Honestly, Tom and I were completely floored when our daughter, Emily, told us she was getting married. She was only eighteen, for goodness sake! There was absolutely no convincing Emily to have a rethink.
My mother-in-law sat her down and asked, Sweetheart, are you expecting a baby?
Emily just shook her head and said, No, Gran.
Her fiancé, Matthew, was only two years older than her. We discussed everything with his parents and, in the end, decided the wedding would be at our house. Emily wasnt thrilled though.
She said, Thats just so old-fashioned! Lets do something a bit more modern.
Honestly, we argued about it for ages. Eventually, we agreed on a proper wedding party at a restaurant. And, surprise, Emily picked the most expensive package on offer. Neither we nor Matthews parents were pleased about it, to put it mildly.
Cue the tears from Emily:
You only get married once in your life.
Well, that did it. We took out a loan, and so did Matthews parents. They bought her the diamond ring she insisted on. Emily and I went dress shopping and eventually she chose a dress that was absolutely stunning.
We planned to take our old Vauxhall to the registry office, but Emily wasnt having any of it.
Cant we hire a Range Rover instead?
Her dad tried to explain how pricey that would be, but she wouldnt let it go.
I really, really want one, she said.
So, we hired a Range Rover for Emily and Matthews wedding. By the time their big day rolled around, we were utterly spent both mentally and physically. The whole thing cost us a small fortune, easily about £20,000. And then, not even six months later, Emily and Matthew split up.
Turns out, Emily just didnt like being married. She had a laundry list of complaints about Matthew.
It made me think about my own wedding day. I wore a lovely top and skirt, and my fiancé was waiting at the registry office with a bouquet. We’ve been married twenty years now, raised a child together. Not once did we have a huge celebration, but it never made a difference to our marriage.
Im not against weddings at all not by any means. But honestly, some things really are better in moderation. Fingers crossed, Emily takes things a bit slower next time around.
