Skip to main content

Post content has been hidden

To unblock this content, please click here

T
Just Said Yes January 2025

Destination wedding, sick grandparent?

Tricia, on September 16, 2023 at 11:33 AM Posted in Family and Relationships 0 4

Hi I just got engaged to my HS sweetheart 10 years later. Happiest time of my life. His job requires travel and we have spent the last 6 summers overseas. We want to get married overseas at this specific place because it is so meaningful to us and only a 3 hour flight but his grandmother can’t travel. In addition we have a large family and don’t want to spend 100,000k on a wedding.

She has fell multiple times in the last year. Now in a wheel chair and has progressing Alzheimer’s. We visit often but her memory is poor doesn’t even remember she saw the ring but she constantly speaks of the wedding for years and kept her dress she wore to her daughters wedding for ours.
She has been the backbone to our relationship since day one and I love her like we are blood. They too have the closest relationship.
I was thinking when we sign the marriage license in the US we can have a very special intimate dinner where we dress fancy and celebrate locally with our close family so she can be there.
But we still want to have the wedding overseas, has any one had this experience? Any advice on what to do): I don’t want to seem like an AH. My fiancé is going to talk to his mom and his 2 aunts.

4 Comments

Latest activity by Michelle, on September 16, 2023 at 9:13 PM
  • C
    CM ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    Grandmother >>>> exotic venue IMO. A wedding does not have to exceed your budget no matter where you live. You can’t always have it all.
    • Reply
  • V
    Savvy July 2023
    Valerie ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    Ultimately, it depends on what's important to you and FH. Objectively, it doesn't sound AH-ish to me, because you're entitled to have your wedding where you like. FWIW, H and I decided to have our wedding where we currently live, even though it meant that his grandmothers wouldn't be able to attend because of the travel. For us, we did make sure to livestream/record our ceremony so that his grandmothers and my family abroad could watch, so that might be something to look into. But what you've proposed sounds like a thoughtful way to include her in celebrating your marriage. If you have the ceremony before you sign the license, you could show the recording before/during dinner. Or if the time difference isn't too extreme, maybe you can coordinate with family so that they can have a little watch party, you can video call her after the ceremony, and then have the fancy dinner when you get back home.

    • Reply
  • Cece
    Rockstar October 2023
    Cece ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    I think the idea of having her witness you signing the marriage license and taking her out for a nice dinner sounds perfect. That means, technically, she is witnessing you getting married; all she will be missing is a vacation/party. You could also live stream the ceremony for her to watch in the comfort of her home. Then she could see the ceremonial part of the wedding, and be there virtually. And you and your SO could take a moment right after the ceremony to chat with her.


    • Reply
  • Michelle
    Rockstar December 2022
    Michelle ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content
    You need to decide if you want grandma to attend or have the exotic venue. Unfortunately destination events (weddings, bachelorette parties, etc) mean that you are consciously limiting the ability for loved ones to be able to attend. They may not have finances or PTO to use, and others don’t want to use their money and time on your wedding that is not a fun trip for them. If you want grandma to attend, have the wedding where your family lives , which is more financially feasible as well, and honeymoon at your exotic location. Best of both worlds.
    • Reply

You voted for . Add a comment 👇

×

Related articles

WeddingWire celebrates love ...and so does everyone on our site! Learn more

Groups

WeddingWire article topics