That is crazy! Midnight reservation races? With people you know!? Wow.
Our situation is: same country; possibly same month (at most a few weeks apart - our dates/cities can't coordinate - though I suggested it when I found out what they were planning); about 20ish friends in common invited...
I actually feel bad venting as I really like the other bride-to-be. She's a friend that I haven't really kept in touch with very much over the past few years as she is living in another city but for whom I have a lot of respect, really like and would seriously consider attending her destination wedding under other circumstances.
we are more recently engaged (a couple months) than she is (1.5yrs) but we announced our destination wedding plans to friends before they did. I suspect they'd been planning it for much longer though but hadn't told people...
My fiance and I are moving abroad so feel we have a valid "excuse" to be having our wedding abroad... other than the fact I've wanted to do it forever!
I guess in the past few days I've kind of gotten over the fact some of the friends who told us they would come likely won't be able to come anymore (one of FI's closest friends is a relative of hers for example). I don't want to change my date as I'm really limited by my friends' and our families' availability already and I don't think changing the location would accomplish much.
It still sucks though. I think I'm allowed to feel sorry for us on this venting thread. I am getting over it though
It would be so much easier to get angry and nasty if I didn't like her but she's just so nice, sweet, smart, laid-back and wonderful. Perhaps it's less Bride Wars than Bride Scheduling Conflict?