Bates Wedding: 800 Invitations and Counting/Pirate MERGE

[Ralar]

Parking is free just use the field next to the church. Seating? Who gets to sit? You mill around the church social hall after the ceremony or go outside on the playground while juggling your plate of cake. (I'm not joking!) What are these favors of which you speak? Fundie weddings don't usually have party favors unless you count the paper plate or cup. :)

And cake is inexpensive. 1 wedding cake. Take it into the kitchen after the ceremonial cutting and cut it into slices, together with a bunch of sheet cakes. Serve both to guests. No one will know the difference. Caterers do this all the time.

[GeoBQn]

The hotel accommodation section for guests is still listed as "Coming Soon." Might want to get on that considering the wedding is in 6 days.

[already hungover]

800 wedding guests?

Im from a large family and I still dont think I could think of 800 people to invite, even if I invited all my third cousins who I had never met.

I can't even think of 8 people I'd want at my wedding, honestly.

[BornOKThe1stTime]

I can't even think of 8 people I'd want at my wedding, honestly.

I'm with you, Hungover. I got married last year to my partner of 22 years--it was just me, him and a justice of the peace.

[already hungover]

I'm with you, Hungover. I got married last year to my partner of 22 years--it was just me, him and a justice of the peace.

I'm glad I'm not the only one - now I don't have to feel like a total curmudgeon. Your wedding sounds exactly like what I want. I like the idea of a private ceremony with just the two people involved. I feel like for a lot of people the wedding itself is the biggest part of marriage.

[Rescinded and Mended]

The wedding details are really starting to bug me and I don't know why. How are they going to fit 800 people in that teeny-tiny little church? Is it customary in fundie circles to have an overflow into the parking lot/field/property next door during a big wedding?

I am also inclined to agree with all who are thinking that the 800 invites are for a gift-grab. I hope that both families are able to work out the finer points of this oversized mess before the big day and come up with a better plan that actually involves knowing where to put the guests and what/how much they're going to feed them.

[GeoBQn]

It's bad enough being at a wedding of 100 people with no table assignments. Even if they just serve punch and cake, where the hell is everybody going to eat? All the good seats or standing areas will get taken up, then the large families who arrive at the food later will have to split up because they won't be able to fit in one spot together.

[Buzzard]

It's bad enough being at a wedding of 100 people with no table assignments. Even if they just serve punch and cake, where the hell is everybody going to eat? All the good seats or standing areas will get taken up, then the large families who arrive at the food later will have to split up because they won't be able to fit in one spot together.

Pot luck wedding with a "bring your own picnic blanket" seating?

[Coconut Flan]

The church really isn't teeny tiny.

The beginning of this video shows the auditorium is fairly large. I didn't watch the whole thing, but it gives the impression of a good sized space.

secondbaptistchurch.org/index.php/video-messages/viewvideo/154/worship/september-15-2013-worship

Another feature of weddings of this kind is indeed no assigned seating. Since there isn't a meal served, they won't see a need to have enough tables for everyone to sit at a table and it won't last very long so most people are comfortable standing and walking around. There will be some chairs around the perimeter usually for people who need or want to sit.

[Rescinded and Mended]

Thanks for the link, Abigail. The church does indeed appear to be bigger than I first thought, but I am still thinking that it won't accomodate the full 800 (or fewer) people invited.

I hadn't thought about the lack of assigned seating/tables. If that's really how they're going to do things, then it almost seems like the mentality behind the whole affair is, "Oh, you've shown up with a gift? Great, now put it in the corner and get out." :(

Wedding scenarios like Erin and Chad's make me glad I eloped. The planning alone would have given me nightmares for months.

[singsingsing]

So Kelly has confirmed in the blog comments that it was 800 invitations, one per family. 800 FAMILIES. There are no words.

[ILoveJellybeans]

Holy crap how many people do they know????? Are they inviting all of ATI???? How can someone know that many people.

With the size of fundie families, thats about 8000 people!

[Coconut Flan]

That is astounding. How do you even keep track of 800 addresses? Yes, I know on the computer, but that would still be quite the undertaking. They must have invited almost every family they've ever met. They're obviously counting on a very small rate of people attending.

[singsingsing]

I'm assuming that some of those families are just couples or people with a small number of children, but still. STILL!

[GeoBQn]

In other news, Kelly said that Chad and Erin are going to Ireland for their honeymoon. Sounds much more fun than sleeping under a shark tank.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

The wedding details are really starting to bug me and I don't know why. How are they going to fit 800 people in that teeny-tiny little church? Is it customary in fundie circles to have an overflow into the parking lot/field/property next door during a big wedding?.

I feel the same way! I need clarification on "800 invites" and what that means. I'm assuming those who are going RSVPed in some way, just not the traditional mail way.

[GeoBQn]

Kelly said they tried to save on postage by handing them out in person when possible. Now I'm picturing the Bates family at their local farmers market handing out a combination tract/wedding invitation.

[FloraDoraDolly]

My invitation must've gotten lost in the mail. Aw, shucks!

[fullmetalheart]

So Kelly has confirmed in the blog comments that it was 800 invitations, one per family. 800 FAMILIES. There are no words.

HOLY CHICKENETTI. :wtf:

[Loveday]

HOLY CHICKENETTI. :wtf:

Can you imagine how much tater tot casserole will be consumed at this wedding? :shock:

[Coconut Flan]

:wink-kitty: Easily - none. They aren't serving dinner.

[Loveday]

:wink-kitty: Easily - none. They aren't serving dinner.

:? I missed that.

*slithers off to the prayer closet*

[nelliebelle1197]

Kelly said they tried to save on postage by handing them out in person when possible. Now I'm picturing the Bates family at their local farmers market handing out a combination tract/wedding invitation.

If there are 200 or 300 families in their church, they may have invited the whole bunch. Throw in Chad's family list and the various ATI people, and they can hit 800 easy.

I still agree it is a gift grab and tacky.

[Dandruff]

Holy crap how many people do they know????? Are they inviting all of ATI???? How can someone know that many people.

With the size of fundie families, thats about 8000 people!

Plus one Gothard, I suspect.

[Rescinded and Mended]

I feel the same way! I need clarification on "800 invites" and what that means. I'm assuming those who are going RSVPed in some way, just not the traditional mail way.

Tell me about it. I'm almost hoping they live-stream the wedding just so we can all figure out the logistics of the situation. I mean, 800 families?! :shock: