Seyi Akiwowo was invited to a co-worker’s wedding in Romania (she was also told she could bring a plus one). Destination weddings are expensive; the cost of airline tickets, hotel accommodations, meals and more add up.
Akiwowo was aware of a destination wedding's unspoken rules so she and her friend paid for all of their own expenses. Once in Romania, Akiwowo noticed that the bride and groom really sunk some dough into the occasion.
It seemed pretty clear that the bride and groom were looking
for cash gifts, in addition to what the guests were already spending. Ohhhhkaaaaay.
They had a great time, though, and had pics to prove it.
The party raged, but then things took a turn.
The ladies partied hard, went back to the hotel and slept through their alarm. Somehow, they got
it together and made their way to the airport.
Once back in London, Akiwowo received a message from the bride.
Here’s where it gets good.
Uh yeahhhhh……
So were they “buying” a gift bag?
Congrats! You are now the proud owners of someone else’s
marriage.
Well, so much for that friendship. At least they BROUGHT it.
And in case you’re wondering, did she pay up?
Akiwowo got several messages ranging from shock, outrage and disbelief about her wedding story. Some mentioned that per Romanian culture, a cash gift should be given at the ceremony. However, the fact that it was a destination wedding
should have cancelled the gift out. But never, ever, should the bride have sent
a collection email less than a day after the wedding. Did the bride and groom sit up all night with a calculator?
The
consensus seems to be this: If you want an expensive destination wedding, you should
be prepared to pay. Any gifts you get are just the icing on the (overpriced) wedding cake.