Dear Brides-to-be (an open letter - another reason why weddings are expensive)

[erika]

It is not OK for you to ask me to pay 200+ dollars to attend your bachelorette party. You are my good friend, and I want so badly not to disappoint you, but your party plans have put me in a position where I have to be a pooper and sit this one out.

The day-trip sounds like a LOT of fun, but I wonder if we couldn't have as much fun in a manner that does not involve driving 5 hours down Rt. 95 on a Saturday in August to go to an amusement park and stay in a "spa" hotel for an evening.

And yes, I realize that "you" are not in control of this situation, as your bridesmaids have taken it upon themselves to plan the party as etiquette dictates. But you could have set a price limit of, say, a hundred dollars? Or maybe even less, considering that in the 10 years I've known you, you've never had more than 20 dollars to spend in an evening.

Let's go out for a night on the town! A nice, reasonable, night on the town. It'll be fun!!

And I won't have to save up for it for weeks beforehand.

I love you! Have fun at your party!
Erika

[Josh]

FOTchan thread

[erika]

What does that mean? It's dumb?

[Josh]

You said it, not me. 



Amusement park? I have an idea for the bridal gift:

[erika]

Ohhh ok. I get it. Thanks!

[TremblingEagle]

Marriage seems so 19th century

why are we as humans still doing it?

[gravy boat]

Marriage seems so 19th century

Why?

[Bryan]

Well, there are legal, social and economic benefits to marriage.

But weddings? Weddings are hideous. If you haven't yet experienced perfectly reasonable people going insane around wedding-time, count yourself lucky. But it will happen to you. And when you don't want to participate in the madness, everyone will think that you're being the psycho.

[John Junk 2.0]

I abstained from my own brother's bachelor party because it would've cost me like $500.  I would've had to take a plane to Colorado to stay in a cabin for four days with a bunch of his friends.  It would've been fun, but it was like 2 or 3 weeks before his wedding in New York, which I had to fly to as well, so it was like "Sorry my beloved brother, but I must sit out on your bachelor party."

Creepiest bachelor party I've ever been to:
Strip club in a converted warehouse in Philly, where they had no liquor license, so you'd bring in a case of beer, but you had to give it to a bartender who'd keep your case behind the bar and hand you your own beer on request.  People also had pizza delivered to this place.

Most bachelor party bachelor party:
Vegas.

Worst bachelor party:
Went to a fucking Dave & Busters.  Dave and Busters is an arcade with a bar.  It's essentially a Chuck E. Cheese for adults.  Except that it's still for children anyway, of course.  We went to the smoking patio and everyone looked like they were 17 years old.

[Matt]

Worst bachelor party:
Went to a fucking Dave & Busters.  Dave and Busters is an arcade with a bar.  It's essentially a Chuck E. Cheese for adults.  Except that it's still for children anyway, of course.  We went to the smoking patio and everyone looked like they were 17 years old.

Don't forget the shuffleboard tables. You mustn't ever forget the shuffleboard tables.

[Shaggy 2 Grote]

I love you! Have fun at your party!
Erika

Thanks, Erika.  The girls and I will miss you.

[iAmBaronVonTito]

Well, there are legal, social and economic benefits to marriage.

But weddings? Weddings are hideous. If you haven't yet experienced perfectly reasonable people going insane around wedding-time, count yourself lucky. But it will happen to you. And when you don't want to participate in the madness, everyone will think that you're being the psycho.

true story

[TremblingEagle]

so you can't just live together and get the same effect?

(tell it to me like I'm a 5 year old)

[Bryan]

so you can't just live together and get the same effect?

(tell it to me like I'm a 5 year old)

Here's an example from my real life: My wife and I moved to England shortly after we were married. She had a student visa, and because we were married I was entitled to work, without restrictions. We met another couple in a similar situation, but who were unmarried, and therefore hubby could only work in the industry that he was trained in: glass-blowing. And because (for zoning reasons) there were no glassworks (If that's what they're called) allowed in Oxford, he had to commute to London to work. To save money and time on the commute, he wound up sleeping in the stairwell of the factory he worked in!

So - Marriage:1, Common-law:0

Also, if you're planning on having kids, marriage is a tidy way to express long-term commitment, and establish legal rights and responsibilities w/r/t the children.

[WavyGravy]

Go to the damn parties people, no matter how much they cost.