My own "Said No!" story....

**Spartan** · 17th November 08, 07:39 AM

Originally Posted by auld argonian

I have to think how fortunate my wife and I were in light of these problems.

We were in our middle thirties when we got married and figured that at that age our parents had no responsibilities (or input) concerning our wedding.

We bore the full expense of the whole shebang. We even did our own flowers. We hired a lovely young lady to play piano at the reception and asked her to stick to light classical, Gerswin, Cole Porter, etc. I subsequently had to point out one of my more "lively" old Polish uncles and told her, "That man will most probably come over here and offer you ten dollars to play a polka...should that happen, I'll give you twenty not to." We had the ceremony at a beautiful Episcopal Church on the Near North Side and had the reception on the eighth floor of Orchestra Hall overlooking Grant Park and the Lake Front. My wife got a very slinky white full length dress from Neiman Marcus and I got a dark, double breasted Valentino suit. The wedding cake was a multi-layer cheese cake and we cut it together but did not, repeat NOT, feed each other pieces of the cake. When the assembled multitudes started tapping their silverware against the wine glasses, we kissed once and then I stood up and said in a very good natured way, "If you do that again, the waiters will be taking away your silverware and bringing you plastic forks." The maitre d', a remarkable ex-Pullman Porter with an air of authority that any Marine Corp Master Sargeant would admire, then added, "...and we will do it."

All the folks had to do was show up.

Worth every penny we spent. In one day we made it very clear that we had "cut the cords" and still provided the family with an event that fulfilled their concept of a legitimate wedding while giving them an affair that was, in many ways, out of their typical experience.

If you can do it that way, do it. While my wife and I were dating, several of my relatives expressed the concern that we might "cheat them out of a wedding" by just going off and getting married...they got their wedding but they got it on our terms.

Best

AA

BRAVO!

**Highlander31** · 17th November 08, 08:22 AM

Wearing a kilt is always interesting if nothing else.

Is it possible Mr. McNeil is Irish? I know my father who was of Irish decent felt kilts were only a "Scottish thing," and did not approve of them (although he did soften his view when he was in his eighties.) My mother being a MacGregor of course did.

**sirdaniel1975** · 17th November 08, 06:27 PM

Originally Posted by Highlander31

Wearing a kilt is always interesting if nothing else.

Is it possible Mr. McNeil is Irish? I know my father who was of Irish decent felt kilts were only a "Scottish thing," and did not approve of them (although he did soften his view when he was in his eighties.) My mother being a MacGregor of course did.

Ulster-Scot! I've added their family research to my records...

**Highland Logan** · 20th November 08, 10:38 AM

Well as already said.. you sometimes have to do what other request of you... as to the right thing, you acted in spite by not correcting the bad measuring done at the tux shop so that your poorly made tux would prove a point. You had no point to make, and that was a childish act. I am not trying to get your back up in the air, but many here have skipped over that part in the story and patted you on the back for doing the adult gentlemanly thing.

Frank

**thanmuwa** · 21st November 08, 04:43 AM

Originally Posted by sirdaniel1975

Ulster-Scot! I've added their family research to my records...

Well, don't forget that the Ulster Scots were primarily lowland, and mostly emigrated before the Victorian revival so would be unlikely to ever have had kilt wearing ancestors.....

**Jerry** · 21st November 08, 05:33 AM

Originally Posted by Highlander31

Wearing a kilt is always interesting if nothing else.

Is it possible Mr. McNeil is Irish? I know my father who was of Irish decent felt kilts were only a "Scottish thing," and did not approve of them (although he did soften his view when he was in his eighties.) My mother being a MacGregor of course did.

I am a McNeill, only one generation away from County Tyrone. All of my fathers family came to this country in the mid 1920s. When I asked the Irish American society for help lin tracing my ancestry, I was told that the McNeills, McNeils ect in Ireland are all really Scots. So, even though Mr McNeil may think he's Irish, He is , in all likelyhood, Scottish.