Who is attending your legal wedding?

[KLaBate54]

Thank you so much for everyone's help so far! I'm still so torn as to what we should do! I see both sides of having and not having our parents there. We also considered having my grandparents there too, but I really think they would have a hard time keeping it a secret. I'm going to have to do a lot more thinking!

[tylersgirl]

Yeah, we are trying to keep it a secret from everyone Katie, but I have a feeling everyone will find out b/c the applications for a marriage license are printed in our local newspaper for the public to see and I know people will see it If people ask me, I will tell them but if they don't we will keep it from them Good luck with your decision. Let us know what you decide

[JOSIE]

We are including our immediate families, but no one else. We asked that our parents keep it private because its so much earlier than our wedding day. Ours is this friday and it will be: My Dad Mom and Bro, and Jason's Dad, Mom, and Bro. Hope that helps!

[MrsGin09]

we're going through the same thing now, we want to do our civil this week, and need a witness, and go to dinner or something, but at the same time we dont to make this bigger than our wedding in mexico...

[autjo]

It is your wedding and you should do whatever feel right to you and FI, makes you happy and is the least stressful!

 

I am definitely a little out of the norm on this thread and I totally owe it to FI. He honestly has the biggest mouth and can't keep a secret to save his life. It makes me happy that he is excited about getting married, but sometimes he just talks too much. Anyways, we are going to be in Vegas for a kickball tourney a month before the wedding so we decided to make it legal at the Little White Wedding Chapel drive thru - LOL. It was just going to be us and 2 friends, but then FI told his parents. So I had to tell my parents because I felt bad about keeping a secret from them. My mom has a huge mouth so she told a bunch of people. And then FI told our kickball team and some of the un-bridesmaids. So you can see it escalated really quickly. Instead of fighting it and being mad, I decided to embrace his enthusiasm. We booked a 30 person limo and invited our parents and siblings (none of them are probably coming). We also invited some people who are going to Vegas with us for the tournament and then we are going to go VIP party somewhere afterwards.

 

The point is that everyone knows that Mexico is our “real” wedding with a traditional dress, ceremony and reception. Vegas is just a formality and another reason to pull our friends together for a party. I also justified buying a short white dress and birdcage veil so I could be a trendy Vegas bride - tehehehehehe

[sunnyee]

We have decided to get legally married after we return from our DW. Neither of us have living parents so we have only told my BM (who is also my TA) and her husband. We felt that since our TA will be involved in the arrangements she should know the truth about our plans. And since it wasn't fair to have her keep it from her husband, we included him. He will be conducting our Sand Ceremony. We expressed our desire to keep the legal wedding a secret and also told them we could use a couple of trusted allies in Mexico to help execute the secret. When we return home and go to make it legal, they will be our witnesses.

[Glamourina]

Originally, it was just going to be both sets of parents, grandparents (couldn't come to the DW), and a one sibling.. Then friends who are not able to come to the DW really wanted to be there for the legal wedding so they are coming as well. IWe're just going out for a quiet dinner after the legal wedding, but no reception. I've never really kept it a secret that my destination wouldn't be legal but I have made it clear that my destination wedding was my dream wedding and most important one. In the end, I think people are happy just to be present at your ceremony regardless if it's a legal one or not.

[lrdavis23]

I'm glad I came across this thread I was wondering the same thing and I think we will have both parents for sure and our grandparents since they won't be able to make the DW, our sisters and brothers and thats it. Everyone else can see the symbolic ceremony. thx ladies for all this helpful info.

[amygirl1169]

I'm not quite sure either... I don't want my parents to have to take more time off work (and I don't think they'll be able to anyway). But we've asked my grandfather, who's 96 and probably shouldn't travel, to be our legal day 'best man'. Hopefully we can keep it just the 3 of us and go for a nice lunch after.

[YaelM]

We just had my parents as witnesses and made sure they didnt tell anyone. We actually never told his mom since she lives in Boston and she is known for giving away secrets LOL. We actually never told anyone even after our wedding that we got legally married before