Hey , I'm so sorry you r going thru this. Not seeing you on mother's day bc mother in law more important. Nonsense . Sounds like the gf is a chip off old block of mom. Sounds like sons gf is a well....brat. idk best advice other than talk to your soon about how you'd like to be with him more , or make plans to take walks, lunches , etc things that don't break the bank. Invite son and gf or if gf doesn't come just son. Start to do all you can to make effort to be with son away from this so he can make sure it's what he wants . You are his mother , you deserve to be held high
July 12
Re: The worst wedding trends on Pinterest...
I can see it working in your situation, and I would completely understand it for you, but somehow, I think a lot of people pinning it are just trying to be twee about it.
As for BM proposals, those are ridiculous. When I asked my younger sister to be my MOH, she was said that she was asked by her friends they gave her a little hankerchief with a poem hand embroidered on it. She then said it was super weird and really happy I just called and asked her.
You can also add that little display of "Meet the 'Maids" and something about "gotta have my girls." There is just something cloyingly sweet about it and I just roll my eyes about it.
Found this gem on Pinterest. I think guests probably will notice if you cut some of these out....
My main issue with this was 1 and 2. The others are definitely up to the bride and groom, but I think favors and save the dates are worth it. I just think since you are hosting a party, a favor is a small token of your appreciation to the guests for coming.
And the save the date is very appreciated, especially for out of town guests. One of my best friends from high school is getting married this July. They were initially planning a family only wedding (and my friend told me this in person about a year ago), but decided to have a larger one including all of their friends (which I found out from our mutual friends). The mutual friends seemed to think that I would be invited, and were shocked that I hadn't heard, since I was a lot closer to the groom then they were. I was very confused about the situation, and decided to ask my friend about what I had heard (just that the type of wedding was changed and why they decided to do this; did not bring up whether or not I was invited). After my friend explained all of the details, he told me "oh, and of course you are invited, and here is the date and time." I live on the other side of the country, and if my friends hadn't told me about the change, I would have had to scramble to make travel plans upon receiving the invitation/just before receiving it, since the groom probably wouldn't have told me until then. So, IMO, save the dates are very courteous to guests.
For 1, it really depends on the favor. Who wants a goldfish bowl carved with someone else's wedding date? If you're flying, it's not really going to be easy to get a bottle of wine on the plane or in your suitcase. Unless a favor is edible immediately, or something that you really know your guests are going to love, I think it's totally skippable. (For the record, best favor I ever got was last summer when B&G bought everyone caramel corn from the groom's home city and doughnuts from the bride's. Most of them didn't make it out of the building, though...)
I also think that Save the Dates can get really out of hand. Of course you should let your out of town guests know about the wedding in plenty of time for them to make travel arrangements. But sending magnets plastered with your face to everyone you know is completely unnecessary. It would frankly be easier and cheaper to call, email, or write a note to those who need the time to plan. My family friend who's getting married in my city really didn't need to send me a 4x6 picture of her face with the ring displayed prominently.
@Inkdancer (didn't want a huge quote box):
I think you have valid points. I just think completely forgoing save the dates (and only waiting until you send out invitations to inform people) is rude if you know you have guests that need to make arrangements. However, I completely agree that you don't need to send a save the date to everyone that you plan to invite. And yes, I agree that you want to make sure that the favors are actually useful and appreciated, such as something edible.
I agree with some of that list(a lot of churches won't allow aisle runners for liability reasons). But to not have a BP because it isn't necessary isn't always true. I have two sisters that would legitimately be hurt if they weren't included as by MOH as well as a best friend that is as close as my sisters.
I think this list is saying you can save a ton of money, but if you are reasonably creative you don't need to spend a ton of money to have a great wedding. Technically, to be married all you need is a 5 minute ceremony at the JOTP.