RichyT23

Congratualtions!!
Just do what feels right for you two and only you two.

It is your big day and as long as you are happy then everyone else should be too.

debsy

Hiya Bundy
Heres my pennys worth

I voted for the UK, as after all your Mum has been through in the oast few weeks it would be great for her and I remember you saying previously the Mr Bundy was not close to his family.

You could then have a stop off in the Maldives for a romantic honeymoon.

nosuchluck

My thoughts are get married in the Uk, i got married in Tobago nearly two years ago and as much as it was wonderful i do have some regrets.
Have a great big wedding in the Uk surrounded by all your friends and family mate, you only get one wedding day so have it how YOU want it
best wishes
Rach xxxxxx

anya4oz

Here's my 5 cents worth, Bundy....

Well, we got married in Cambridge, didn't we, MarkMyWords...? At the Registry Office.

The upside is the fab views of the college rooftops (including Kings' Chapel) from Castle Hill, that you can work into your wedding pics. The downside is that, at the beginning of the service, they place your wedding rings on a truly vile frilly, lacy, satiny cushion thing with bows on, that reminded me of one of those modesty covers that old aunties put over loo rolls to hide them - and after that I had trouble keeping a straight face during the ceremony! My friend, who got married there a few months after us, also had a fit of the giggles over this - so *be warned*

Of course, once we are settled in Melbourne, Cambridge willl seem a very faraway exotic place to have got married - and with the advantage that everyone knows where it is!

FWIW, I'd say have a 'civil' ceremony in either Cambridge or Jersey, then have a blessing in Nundle. Best of both worlds then...

Anya.

bundy

Thanks everyone, for all those words of wisdom.

Once upon a time, many years ago (well, about 4) we said that we'd get married in Nundle. But things have changed since then: Mr B has really settled into life in Cambridge and has squadrons of friends, he's discovered the vast branch of the family he has here and, of course, my mum has been really sick. At one time it seemed that it would be easier for my fmaily to go to Oz than for his to come to the UK, but that's not necessarily the case now.

Trouble is, altough Mr B is not that close to his dad, and despises his step-mum (another reason for getting married in the UK!), he is very close to his uncles and aunts, one uncle in particular who is recovering from cancer himself. It's unlikely he'd make it over.

The UK is definitely winning though. It would really please my parents. Sad that some of our closest mates from Oz couldn't be there, but then there are other good mates who couldn't make it to Oz.

Cambridge has been home to me since I was 16, we have fmaily there, my mum was born there etc etc and Mr B loves it. So it makes sense to get married there. Mr B is asking the powers that be at the college where he works to see if we could get married there - ancient chapel, reception in the gardens. Trouble is, we're talking a year away and, if I've got it right, that ain't long to organise a wedding!

My brother gets married this year and we've not even been able to announce our engagement officially in case his fiancee gets upset (which she would). She would think we were stealing her thunder. They are having the big white wedding, church in Kent, reception at a Posh'n'Becks style country estate place. Not my cup of tea really. It makes me think that we should be aiming for something different, which a church in Nundle would have been! But I think a college chapel is different enough in itself.

The other small factor is money! Emigrating is an expensive lark, as is a wedding, and affording both will be somewhat tricky to say the least. Need to talk to my parents really.

Blimey! I have absolutely no idea how to go about organising a wedding! None of my friends have got married yet, and I've been keeping well out of my brother's wedding. Yikes! Anyone want to be my wedding planner??!!

Mark and Pollyana - thanks for your advice. Mark - it won't make any difference to our visa. I'm hoping to get PR straight off based on the fact that we'll have been together for more than 5 years. Can't see us getting married offshore, so to speak - the logistics of moving two famililes is to much to bear!

Pollyana - you're right, it works out as the cheapest option to get married in the UK.

To me, I (naively) think it would be rather romantic to get married then hop on a plane to emigrate!

Simone

I think so to, just don't leave 8 months in between like us

I'd be your planner, but it won't be easy from Oz!
Just look at the websites everywhere with all the tips and plannings for weddings There's heaps of info everywhere.

The chapel sounds great, and I can understand you don't want one of those big white standard weddings.

Annoying about that SIL. Wierd the way some people think....
I wouldn't even have thought about it, just announced it
But I guess I am VERY non-traditional(bit too)

Well, good luck!

teach

Hiya Bundy,

I think the UK. Your family has been through a lot this year and I can't think of any better way of bringing that not so good time to a close. Your mum will really enjoy helping with the preparations. When the next big milestone in your life comes along ie a sprog, she will be very far away from you whereas Mr B's mum will be close. I must be honest it's not a decision I would like to make. My mum has always known that we would be unable to get married whilst still living in the UK as Andrew's ex wife is a real cow and would cause us heaps of problems. Good luck in whatever you decide.
Cyber hugs
Sarah

WBB

on a more practical note....where is the beer cheaper?

nundle it is then!

Bix

Bundster, where was the third option about not getting married" ?
Think of all them dissappointed single forum chaps but well done Mr.B

I have voted UK too.
As Polly said you can't really have a blessing until you are married so have that one in OZ when you can wear the wedding dress again

Paylia

Hey Bundy,

If you want wedding guidance ( oops nearly said marriage guidance ) just ask - we managed to arrange everything for our daughters wedding on day before yesterday - and all went well - no hiccoughs

But as a totally different and probably non practical suggestion, heres my twopennyworth :

In chronological order:
1. Farewell party and prenuptual celebrations for non travelling guests in UK, in Cambridge.
2. Wedding ceremony half way between UK/Oz, with close family members from both sides attending in say Maldives, Dubai, Singapore, or Carribean, Fiji etc.
3. Lose all the guests and have a honeymoon.
4.Finally a welcome to Oz and post-nuptual celebration on your arrival in Oz

Well I did say is may not be practical but it does get round some problems, and causes others.

Whatever you finally decide - don't forget it is your's and Mr B's
special day and what ever you say goes :lecture:

Good luck and happy planning


Peter

mlbonner

Its hard, but theres loads of help out there for you! I've been looking into it just to get ideas to take back across with me for when we do actually go ahead and plan it. Perhaps have a look at www.confetti.co.uk just to give you some ideas. Its just one of 10001 websites you can use, but quite a well presented one

owieb

Hi Bundy,

I don't think I could suggest what you should do as it really is a personal decision, but this is what we did and how it all worked out.

We were actually living in Australia when we got engaged (June 2003) and had the dilemma of do we get married here or do we go back to the UK. My wife’s parents were very keen for us to get married in the UK, so that all her family and their friends could attend, and I think my parents would have liked us to go back to the UK as well.

My mum had been ill with breast cancer and had had a heart attack a couple of years ago so she was really worried about flying out here.

We knew that we only wanted a small wedding and most importantly we wanted the wedding we wanted and not what other people wanted. We wanted a relaxed, informal, fun day!

So, some people may say selfishly, we decided to get married in Perth and if people couldn't make it or couldn't come then we'd understand.

All our parents came over, my sister (my brother couldn't make it), my wife’s brothers (her sister couldn't make it) and a few other of my wife’s close relatives, plus we had our new found friends in Perth.

My sister was a bridesmaid and my mum was my 'best man' or should I say 'best lady'! It was so fantastic to have her here and it was an honour to have her by my side.

In total we had about 30 people, half from the UK and half from Australia.

The day itself was amazing and everyone had a great time. We made the wedding an all day affair. We got married at 10:15am in Kings Park (which lasted about 30 mins), then celebrated with champagne from the esky. We then had lunch at a restaurant in Kings Park, so everyone was able to stay in one place. After lunch (about 4pm) we organised a tram to take us all through the city and back up to our house where we had an evening barbie!

It meant we were able to spend much more time with everyone than if we had had a UK wedding. We also organised a couple of get togethers so everyone could get to know each other before the wedding.

Several people from the UK went off travelling and made the most of their time while they were here. Some travelled around WA, some went over to the East coast. But they were all here for the wedding and that made it even more special.

My parents stayed for over a month, including Christmas; it was so nice to spend quality time with them.

It only took us 6 months to organise the wedding, and we probably could have done it in a lot less than that!

I think that too much pressure is put on people to have a certain type of wedding or to have to invite certain people etc, when really it's about the two people getting married. Australia is our home now and we wanted to start our married life here, where we are happiest.

I’m thinking about posting our wedding album on this forum, if people would like to see it then let me know I’ll put it up.

Vegemite Kids

Hi Bundy,
I'm voting along with the majority and saying get married in UK, honeymoon on the way out then blessing in Nundle, for all the same reasons mentioned above.

Regarding the timing a year is more than enough. I organised my first wedding in under 10 weeks - mind you it helped that my father was the minister so booking the church was the easy bit

Definately agree with Simone, weddings are more for the brides family, and esp with your mums illness, it gives her something more to look forward to.

But as everybody else has said, its your day so do what you and MrB want. As long as you are happy then family and friends will be also.

Mairi

jeannie

The UK ...........

Simone

Ah, but you already did :
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...t=wedding+park

Lovely, lovely pics!