Carlin and Evan 3: No Hugging, No Kissing till You Make Me Your Wife

[HereticHick]

I'm already looking forward to  dreading what kind of insensitive over-the-top WTFery Team Carvan will dream up for the Bates'  I Love You Day Banquet in February. Because they will (hopefully) be the only engaged couple there and extra special deserving of the spotlight.

[HerNameIsBuffy]

47 minutes ago, HereticHick said:

Bates'  I Love You Day Banquet in February.

This has been mentioned a few times - what did I miss?  Will someone be a friend and explain what sound like complete nonsense to someone who has no idea what this is?

[HarleyQuinn]

25 minutes ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

This has been mentioned a few times - what did I miss?  Will someone be a friend and explain what sound like complete nonsense to someone who has no idea what this is?

It's their big Valentine's Day celebration, they treat it like Christmas. Everyone gets together for dinner at the compound. Last year they did a theme where everyone was "growing old together" but it looked really tragic because they were all in grey wigs and using actual medical equipment like walkers and oxygen tanks. it was tacky.

[HerNameIsBuffy]

6 minutes ago, HarleyQuinn said:

It's their big Valentine's Day celebration, they treat it like Christmas. Everyone gets together for dinner at the compound. Last year they did a theme where everyone was "growing old together" but it looked really tragic because they were all in grey wigs and using actual medical equipment like walkers and oxygen tanks. it was tacky.

That's got to be super fun for the single people and kids!  /s

Thanks for filling me in.

[formergothardite]

32 minutes ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

That's got to be super fun for the single people and kids!  /s

It is very weird since they say they don't really do a Christmas celebration and this is supposed to be the substitute for that, but it sort of excludes lots of the family from participating. 

[PlentyOfJesusFishInTheSea]

1 hour ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

That's got to be super fun for the single people and kids!  /s

In the old specials, they used to do a sort of Secret Santa with the kids and they focused a lot on "family love". But not sure if that's still the same with all the young marrieds running around.

[QuiverFullofBooks]

The idea seems to be that they expect married children to come home for Valentines’ Day instead of Christmas. Maybe they still do Christmas with the little kids? There might be a family celebration and gift exchange on Valentines Day that UP downplays, preferring to highlight the “date night” where all of the couples have dinner together. Last year Lawson and Nathan tried to attend as a couple with one of them in drag. It was an amusing prank for the TV show, but also clearly a passive-aggressive response to being excluded.

[Casserole]

1 hour ago, QuiverFullofBooks said:

The idea seems to be that they expect married children to come home for Valentines’ Day instead of Christmas. Maybe they still do Christmas with the little kids? There might be a family celebration and gift exchange on Valentines Day that UP downplays, preferring to highlight the “date night” where all of the couples have dinner together. Last year Lawson and Nathan tried to attend as a couple with one of them in drag. It was an amusing prank for the TV show, but also clearly a passive-aggressive response to being excluded.

For this reason, I don't hate it because trying to coordinate holiday schedules with siblings who have spouses/in-laws when all your parents ask for is all their kids "together in the same place for once" is near impossible the more everyone grows up. Choosing a less popular holidays where in-laws wouldn't expect to get together would make it way easier and put less pressure on running around like crazy trying to see everyone over the Christmas holiday. And I have no where near 18 siblings. 

The themes and the hype is a bit much for me, but in theory I definitely can get on board. And I think the themes/craziness is more created content for their show than anything. 

[AussieKrissy]

34 minutes ago, Casserole said:

For this reason, I don't hate it because trying to coordinate holiday schedules with siblings who have spouses/in-laws when all your parents ask for is all their kids "together in the same place for once" is near impossible the more everyone grows up. Choosing a less popular holidays where in-laws wouldn't expect to get together would make it way easier and put less pressure on running around like crazy trying to see everyone over the Christmas holiday. And I have no where near 18 siblings. 

The themes and the hype is a bit much for me, but in theory I definitely can get on board. And I think the themes/craziness is more created content for their show than anything. 

I think they also said once that travel (air flights) were cheaper at that time too. Which also makes sense.

[CarrotCake]

I liked it when they did the Secret Santa. It did feel a lot like a Christmas substitute and the little kids really seemed to enjoy buying the gifts as well. 

 

[HerNameIsBuffy]

4 hours ago, CarrotCake said:

I liked it when they did the Secret Santa. It did feel a lot like a Christmas substitute and the little kids really seemed to enjoy buying the gifts as well. 

 

I think it's nice that despite being fundy they don't banish Santa because of some misguided notion that he's gunning for Jesus' job.

[PlentyOfJesusFishInTheSea]

They don't call it Secret Santa. I meant they all pick a name out of a hat and give that person a gift. But for Valentine's Day.

[lexiloumarie]

They've had games for the kids and the gifts which I imagine continues - with all the people travelling in it seemed like it was more a weekend thing instead of a few hours one day. UP probably doesn't think the little kid part of the celebration is as exciting as couples and that drama. I remember Nathan being asked to chaperone a couple to the one event and then kicked out when the dinner started which....after his inclusion the year before during his courtship stung I'm sure.

[BullyJBG]

On 11/25/2018 at 3:59 AM, Kangaroo said:

Highly likely events that will occur in the leadup to Carlin's wedding:

Lawson annouces his courtship and engagement. His future wife is a Christian instagrammer with more followers than any other Bates, that sings and plays the piano at a level even FJers consider extremely good. She's recently returned from a 6 month mission trip and has selfies with over 100 different children she's helped to "save". She's the youngest of 10, but the only daughter, so the wedding is bigger than anything we've seen, because she's Daddy's Princess.

Not long after this, Whitney, Erin and Alyssa announce they're all pregnant and find out they're all due within days of each other. All are in the wedding party and have visible bumps the ceremony.

Shortly before the wedding, Josie is suddenly admitted to hospital and the whole family rushes to be by her side. It turns out she okay, but is pregnant, but it's twins! Her morning sickness means she has to dramatically run out during the first kiss.

Finally, at the rehearsal, Michael and Brandon get a phone call. It's an adoption agency, and they have been chosen to adopt identical triplets from a single unwed mother who wants a good Christian couple to raise her children. The rest of the family rejoices at Michael's miracle triplets so much that they completely forget what's meant to be happening at the ceremony the next day. Gil publically annouces this news during the ceremony.

As Carlin is about to walk into the church, her many nieces and nephews walk down in front of her. At least one throws an incredible tantrum due to a lack of sleep, causing another to cry because the other is crying. Chaos rains supreme as people rush to scoop up screaming toddlers. The rose petals are unfortunately not scattered but are simply a lump on the floor.

Finally, as Evan yodels his vows to Carlin, the microphone makes that horrible noise that microphone makes and causes him to swear in front of everyone. W highly censored version makes it to screen, but the look Gil gives Evan every time they meet from then onwards is enough to know how he really feels about him.

Interestingly highly amusing. And very therapeutic. With a melting into a puddle for Brandon and Michaela. I just checked the Ellie blog for them, and good for them for not sharing their "proposed" date. I hope they do something really different, like a weekday wedding and smaller than the rest of them. And Gil not marry them; maybe Evan's pastor, or the pastor of the church Chad and Erin go to or something.

[nausicaa]

22 hours ago, AussieKrissy said:

I think they also said once that travel (air flights) were cheaper at that time too. Which also makes sense.

In my opinion, I Love You Day is actually one of the few sensible, sort of creative and cool, things Kelly and Gil have ever come up with. 

They stated in an episode of United Bates of America that early on they realized their kids got so many gifts at the holidays, they wanted to give them their "parent presents" at a different time. So a big Valentine's Day celebration was begun. It always looked like the party is similar to a holiday party with everyone playing games and receiving gifts, not just couples. I think it's cool to have such a unique family tradition.

And it does work really well for the married couples trying to split up holidays and save money on airfare.

OMG, I just said something nice about Gil Bates... ?

[VelociRapture]

3 hours ago, nausicaa said:

In my opinion, I Love You Day is actually one of the few sensible, sort of creative and cool, things Kelly and Gil have ever come up with. 

They stated in an episode of United Bates of America that early on they realized their kids got so many gifts at the holidays, they wanted to give them their "parent presents" at a different time. So a big Valentine's Day celebration was begun. It always looked like the party is similar to a holiday party with everyone playing games and receiving gifts, not just couples. I think it's cool to have such a unique family tradition.

And it does work really well for the married couples trying to split up holidays and save money on airfare.

OMG, I just said something nice about Gil Bates... ?

I think they also said that it was originally Alyssa’s idea. I think she was the one who suggested it as a way to make the holidays easier on the kids who were married/courting. 

[AliceInFundyland]

The only things that went wrong with I Love You Day thus far: 

- the unfortunate dress as an elderly person theme

- poor Katie getting a gift of her own pizza, and then having her siblings eat it out from under her

Mostly though it’s really family oriented. Not Jesusy. It actually makes a way commercial holiday into something sweet. Even though they do the couples dinner, they have the big family party as well. It appears fairly legit to me.

This is what I have always told boyfriends I wanted to do on Valentine’s Day when they grumbled about commercialization blahblah. I’ve just been like....can we skip like the whole money part and just have a an extra special moment of niceness? What’s so wrong with that? “Grumble grumble” It’s a nice day to tell people you love them.

[Natalie22]

9 hours ago, AliceInFundyland said:

 

- poor Katie getting a gift of her own pizza, and then having her siblings eat it out from under her

 

Just like poor Kevin McCalister.  It's why he was left home alone  

[QuiverFullofBooks]

20 hours ago, VelociRapture said:

I think they also said that it was originally Alyssa’s idea. I think she was the one who suggested it as a way to make the holidays easier on the kids who were married/courting. 

It definitely existed before that. There’s a United Bates of America episode about it from before anyone was courting. Alyssa probably said that she (understandably) wanted to come home in February instead of at Christmas.

[JermajestyDuggar]

I seriously hate traveling for Christmas. I’ve already got too much going on. I don’t need to add long drives in the snow to all that. 

[miss_batson]

It's official! We have a wedding date ? 

 

[VBOY9977]

She’s gonna be married right between Joy and Alyssa’s anniversaries. I bet there will be joint anniversary trips in the future

[ophelia]

I can see how she would love a joint anniversary trip with her bestie Joy, but to me it doesn't feel like Austin and Evan would have much to say to each other. 

[bal maiden]

7 hours ago, ophelia said:

I can see how she would love a joint anniversarie trip with her bestie Joy, but to me it doesn't feel like Austin and Evan would have much to say to each other. 

“So, what’s your favourite pose for an insta shot?”

”I like hammers.”

 

[HereticHick]

So we have over 5 months of peak Bridezilla before us!