Friday OT #1 - Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Funeral

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cyfanatic13

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Here’s a question. How common is it for the groom’s family to pick up the tux tab? Is it a rural vs city thing? I know for my brothers weddings my parents did, as well as a wedding for a family that doesn’t have a ton of money (all rural). Two weddings of my buddies that got married in DSM in the past year made us pay for the tux. One of the families was absolutely loaded (and the wedding showed it) so we gave my buddy some friendly ribbing. Tux bill for that one was $170.
Best idea I’ve seen is in one of my friends weddings he had us wear our own tan/khaki dress pants and own shoes. Their family bought a different blue dress shirt for all the groomsmen and a bow tie and we got to keep the shirt and tie as our groomsmen gift. I was a fan
 
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cyowan

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Feb 7, 2013
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Best man: 2 (should have been 3, wedding got called off)
Groomsman: 2
Usher: 2
Ring Bearer: 1

I have two ISU related wedding memories:
The first was in 2004, I was at a wedding at the Memorial Union, and the bride surprised the groom by having a big-screen TV at the reception so everyone could watch the ISU/Kansas basketball game. Of course this was the "Phantom 3" game, so the entire wedding was going crazy by the end of it. Definitely won't forget that one.

The other one was the Kyle Kempt game at OU. The wedding started around the start of the second half, and was a full Catholic Mass so the ceremony was quite lengthy. Word spread through the guests that ISU was making a game of it, so a few of us pulled the game up on our phones while the bride and groom were saying their vows. The game ended and the priest pronounced them husband and wife within seemingly 5 minutes of each other. It was in Ames and right next to on the frat houses, so we could all hear a huge cheer erupt whenever ISU did something good and especially when the game ended. Needless to say the reception was quite the celebration!
 
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isukendall

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Here’s a question. How common is it for the groom’s family to pick up the tux tab? Is it a rural vs city thing? I know for my brothers weddings my parents did, as well as a wedding for a family that doesn’t have a ton of money (all rural). Two weddings of my buddies that got married in DSM in the past year made us pay for the tux. One of the families was absolutely loaded (and the wedding showed it) so we gave my buddy some friendly ribbing. Tux bill for that one was $170.
Best idea I’ve seen is in one of my friends weddings he had us wear our own tan/khaki dress pants and own shoes. Their family bought a different blue dress shirt for all the groomsmen and a bow tie and we got to keep the shirt and tie as our groomsmen gift. I was a fan

I wish it were more common. It's a really nice gesture, especially if groomsmen are traveling. A flight, hotel room, rental car, and gift can be several hundred dollars alone just to attend a wedding you're not near, and getting socked with a $200 bill to be in it isn't fun - but you willingly do it because you love your friend and it's important. When the fam pays for it, I've always super appreciated it.

Better yet like your last point on wearing your own clothes. See my earlier post.
 

BoxsterCy

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Best man twice, groomsman twice, usher once, photographer twice.

Never got invited to any of the divorces. Seems there should have been a divorce party and it if it last less than five years, maybe a refund. ;)
 
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BoxsterCy

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So, is having you in the wedding good luck or bad luck? Are they still married.

Mine: Seven weddings, two divorces, four still together, one status unknown*.



* Status unknown is college GF's little sister's wedding. Like I would know the status of that although I'd guess divorced. o_O
 
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mdk2isu

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Guess I've been:
Usher: 2
Groomsman: 2
Best Man: 1

Most of those took place when I was single, so it was a good time for me.

I was Best Man for my brother's wedding, which was held on the last day of the Big 12 tournament. We won, I was able to stream the game at the reception, so that's good.

My wife's niece (which I guess is my niece as well) got married DURING the OU/ISU game that we won in Norman.

**** that ****. They get a pass since they're Canadian and don't care unless it's hockey, but still. I hold that over my wife's head as much as I can.

Sounds like from now on you need to go to weddings during the OU game every year. Take one for the team.
 

wxman1

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Usher:4
Best man:1
Groomsman:2

Probably only 1 left if he ever gets married

Had a wedding the day of the 2014 Iowa game in St Louis. A group of us that were fans of both teams went back to the hotel to drink and watch it between the ceremony and reception (thankfully MrsWx was prego so built in DD!) and then moved to the reception site towards the end of the game and watched the end of it there. That wedding is only remembered in that manner by maybe me and one other guy. It is much better known for other reasons.
 

mdk2isu

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Jan 30, 2013
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Not of this World
Usher:4
Best man:1
Groomsman:2

Probably only 1 left if he ever gets married

Had a wedding the day of the 2014 Iowa game in St Louis. A group of us that were fans of both teams went back to the hotel to drink and watch it between the ceremony and reception (thankfully MrsWx was prego so built in DD!) and then moved to the reception site towards the end of the game and watched the end of it there. That wedding is only remembered in that manner by maybe me and one other guy. It is much better known for other reasons.

I feel like there is a story here that needs to be shared.
 
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ImJustKCClone

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Surprisingly few given my advanced age! ;) I married early and left the state, so most of my HS & College friends were left behind in Washington.

Flower girl for my uncle's wedding, 22 Nov 1963. You can probably figure out why I remember the date 55 years later.

Bridesmaid for older sister's first wedding.
Brides...maid(?) for older sister (SAME older sister) at her third wedding. Yeah...she had a couple of clinkers.

Mother/stepmother of the bride or groom, six times. All things considered, prefer to be mother of the groom...less stress, you pay for the reception dinner and for one of them, the tuxes...then relax and enjoy yourself. Of course, the one that went with tuxes was also the one that had a best man and five groomsmen because his bride had too many BFFs and she simply HAD to have them all be bridesmaids.

Vocalist for about a dozen. I've actually been vocalist for far more funerals than weddings, though. I was one of three "on call" vocalists for a local funeral home. If a family wanted a live vocalist instead of canned music, but didn't have anyone they could ask, the home would check to see which of us could be there. We sang from a small nook, out of sight of the family & congregation, so I could just use my lunch hour, pop over, sing a hymn or two or an old standard, then head back to work. Nice side gig but not consistent income.
 

Sigmapolis

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Skip it. He should know better.

Did you punch him in the face and call him a moron?

You would think with the three of us (me, him, and his fiancée) all being band geeks back in the day (and guess how the two of them met each other), they would respect this ironclad rule of decent conduct. Alas, no, I shall punch him in the face for you.
 
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wxman1

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I feel like there is a story here that needs to be shared.

As long story short as it can get. At the bachelor party we apparently thought it would be a good idea to take the conservative bachelor and his VERY conservative best man to a strip club in East St. Louis. Shenanigans were had, a buddy got drugged and puked out of the car driving down the highway on the way back before passing out.

Fast forward to the reception and the best man is giving his speech and starts it with "At first I was surprised to be asked to be his best man but after the bachelor party I saw why." We all pretty much say oh **** and pray he stops talking about that night fast. I am pretty sure the whole room turned and looked at us.

Oh and said very conservative socially awkward bestman apparently grew a pair that night and it was fun watching him and one of our other really good friends both hit on a bridesmaid. At the end of the reception we convinced our good friend to try and get her number/ask her back to the hotel to hangout with us. He turned around and the bestman was getting her number.
 

Brentwood

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Been in 5- groomsman three times, bestman once, user once

As for the ISU connection; the wife an I scheduled our wedding on a bye-week, then Mizzou left the conference and made the Big 12 re-work the schedule. Wedding ended up being on the 2012 TTech game. I know ISU lost the game, but we got a big cheer when we announced AJ Klein's 87 yard pick six on the mic.

also F@*K Mizzou
 

coolerifyoudid

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My wife's niece (which I guess is my niece as well) got married DURING the OU/ISU game that we won in Norman.

**** that ****. They get a pass since they're Canadian and don't care unless it's hockey, but still. I hold that over my wife's head as much as I can.

This sounds like the ideal situation to take that Kitchen Aid Mixer back, and re-gift them a crappy toaster.