Chelsy and John Maxwell 4: Will She Blog Post the Honeymoon

[Lgirlrocks]

I love taco soup and would have it at my wedding but not as a main meal.

[dripcurl]

39 minutes ago, SPHASH said:

Taco soup doesn't sound appetizing or filling.  If they wanted soup they should have gotten something more heartier like chili, vegetable beef stew or my favorite, knoephla which has German roots.  Here is a pic I found on the Bontragers latest post which is gag-worthy.  Judgy Chelsy does not look pregnant.

Good for her. Body language seems a bit awkward with her and John but I won’t read too much into that since they barely even started holding hands not even a year ago. I am not even sure what taco soup is, it sounds like watery chilli to me. Your soup options sound delicious, I never thought I would crave soup. I think soup is kind of messy for a wedding anyway though. I hope she and John are getting to enjoy eachother and choose to have kids in their own time. 

[VBOY9977]

3 hours ago, meowfundiecatz said:

I find it interesting she chose to share the picture of Pastor Caldwell and his wife. Is it because they are on Counting On?

I just saw the pic. How are these people already GRANDPARENTS?!?! Honestly woww

 

1 hour ago, SPHASH said:

Taco soup doesn't sound appetizing or filling.  If they wanted soup they should have gotten something more heartier like chili, vegetable beef stew or my favorite, knoephla which has German roots.  Here is a pic I found on the Bontragers latest post which is gag-worthy.  Judgy Chelsy does not look pregnant.

This pic is from earlier this year. I remeber them posting it on one of their winter tour updates and you can see that Cassidy and Carolina weren’t very far along then. So Chelsy very well could be pregnant right now, we haven’t seen a current pic of her in a while.

 

[ophelia]

3 hours ago, meowfundiecatz said:

I find it interesting she chose to share the picture of Pastor Caldwell and his wife. Is it because they are on Counting On?

Probably because they are photogenic as fuck.

John and Chelsy's wedding definitely is one of the nicer fundie weddings. Seems like the almost served a real meal and really took the time to talk to their guests.

The cheesecakes, the wedding cake and the cupcakes look AMAZING. And Allison made 35!! Maybe she'll share some of her recipes on her blog.

[johnhugh]

Nike!! I’ve been defrauded looks like Stud John is wearing shorts! 

Is this the first time we have seen a bit of Maxwell male leg?

and no Stevie, I’m sure I speak for us all that we don’t want to see yours....

[theologygeek]

12 hours ago, SPHASH said:

Still doesn't sound like a full meal.

I can't relate to any of it.  Italians don't have weddings like that.  My nephew got married at the end of last year.  The buffet alone was enough to fill everyone up.  There were all the meats and poultry-chicken parmigiana, fried chicken, veal scallopini, pork tenderloin, beef, etc along with soups, salads, veggies, eggplant parmigiana, fruits, rice side dishes, potato side dishes, etc  Then the dinner at night was filet mignon and some kind of fish that I didn't eat.  Swordfish maybe.  Even without the open bar and the DJ, dancing, and reception in the banquet hall of a fancy hotel, the Bontragers could have done a bit better than soup.  Chelsy is the first born daughter and she waited her whole life for her special day.  The Bontragers aren't poor.  Between the touring, the farm, and their hotel, do they not make enough to give their daughters a nicer wedding than that?  Regarding mother of the bride/groom outfits, couldn't they put more thought into what they wore?  My sister had a gorgeous blue sequinned gown from a bridal boutique.  Goodwill even has a section with formal gowns. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

9 hours ago, SPHASH said:

Taco soup doesn't sound appetizing or filling.  If they wanted soup they should have gotten something more heartier like chili, vegetable beef stew or my favorite, knoephla which has German roots.  Here is a pic I found on the Bontragers latest post which is gag-worthy.  Judgy Chelsy does not look pregnant.

That’s an old picture. It was from their “reunion” about 4 months back. 

ETA: whoops it seems someone already said that! 

[HereticHick]

This is total BEC, but they forgot to take some of the labels off the candles on the reception tables. 

Oh, and I loved the line that about the tablecloths being washed and stored for her sister's future wedding. No pressure, Allison!!

I love a good taco soup, but I would have paired it with something like cheese quesadillas. The menu says "vegetables" but I got the feeling that it was just some sort of crudites to have on the side--maybe carrots or cucumbers.

I respect Bontrager thriftiness --too many Americans, IMHO, spend too much on their wedding ceremonies, and put too little into savings, esp. for college.  But this whole wedding felt rushed to me.

[JermajestyDuggar]

4 minutes ago, HereticHick said:

Oh, and I loved the line that about the tablecloths being washed and stored for her sister's future wedding. No pressure, Allison!!

I cringed. We won’t know if Allison is in a relationship until she announces an engagement. Chelsy was in an official committed relationship for about 11 months when she finally announced she was engaged.  The boys all announced after they were engaged. So Allison could be in a committed relationship right now and we won’t know until she is engaged. What if she’s totally single? It’s possible Denver will be married before her. 

[JillyO]

13 hours ago, Coconutwater said:

Anyone notice the difference in goodbyes between the families? The Bontragers are full hugging and look comfortable and John’s family is all side hugging and stiff.

I'm actually not seeing it as much as I expected. I know Chelsy gives real hugs to Allison and her mom, but she gives her little sister and her brothers the same awkward side hugs John gives his sister and SIL. SO FUCKING WEIRD.

ETA: Example

[Lgirlrocks]

I don’t get side hugs. Maybe if you are married and are hugging someone of the opposite sex? I’ve never given or received one. My family does real hugs. Side hugs to/from family members seems forced and not genuine. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

Chelsy and her adult brothers massage each other. So it makes side hugs weird IMO. 

[CTRLZero]

50 minutes ago, HereticHick said:

This is total BEC, but they forgot to take some of the labels off the candles on the reception tables.

This reminded me:  I was kneeling, facing the altar in front of the attendees at my sister's wedding (Catholic), and I had forgotten to remove the big ol' neon SALE sticker from the bottom of my shoe.  I'm sure everyone appreciated my thriftiness (which I also respect in others), since the gaudy SALE, 50% OFF!!!! sticker was a big part of the wedding photos, lol.

[freejugar]

Quote

 John + I both have seemed to live lives that tend towards juicy open mic stories (oh dear!)

What in the world is she talking about? Is John a wild child and the Maxwell have hidden it from us?

I bet Nathan is talking about the paper cheese eating incident here 

[Palimpsest]

3 hours ago, theologygeek said:

I can't relate to any of it.  Italians don't have weddings like that. 

<snip>The Bontragers aren't poor.

Here we go again.  Nope, the Bontragers are probably quite wealthy compared to many of their guests.  And they aren't Italian either.  I love a good Italian wedding but not everyone has giant feasts at weddings.  It is a regional and cultural thing. 

See how Chelsy had to explain that they had more food than the usual Fundie wedding because of the Mennonite factor?  Having more food than Chelsy provided would have probably been labelled very pretentious by the guests.  Remember, punch, cake, nuts, and mints are the norm for many people, Fundie or not. 

The church hall was probably the biggest place they could find in the area to accommodate all those people and the reception decorations looked nicer than I expected.  I wonder if they had enough food or whether it was FHB (family hold back).  Although a lot of her extended Mennonite family were hard at work in the kitchen to pull off that shindig successfully.

Oy, Chels?  Whatever did Cassidy do to get on your wrong side?

Quote

This was our menu. (text written out by my sis-in-love Carolina)

The sis-in-love stuff always strikes me as overly soppy, but this

Quote

My sis-in-law Cassidy did all the decorations for the reception and she did an amazing job! 

is rather pointed, no?

I eagerly await the edit.  Five, four, three ...

 

[theologygeek]

24 minutes ago, Palimpsest said:

The church hall was probably the biggest place they could find in the area to accommodate all those people and the reception decorations looked nicer than I expected.  I wonder if they had enough food or whether it was FHB (family hold back).  Although a lot of her extended Mennonite family were hard at work in the kitchen to pull off that shindig successfully.

 

They could have done what my sister did.  My nephew's wedding was in another state.  My sister had limo buses transport people.  There were about 400 at his wedding.  Not everyone went on the buses, but a lot did. 

As for the food, soup as the main course for a wedding is embarrassing.  The guests must have been starving.  Why do these parents not split the costs in half?  If they put so much emphasis on weddings, then start saving when the kid is born.  They don't go to college, so there's no reason they won't have enough money for a decent wedding.  If you have enough money to buy a house in cash, then you have enough money for chicken and potatoes. 

[dripcurl]

Am I the only one bothered by the random water jug on the floor by the bride and groom? It was front and center during the “juicy” speeches. I wish they had decorated a bit more in that corner of the room since that’s where the couple was sitting and the speeches were given.

[theologygeek]

3 hours ago, Lgirlrocks said:

I don’t get side hugs. Maybe if you are married and are hugging someone of the opposite sex? I’ve never given or received one. My family does real hugs. Side hugs to/from family members seems forced and not genuine. 

I don't get side hugs either.  We randomly attack each other.  The 30yo was serenading me and dancing before work in the hallway this morning on my way to the kitchen to make myself breakfast.  He moved back in.  I have come to the conclusion that some of my children are never going to leave me and I am going to have to go to a hotel whenever I want a roll in the hay with a man. 

[HereticHick]

FFS, people, there is no one right way to do a wedding. Or any other event.

 

[Except for talking about the state of the Father in Laws's  reproductive organs. That should never be a part of any public gathering.]

[formergothardite]

From what I have learned from all the FJ discussions is that a lot of people would have clutched their pearls at my wedding.  

The only local wedding that I have ever heard people question the food was the one where guest were told to bring a covered dish. People would rather have cake and mints than have to provide the food for a meal. 

 

[usedbicycle]

Re the side-hug thing: there is such a thing as a "modest" front hug. The kind that you give your friends' husbands or your father-in-law. The kind where you sort of pat their back and your chests don't touch. 

Why you would have to side-hug your siblings or parents is completely beyond me.

Re the wedding food debacle: a hot soup is more than most of these guests are accustomed to eating at a wedding. If Chelsey felt the need to justify the hot meal because of her Mennonite roots, it's obviously not common in their circles. All in all, they treated their guests quite well. 

[pandora]

1 hour ago, theologygeek said:

They could have done what my sister did.  My nephew's wedding was in another state.  My sister had limo buses transport people.  There were about 400 at his wedding.  Not everyone went on the buses, but a lot did. 

As for the food, soup as the main course for a wedding is embarrassing.  The guests must have been starving.  Why do these parents not split the costs in half?  If they put so much emphasis on weddings, then start saving when the kid is born.  They don't go to college, so there's no reason they won't have enough money for a decent wedding.  If you have enough money to buy a house in cash, then you have enough money for chicken and potatoes. 

Ah yes, because when catered food isn't in the budget, limo buses definitely are.

In their circle, this is a more than generous wedding offering. I think I'd be stuffed after a bowl of soup topped with sour cream and cheese, chips, and a slice of cheesecake. The Bontragers clearly put a lot of effort into an affordable wedding- her family made all the food, and found and decorated the best venue local to them at their price point. No one is required to spend tons of money on a wedding (and I bet they did spend a chunk- it doesn't have to look like what a chunk of money is to someone else). It was important to Chelsy that guests felt welcome and she and John stayed later than they might have preferred to talk to as many people as possible, and had their siblings as greeters so every attendee felt personally welcomed. She served a meal and provided lots of seats even in a crowded venue for her guests' comfort. I see graciousness in her wedding, not an embarassment. I know we go in circles here about this issue and my two cents might not change anyone's perspective- but god, snobbery bothers me.

[Foudeb]

There were seats for the pregnant bridesmaids during the ceremony. That's far, far more considerate than Maxhell standards. Chelsy is thoughtful. 

Bigoted and quiverful-in-waiting, but thoughtful. 

[Lisafer]

4 hours ago, HereticHick said:

 

I respect Bontrager thriftiness --too many Americans, IMHO, spend too much on their wedding ceremonies, and put too little into savings, esp. for college.  But this whole wedding felt rushed to me.

I agree that weddings can be over the top. But not just Americans--I've heard about some Indian weddings that I just can't even imagine! 

My own wedding to Mr. Lisafer was very plain and simple. I'm afraid some here would be appalled because we didn't have a meal--just cake, cookies, nuts and punch. The ceremony was at 1:00 in the afternoon. We were paying for most of it ourselves and no way could we afford a meal. The snack reception was in a church basement and my mother-in-law loaned her gorgeous collection of vintage glass serving dishes and candleholders for us to use. 

It was lovely. I had a wonderful time.  And when we got back from our tiny honeymoon we were broke as hell, lol. 

I don't care what Chelsy fed her guests. But there is some kind of something that seems lacking from her wedding. A sense of disappointment, or lack of soul. Lack of joie de vivre, perhaps. 

[pandora]

7 minutes ago, Lisafer said:

I don't care what Chelsy fed her guests. But there is some kind of something that seems lacking from her wedding. A sense of disappointment, or lack of soul. Lack of joie de vivre, perhaps. 

Alcohol? 

(I kid of course, I've been to some really fun dry receptions/ no one should need substances to have fun, but it does change the tenor of things)