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Conference quark::human_relations-v1

Title:What's all this fuss about 'sax and violins'?
Notice:Archived V1 - Current conference is QUARK::HUMAN_RELATIONS
Moderator:ELESYS::JASNIEWSKI
Created:Fri May 09 1986
Last Modified:Wed Jun 26 1996
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1327
Total number of notes:28298

978.0. "Weddings and Work" by PENUTS::JLAMOTTE (On my own - for the first time) Wed Mar 21 1990 22:09

Please post this in the Human Relations Conference anonymously for me.  
Thank you.


I am getting married in a few months and I have one issue that is 
bothering me.  There is someone at work who has dropped a hint or 
two that she wants/expects to be invited to the wedding.  I do like
this person and I get along very well with her at work, but I do not
plan on inviting her.  

I am going to ask a couple of people I work closely with, but these 
people have not assumed anything.  I do not feel at all obligated to
ask them, I genuinely want them there.  There is a well defined organizational
line that ties me to these people and I don't want to invite people
outside of that line.  I have many relatives, I can't afford the others, and
frankly, I don't feel a need to share that occasion with them.  

I have worked with people getting married before and I have never
hinted or assumed that I would be invited.  One person simply told
me that she could not invite me (too many people already going) and 
that was just fine with me, (I really couldn't afford a proper wedding
gift.)  When the big day came close, I gave her a wedding card and wished
her well.  We were still friends and there were absolutely no hard 
feelings.  I think that is the way it should be.  When you work with
people it only makes sense to be friendly and to get along.  It 
certainly makes your day more enjoyable.  I have been careful not to
discuss the wedding too much, but people do ask you questions and they
want to know how things are going.  I feel myself backing off from 
unnecessary discussions with this person and yet that is not what I want
to do.  

Why don't some people understand that there are work friends and 
then there are your friends and relatives outside of work.  I don't go out
with this person after work or on weekends, we don't talk on the phone, we 
have gone to lunch a couple of times but that's it.   Some people just don't
seem to see the difference.

Maybe there should not be a difference, go ahead and flame me for that if you
feel there should be no line between friends you have at work and friends
you have outside of work. 

I know the wedding is OUR day and all that, but it is foolish to think we
are working in a vacuum.  Our decisions and plans affect others and we
have to except those consequences.  Planning this wedding has been great. 
My parents are so helpful and cooperative and my future in-laws have 
also been very supportive and pleasant.  There has been no interference
and no unpleasantness at all.  From some of the notes I weeded through 
checking to see if this had been discussed, I feel very fortunate!

How do you feel about this situation.  Any suggestions on what I should 
do?  (Please keep in mind that the hints that were dropped were very obvious 
but also on the run, in other words, I did not have an opportunity at that
time to address the issue.)

How do you feel about friends at work in general.  Is there a difference
between your work friends and your other friends?

Sorry to ramble on, but thanks for your comments!
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
978.1I've Been There.SUBURB::HOLLOWAYFIf only I could....Thu Mar 22 1990 08:5247
    My heart goes out to you, and believe me I know exactly how you
    feel.
    I am planning my wedding for July and up until 2 days ago I had
    the same problem as you.
    I had one 'friend' who thought she would be invited to the wedding
    and one friend who was convinced, and telling everyone that she
    was going to be my chief bridesmaid.
    I felt awful, I didn't know what to do and I began losing sleep
    over the whole thing.
    I just didn't want anyone to get hurt and I'll do anything for a
    quiet life.
    I finally confronted the girl who I was not inviting to the wedding
    (like you, we are paying for own wedding) and I just apologised
    to her and said that Geoff and I were trying to keep numbers down
    and therefore are only inviting family and a few close friends,
    emphasising the 'close friends' bit as being people who we have
    known for a long time or people we spent a lot of our social time
    with.
    I also said that I hoped she would understand and that it wouldn't
    upset the friendship we had. She was ok about it, a bit 'off' I
    suppose, but I was just so relieved that I had finally told her
    I didn't really worry about her reaction, if she chooses to be 'off'
    with me then that really is her problem now and not mine.
    
    Telling the other friend that she was not to be my Chief Bridesmaid
    was much more difficult but I won't bore you with the details as
    it's not really relevant to you.
    
    So, I guess what I'm trying to say is please, for your own piece
    of mind tell her, and do it soon 'cos the longer you leave it the
    harder it gets.
    This is your day and by letting your friend bother you, you are
    letting her take control of something that is yours. I know it's
    not easy and I really do know how you feel, but it has to be done,
    you owe it to your self.
    The most important thing is that you have found the man that you
    want to spend the rest of your life with, and the man that you love
    enough to marry, if you put all that into context, then it shows
    how irrelevant this friend really is.
    
    I wish you the best of luck, and if you need any help or moral support
    then I am willing to talk some more.
    
    Warm Wishes and Congratulations
    
    Fran.
    
978.2It's *your* day!FRECKL::HUTCHINSWheeere's that Smith Corona?Thu Mar 22 1990 11:3715
    I'm also planning a wedding, and have faced a similar situation. 
    First, it is boorish of the person to assume that she will be invited
    to the wedding.  The guest list is up to you and your fiance.  I tell
    people that it will be a small wedding and I don't elaborate.  THEY
    DON'T NEED TO KNOW!
    
    We *do* want to have a more casual party during the summer that will
    not be a shower, but a picnic/day at the lake party.  This will be for
    our friends that for one reason or another we will not be inviting to
    the wedding.  We will not expect presents at the party; it's purpose
    will be to celebrate with our friends.
    
    Enjoy your day and the celebration!
    Judi
    
978.3TJB::WRIGHTShe dies, you die, we all die....Thu Mar 22 1990 13:1125
From the otherside:

My older brother's group of freinds basically were married one after another.
These guys are brothers to me.  They have gotten me out of trouble in the past,
and have given me some very good advise through the years.

One of them came from a large poor family.  When he got married, they had to 
draw the line somewhere, unfortunately, I was on the wrong side of the line and
was not invited.

Donny (the groom) explained it to me, as did his bride, and apologiesed for it,
but it was either I don't go, or a family member doesn't go.  So I didn't go.
And when put in that lite, I didn't mind (I was crushed when I first found out
that donny hadn't invited me, but once I knew why, things were ok...)

Most people understand that there are only x number of people invited. and that 
if you do not make the cut, it isn't an insult, its just part of the fact that
weddings are expensive...

Just let her know that either she goes or a family member goes...and that it
isn't a slight against her (even if it is :-)

grins,

clark.
978.4It will be ok...DECSIM::TOTOColleenThu Mar 22 1990 15:3612
I'm getting married on June 2nd.  It will be my second time and his second 
time.  (And LAST time I might add).  We decided because it was our second 
wedding and we can't really afford much that we would invite family only to 
this and this is immediate family.  Then 2 weeks after the wedding, we are 
going to have a cookout for our friends who we couldn't invite to a big 
wedding.  It's a way to celebrate with our friends and let them know that they 
weren't forgotten, and can still share in our joy.  In your situation, I would 
say what's on my mind as easily as I could without hurting anyone's feelings.
This is a common issue in most weddings.  Good luck 

Colleen

978.5OH DEAR !!BOOZER::OCOYNo Scotoma's hereFri Mar 23 1990 09:5422
    It certainly is a common thing with Weddings, I got married last
    July, my husband and I paid for the wedding ourselves, friends and
    family literally crawled out of the woodwork.  I couldn't believe
    the awkward situations - people were willing to put me in..  Work
    wasn't so much of a problem, although there is no doubt that some
    people were probably not happy with my guest list.  My problem was
    - that I played (and still do) darts for a local ladies darts team,
    the girls in the team are friends - but not close friends.  Therefore
    they were not invited to the day time do...  Boy, did I get some
    agro... I tried as best I could to explain the situation, and most
    (not all) accepted my explanation gracefully.  In all honesty, if
    they were willing to make life so difficult for me, then I wasn't
    too worried about upsetting them.  After all, it is your day, and
    I enjoyed my day much more, because I had close friends and family
    at my side.
    
    Stand your ground, explain if you can, if this person chooses to
    be awkward then there is nothing else you can do.
    
    I hope you have a lovely day.  My best wishes to you.
    
    Sarah
978.6LEAF::C_MILLERFri Mar 23 1990 16:468
    I have been on the other side of the coin where I heard all about the
    wedding plans and really wanted to go.  In this case I have been
    invited to the CEREMONY ONLY and *not* the reception.  This pleased
    me (for I think the ceremony is more important than the reception)
    and let the bride off the hook for not having to pay for my meal.
    
    If this person at work is understanding and mature, she should
    understand.
978.7VNABRW::TRAXLER_Bgarfield's still alive ....Mon Mar 26 1990 11:5422
    I'm also planning my wedding for this year. We will have three
    different cards of invitation printed: One for the ceremony, one
    for ceremony + reception and one for ceremony, reception and dinner.
    
    The first one will be hanging on the "black wall" in our office
    and whoever of my colleagues would like to come is invited. Then
    I will invite the guys of my department for the reception where
    also all my friends will be coming. Dinner is for family and and
    only a few, real close friends only, and I doubt that any of my
    friends at work would expect to be invited to it.
    
    I, too, suggest that you tell it to your co-worker as soon as possible
    and I assume that she will understand. It could be a bad feeling
    for her if she tells other people that she thinks she will be invited
    and then she is not. Maybe you could invite her at least to the
    ceremony and show her pictures of the reception/dinner afterwards?
    
    Anyway, don't let it become a big problem for you - enjoy *your*
    day and all those happy years to come!
    
    Best wishes,
    Billie
978.8Why not just the *ceremony*?GRANPA::TTAYLORThink Green!Tue Mar 27 1990 16:5923
    I  have many acquaintences at work who have gotten married in the past
    year, and although I've never cultivated real close friendships with
    these people, one thing that really *touched* me was that on several
    occasions I was invited to the *church* only.  The ceremony is the
    biggest part (and most important part) of the entire wedding anyway. 
    Even if I couldn't make it to the ceremony, I was really happy that
    these individuals invited me to see the event!
    
    If you like this person, and think this is a viable solution, I would
    say let her know that it's going to be "family and extremely close
    friends" only.  Tell her you and your sweetie are paying for it
    yourselves, and if she still doesn't get it -- she's pretty thick!  But
    tell her you would be happy if she would like to go to the ceremony ...
    that's what people here in DC do to those that they *want* to invite,
    but simply cannot afford to add extra people.  Maybe it's a southern
    custom or something, but I think it's really sweet and I always feel
    sort of honored when a co-worker invites me to the ceremony.
    
    Good luck ... and a happy wedding!
    
    Tammi (who's not married and probably never will be but still cries at
    weddings!)
    
978.9yCLSTR1::JEFFRIESTue Mar 27 1990 17:068
    I have just had the reverse happen.  My manager at my part time
    job, a retail store, just invited the whole department to her wedding.
    I have worked in this store for 13 years and have had a lot of managers
    and peers get married, but this is the first time I have been invited
    to the wedding and reception.  Her statement to us was that she
    wanted us all there the help her celebrate and to have a good time,
    she even made arraingements for us all to out on the same day. 
    I was surprised, but pleased.
978.10A reply from the author of the base notePENUTS::JLAMOTTEOn my own - for the first timeWed Mar 28 1990 17:1226
This is a reply from the author of the base note.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please enter this reply in note 978 for me anonymously.  Thank you

Thank you for your replies!  It's helpful to know how others have 
handled this situation.  It is also helpful to hear from people
on the other side of this issue. 


Re: .6

Were you invited to the ceremony (and not the reception) verbally or did
you just receive the church invitation from her and not the reception
card?  I have invitations to the wedding and the reception card is
separate.  I guess I am afraid that if I sent just a wedding invitation and
not the reception card without saying anything she may not understand
it is an invitation to only the Church and think I forgot the reception
card or something like that.  I know I am not giving her much credit - but
this is the same person who hinted around about getting invited...

I also thought I might just do it verbally.  



978.11suggestion:VNABRW::TRAXLER_Bgarfield's still alive ....Thu Mar 29 1990 07:315
    Why don't you give her the card personally and add soemthing like:
    .... would be glad if you'd come to the ceremony."
    
    
    Billie