Weddings are filled with decisions, from the food and entertainment to the person at the end of the aisle. While some choices are easier than others (hopefully your partner), others can create awkward tension, spark family arguments or add unnecessary stress to what should ideally be one of the happiest days of your life.
If you’re currently in the thick of wedding planning (or simply love reading about wedding drama), we spoke with three brides about how they solved classic wedding debates — whether it was the number of people invited, the venue, or the menu. Hopefully, this helps you realise not every decision is that deep, and sometimes you can have both options.
Bride #1 - Rachel
I had a massive fight with my mother during wedding planning. I wanted to keep it relatively small, while she wanted to invite everybody she'd ever met. We struggled to agree on the guest list, and while the reception venue could only hold 100 people, the ceremony was fair game. My mother and I ended up having a blow-up where I told her she couldn't have anything to do with wedding planning anymore, because I was extremely frustrated.
After we cooled off a bit, we found an option that would keep both of us happy. The day after the wedding, my mother hosted a Chinese banquet, and she was allowed to invite anybody she wanted. I got to wear a second dress (a red cheongsam), invite some of my friends for the ‘fun table’, and mum was able to save face by extending an invitation to about 300 people. Oh, and the best part? They all gave me hong baos (red packets with a monetary gift inside).
Bride #2 - Rojan
We originally planned to keep things small-ish and simple — but somehow said yes to a lot more than we intended! The venue was our biggest sticking point. My partner and his family wanted something a little more traditional and low-key where we could DIY a lot of the details ourselves, while I was leaning towards a more "done-up”, all-inclusive venue so we could stress less and still guarantee an amazing day.
The pulse of Australian culture, since 2005.
Sign up for your daily dose.
By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services.
In the end, we went with the boujier option. Zero regrets — it was honestly the better choice, and we get to enjoy the day instead of running around managing a hundred little logistics ourselves.
Bride #3 - Demi
We couldn’t decide on a bonboniere because I genuinely think most of them go to waste, so we opted to donate money to the cancer foundation on behalf of each guest.
I also wanted a wedding cake, but my partner wasn’t fussed, so we did something different. We opted for a foam cake for the photos and then had panna cotta and sticky date for dessert. This ended up being so much cheaper than a wedding cake, and the guests absolutely loved it!
So there you have it, it's actually possible to organise a wedding that makes everyone happy. And if you can't decide between one thing or the other, maybe the answer is simply both?
This article was made possible by our mates at MALTESERS® Australia.
