Its hard to believe that there is only 2 more days until the wedding! Boy did that time ever go fast! I'm excited for it to get here but then again it will be all over....sort of like Christmas Day in a kids mind.
We gave the final count for the rehearsal dinner today...19 Prime Rib and 18 Chicken Parmesan...plus one Chicken Tenders (for Grande's girlfriend who requested that!)...and 2 kids meals. We made the decision to not have an open bar. I know Venti isn't going to be too happy about this, but we talked about it and decided that we are having a nice dinner for everyone and its not a night to be drinking and possibly drinking too much and then having a hangover the morning of the wedding! Our thoughts are that if they want a drink (other then soda, tea, coffee), then they can get it themselves...besides the fact of the cost involved! We are already racking that bill up at $25 a plate + tax and tip! What do you guys think about that? Should we have an open bar...or no?
Joe is taking the boys tomorrow to pick up the tuxes...I have to work and so I can't go....:(
That's another $500+! I just hope everyone's fit and I'll be anxious to see them!
Speaking of work...well you know about how my boss quit last Friday....Well yesterday the boss of the boss called me and offered me a promotion! Well sort of a promotion...she offered me a $1.00 an hour raise (woot!) and the opportunity for advancement....in 90 days. She is giving me a Mentor that will show me the ins and outs of the "manager's" job and then in 90 days if all goes well I will be the Assistant Manager....then after another 6 months if all goes well I'll be offered the Manager's position....the store will not have a manager until I become the manager....but hummmm....I was just wondering how can I be an Assistant Manager if there is no Manager?? I am running the store now and doing everything the manager did....for a lot less money.....but I'm looking at the future and hoping that I'll be reciprocated for all my efforts. I guess time will tell! One more day of work and them I am off on Friday!!
Can anyone tell me what one gets their child for a wedding present?? I am at a loss...do I get a gift.....gift cards....money....and if I give money...how much? I really have no idea!! If anyone has any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it!
I think you're right about the bar. Folks need to not be hungover in the morning.
ReplyDeleteI think you'll do just fine with your job. I'm glad they realized you can do it. Your blog buddies knew it all along!
Regarding gift, I haven't been through this yet, but my Mom would have suggested something of a keepsake.She was really good at finding the right thing.
We did not have alcohol at our daughter's rehearsal dinner for the very reasons you posted and no one minded at all. The boys did try to hit the open bar we had for the reception BEFORE the ceremony BUT that was easily halted.
ReplyDeleteSounds like your company heads are going to be saving themselves some money while benefiting from you taking on all the responsibilities of being a manager--without the title, they don't have to pay. Hope it will pay off eventually!
Since we put out $15,000.00 for the wedding, we didn't give a gift---the wedding was the gift! LOL
I agree with the no-open-bar. My husband and I got married in a public park, so no alcohol was allowed at all - and I think it kept things light and fun, with no pressure on anyone regarding drinking, no worries about people driving later, and definitely fewer money worries!
ReplyDeleteFor a gift, my parents gave us a GPS unit - very helpful since we did a LOT of driving on our honeymoon, and hubby still doesn't know his way around our town all that well. His mom gave us a hundred dollars in cash, and his dad / step mom gave us a gift card to Target, I think.
Can't wait to see all kinds of pretty photos of the Java family! ;)
Congrats on the job promotion.
ReplyDeleteYay the wedding is almost here. I'd take one of those chicken dinners. =) I wouldn't add the open bar either. If some one wants a drink that bad they can pay for it their selves. I think cash would make a nice wedding gift. =)
The gift from the parents is something that can be very flexible. I like the one idea of something keepsake. But by the same token, if they are going on a nice honeymoon, the extra cash would probably come in handy. I've been to many weddings in lifetime and the parents don't always give a gift at that time or they have already given it before the wedding (furniture, house, trip or cash). Another option is to wait until they come home and go through all the gifts and see what they still need.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the job promotion! I think you are right about the open bar. If people want to drink, they can buy it themselves. Nothing wrong with that! We gave our first married child one of the bigger gifts that they had registered for that they really wanted....a Kitchenaid stand mixer. To keep things fair, we gave the next child, my stepdaughter, the same gift. Her husband is a chef and they didn't have one and really loved the one that her brother and sister in law received. Some cash on the side is always a nice bonus too and since you are parents, the other expenses that you have with the wedding count as part of the gift as well. In my humble opinion, of course. :0)
ReplyDeleteHave a great Thursday!
Candace
I concurr on your choice about the open bar. Open bars can go a couple of different directions depending on the personalities of the people present. If your first instinct was that you didn't want an open bar because you wanted everyone "to have a nice dinner and not have a hangover" that indicates to me that the people coming are probably people who would really "enjoy" (lol) an open bar and not just have a drink with dinner. (The alternate line of thinking here would be your first thought being the price and not people's behavior..)
ReplyDeleteI think you made the right choice. Another choice would be to have a couple bottles of wine on the tables and that be it.
When it comes to gifts for the couple, it varies wildly. Really, the wedding itself can be the gift. That said, I know when my sister got married, her husband's parents gave them $1,000 in cash. I don't recall whether we had a rehearsal dinner though, and I'm pretty sure they made no other contributions to the wedding.
Something for them to put towards their future and life together that they are building and something that is not about immediate gratification is probably the best gift you could give them, because it's going to be a rare gift given. So a bond, something towards a home, something like that.
OH, and RE the new promotion: I think this is GREAT... buuuut I think you should mention the above issues with corporate and ask them who exactly is going to be doing all of those tasks that you have already been doing all of this time anyway and already know how to do?? HMMMM?
ReplyDeleteHi! Saw you on the blog hop -- my blog was featured as well.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you have a very busy and exciting weekend ahead! Good luck with it all :)
Look forward to following your blog -- stop over and say hi when you get a minute.
Angie, Catladyland
www.eclecticcatladyland.blogspot.com
Congrats on the new job. That is just the way corporate world works. My husband got a new job as a type of promotion. The only problem was that he had to also do his old job for almost a year until they found a replacement.
ReplyDeleteAs for the bar, I think you made the right choice. The last thing you want is people to have hangovers the day of the wedding. Besides this is not the night for drinking.
Have fun at the wedding!
I agree about no open bar at the Rehearsal Dinner. Terrible to have a bunch of hungover people in the bridal party. That said, wow... in some ways it is hard to believe the Big Day is almost here. What a journey!
ReplyDeleteHiya~!!! We came over from the Blog Hop! Well CONGRATS on the wedding!!! Wishing years of bliss, health, and happiness. I have a 4 year old, so I have a LONG time till we hafta go through this. Enjoy your day!!!
ReplyDeleteShannon (The Kool~Kittie~Krew's mom)
YEAH!!! The weddding is basically here!!! ... all will go beautiful and can't wait to see the pictures.
ReplyDeleteWishing you success on the career front!! HHL
I've given your site an award!
ReplyDeletehttp://tifanis-mom.blogspot.com/2010/10/yeah-another-award-thank-you.html
I wouldn't have an open bar since too many things can go wrong this close to the wedding, so I'm with you on that one. About the job, Corporate had to have known your boss wasn't happy or having issues - so it may work out for you. That said I wouldn't give them more than two weeks figure out you're the one for the job without being compensated. I've got my fingers crossed for you.
ReplyDeletei wouldn't have an open bar. the cost plus if someone over doesit drinking. watch the job, work more does that mean a promotion for certainty as well as how long until promoted? i sugg. money for the couple. i know it's going to be great. rose
ReplyDeleteThe NO open bar is probably a good decision. Such an expense. People tend to abuse it.
ReplyDeletethey can drink IF THEY REALLY NEED to later...out of their wallet
as for a gift, sheesh, sounds like all the money you are spending on the wedding should be gift enough
I have married off 5 kids and it was the money we helped them to put it all together, and then an extra little wad for their honeymoon....you can only do what you can.
I'm with everybody else with not having the open bar. If they want it, they can buy it themselves after the dinner. You don't want to open yourself to a liability if someone gets hurt (God forbid).
ReplyDeleteI have no idea about the wedding gift, but I know my husband would say, "We just spent XXX dollars on a rehearsal dinner, and now we have to get them a gift?" LOL!
Hallelujah you are almost there!! Ours was picture perfect and lots of fun! Our gift was a healthy budget for the rehearsal dinner with the bonus that any extra $ could be used for the honeymoon.
ReplyDeleteThey had charge of choosing the dinner so kept it low and will use the remainder to have an additional reception here in California!! (A friend with great connections gave them a discount at an amazing resort for the honeymoon!)
We also chose no open bar for same reasons.
Have fun and enjoy your day!
I also bought a wonderful inscribed necklace for the bride from The Pretty Peacock that is just her style! She loved it!
Glad the day is finally here! I'm sure that you and your family are having the time of your lives as I write this! Of course, pictures are a must! I'm too late to suggest anything for the rehearsal dinner, but just for the record, I do agree with what everyone else advised you.
ReplyDeleteMany times the groom's parents consider the rehearsal dinner the main gift to the happy couple, so that would be perfectly acceptable. But if you're anything hubs and me, then a couple of "C-Notes" for the honeymoon couldn't hurt! Many guests will give checks and the banks aren't open on Sunday, so the cold hard cash could be a Godsend!
Do you have anything in your jewelry box that was handed down to you by a beloved aunt or other family member, that isn't quite the family jewels? Something pretty, but not worth one of your mortgage payments?
I'm sure that just the fact that it is a family keepsake of some kind, would thrill your new daughter-in-law and really make her feel like she is now truly a member of the family. Just my two cents! Hope you're having a blast!
Peace,
Martha
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