What happened to cause you to have a religious ceremony instead of a civil one? I've heard of things going awry such that the reverse course happened, but never this.
As for "the best day ever", I've never understood why there's such a heavy focus on the wedding. Granted, in my family weddings are traditionally much more about everyone getting together to celebrate than the actual bride and groom. They're the excuse. :D
Traditionally the way we view it is that the bride's family pays for the wedding part, while the groom's family must pay for the reception, which these days is expected to be an open bar and ample and decent food. As I said, it's far more about a fun time for the attendees than just the couple. There's also strong pressure to be financially sensible. For those who have the money to splash about, by all means go with the expensive venue, doves, etc. etc.; while those who don't are actually questioned if people feel they're spending more than necessary. Everyone would rather that the money go to buying a home, or at least something like a really good honeymoon, rather than just focusing on the wedding itself. It's just one day after all -- there's also a life to be lived after!
And speaking of things like wedding arrangements, do you have a registry somewhere I could make a purchase online to be gifted to you and Paul anonymously? :)
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As for "the best day ever", I've never understood why there's such a heavy focus on the wedding. Granted, in my family weddings are traditionally much more about everyone getting together to celebrate than the actual bride and groom. They're the excuse. :D
Traditionally the way we view it is that the bride's family pays for the wedding part, while the groom's family must pay for the reception, which these days is expected to be an open bar and ample and decent food. As I said, it's far more about a fun time for the attendees than just the couple. There's also strong pressure to be financially sensible. For those who have the money to splash about, by all means go with the expensive venue, doves, etc. etc.; while those who don't are actually questioned if people feel they're spending more than necessary. Everyone would rather that the money go to buying a home, or at least something like a really good honeymoon, rather than just focusing on the wedding itself. It's just one day after all -- there's also a life to be lived after!
And speaking of things like wedding arrangements, do you have a registry somewhere I could make a purchase online to be gifted to you and Paul anonymously? :)