going to go.  


    But to play devil's advocate, have you considered that if they got married somewhere, then his fiance would be in this same situation?  After all, that's where SHE is from, that's where HER family is from, not to mention she and the groom both live there. 

    Either his family is catered to or her family is catered to, or they get married where both sides have to travel and both sides are equally put out. 

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  • His parents suggested that they have two small weddings for that reason.  One in the US and one in China.  He wouldn't go for it.
  • His parents suggested that they have two small weddings for that reason.  One in the US and one in China.  He wouldn't go for it.
    There's no way they could have two weddings unless they got divorced inbetween. I recommend you let it go.
  • SBminiSBmini member
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    His parents suggested that they have two small weddings for that reason.  One in the US and one in China.  He wouldn't go for it.
    There's no way they could have two weddings unless they got divorced inbetween. I recommend you let it go.
    Yes, it is possible to have two "celebrations". 

    Siren, you have to make peace with your decision. Your FBIL should have known this was something that may happen and that's on him, not you guys. If he wants to pout that's his problem. It is quite selfish to expect people to go to such lengths to be at his wedding and I wouldn't make apologies for not be able to go to those lengths. 
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  • If this were just about any other person, I wouldn't care, but my FBIL has had a rough time relationship -wise.  I'm upset that he wouldn't consider his half of the family when trying to plan a wedding, but at the same time, I do want him to be happy.  I love him, but we just can't go. 

    I was worried about sounding like a jerk about saying that I couldn't go, even if my FI's ticket was paid for.  I have a tendency of being bossy and overbearing, and in this situation, I'm really trying to avoid my FBIL blaming me for his brother not being at his wedding.  I think that everyone has given me a good idea of how to approach this topic with my FBIL, and I appreciate the input.  
  • ChiGirl2013ChiGirl2013 member
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    edited July 2013
    scribe95 said:
    Just to clarify, your husband CAN go. He is choosing not to.
    This.  Your FBIL offered to pay for him to go to the wedding and your FI is basically saying "Nah, you're not important enough for me to risk a little discomfort to be there on the most important day of your life."  If you think your FI will EVER be able to live this down, you are sadly mistaken.  If he doesn't go, he will be the d-bag of the family in your brother's eyes, and in his future wife's (and her family's) eyes for a really long time.  He's basically slapping them in the face.  I would tell him to reconsider.
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  • While it would be nice of the future BIL to cover your airfare as well, I would INSIST my FI go without me. The BIL has a valid reason to choose that date. It's their wedding. Just don't go and don't feel guilty. Just my humble opinion.
    I agree wholeheartedly with this. If it were my fiance, I would feel awful if he chose to stay home with me instead of attend his sibling's wedding.
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  • I talked with my FI, and he's perfectly fine with being considered a jerk by his brother.  
  • Grabows14Grabows14 member
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    edited July 2013
    Siren89 said:

    I talked with my FI, and he's perfectly fine with being considered a jerk by his brother.  

    Lol then why do you care... He doesn't... I would just let it go. You said before you were overbearing and you didn't want to be, but it seems like you are being overbearing right now.

    IMO send a care package to him from the both if you expressing your regret of not going and happiness of the wedding celebration..
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