Devastated

[Cruiselover7279]

The last time that I checked getting married is suppose to be a very happy time. Right? Well when we first planned this whole cruise and wedding we had about ten people going with us. What I thought was a great group our best friends and family and not to large that there would be problems. Then slowly a few backed out and I was heartbroken but I did understand well, last Saturday the last two people backed out and now it is just the two of us. All I can say it DEVASTATED!!!!!

Of course as many of you know or are experiencing as we speak you have everything set up in your mind as what you want to happen that day. Now I don’t know what I am going to do. There is no one to help me do my hair, get ready, etc…..

I know that my fiancé is going to see me before we get married due to the fact that we have to go to the court to get our marriage license but I was trying to wait us long as I could before he did see me. Now it looks like he will be helping me get ready.

Just wanted to vent and see if anyone else has or is going through this.

[PrettyHazardous]

Wow that's reallysad. I'm sorry you have to go thru that.

[Goldryder]

Is it possible to have the wedding on land, thus all the family and friends around you, and then have the cruise as your honeymoon?

 

Not the planned ideal dream wedding perhaps, but if it means being able to share your special day with everyone AND enjoy the cruise together as man & wife, then maybe it would work out well for you both. Your hubby to be wouldn't see you before the ceremony either and you're family & friends would be there to help you get ready too :o

[bkecky]

oh my god, i totally understand what you mean. If you can't rearrange the wedding i am sure you will meet some great people on board and someone would only be happy to be part of the wedding process. I know i would be thrilled if someone asked me on a cruise! It's not the same I know but it is something at least.

[sas80]

Wow, I'm really sorry that this is happening to you. I will be the first to say that everyone totally sucks! I cant believe that even your best friends and parents backed out (unless they truly cant afford it)

 

That said, would it make a difference if you got married in port the day of sailing?

 

You could always hire a ship photographer to go with you to take pictures in whatever venue you originally had your heart set on (beach?) as long as you are willing to do hair and makeup again.

 

As far as someone helping you - I think the suggestion that you could ask the people on your roll call board for help is a good one. You have a while before sailing, start getting to know some of them!

 

Good luck!

[caringone]

Oh wow, that is devastating! Where were you planning on getting married? I agree with the previous post that maybe get married on embarkation day so those people can see you get married and you can get a hairdresser to do your hair.

My fiance and I are getting married on embarkation day so people that don't want to cruise or cannot cruise can see us get married.

The cruise can be just for you and your fiance and be a romantic honeymoon for two. I realize how it would be nice to share it with friends and family but sometimes things just don't work out that way.

GOOD LUCK!

[bkecky]

As an afterthought you could always take advantage of the couples massage the day before and have a little spa day together and if you meet another fellow cruiser go together to the spa and get your hair and make up done there. I'm sure you will meet people who will only be too happy to celebrate with you and you could even get a little cocktail party in your cabin.

[holstang]

A lot of destination brides are going through this right now. Don't take it personally. The economy is really bad right now, and I know that's why some of our guests have decided to not cruise with us.

 

If you truly want your fam & friends to witness your wedding, then I agree with the previous posters and see if you can move it. Personally, I would LOVE the chance of just the two of us getting married.

 

Especially after all the drama before the wedding- just the two of us sounds delightful!

 

Good luck with whatever you decide- keep us posted!

[mreasier]

Hi

 

Sorry you are going thru this. We got married on Princess 3 years ago and it was only the two of us. I don't know about NCL, but Princess had a wedding cooridinator assigned to us on board. They kicked me out of the cabin an hour before the wedding and sent a very nice lady to to cabin to help my wife get ready. As an aside, I went to the casino and won my only jackpot on a cruise while I was waiting (a good omen). Perhaps you can call NCL and see if they can provide someone to help on your wedding day. Congratualtions and remember the two most important people will be there.

[heatherandfred]

I am so very sorry to hear that. I agree with everybody, that you should have the wedding on the port day, if that's even possible.

 

That's why I feel that in my own case, I don't want anybody sailing with us. I'm not booking anybody's cabin, airfare and hotel and whatnot. People have a tendency to turn it into "their day". I know that people can't afford to do things nowadays, but they should have told you something. When is the wedding?

 

The main thing is that you are going to marry your guy and I know that you're devastated and everything, but let it just be about the two of you. Maybe you can have a reception when you return to include the folks that weren't able to go.

[MalibuBarbie]

I am so sorry that you are disappointed. I went into this cruise wedding thinking it might just be the two of us and that was okay with us. We have waited a long time to finally get married and it wasn't about what other people thought about the party that we would throw....it was about the vows that we were going to give to each other. If switching to a port embarkation wedding is a possibility than I would do that and then arrange to have the ships photographer take pictures where you had originally planned to get married---sort of like a mini trash the dress session. Maybe you can have a videotape made and play it at a small reception when you get home so they can see what they all missed.;) There is alot of possibilities although I can understand your frustrationn and disappointment. You guys have to decide what you REALLY want and then work around that with out sacraficing "your day", Keep us posted and let us know what you decide to do. BTW- when do you sail?

MalibuBarbie

[ninabina]

I'm going to guess you were not going to pay for every one's trip!

You have to think about the way the economy is right now and that it was lot of money for friends to spend to come to your wedding. What is the most important thing to you?

Friends and family at your wedding or getting married on a cruise.

You will have to chose one or the other. We have had friends bail out of cruises with us before and it was disappointing. You will have a great time anyway. Make the best of it!

[Cruiselover7279]

Well I begining to accept that is just going to be the two of us!!! What we have decided since no one is going with us is to board the ship a day ealier and go on the 1 night cruise to nowhere. This way we can get settled in and be ready to start the celebrations!!!! We figured that the amount of money we were going to spend on everyone going on the cruise with gifts etc we can treat ourselves. So we are leaving on 1/2/10 and it is going to be our cruise, wedding and honeymoon. I am sure that we will have a blast. It is just a shock when people you throught were difinite back out.

 

Let the Partying begin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MalibuBarbie]

Great idea! It will be wonderful for you guys! You're lucky that the cruise to nowhere lined up well with your wedding cruise!

Good luck!

MalibuBarbie

[jerseygirl79]

I'm sorry everyone back out, but you really never know people's financial situations. I had relatives I just knew could afford the cruise, but they ended up not going due to finances. Also, some couldn't get 9 days off of work.

 

This is why I decided to sail from NY. Since our familes are from MD, NJ and NY it wasn't a far drive so we had a decent turn out of non-sailers.

 

I agree with those who suggest you befriend CC members sailing. I would be psyched to help if I were crusing with you!

 

You and your husband will have a great wedding, even if it's just the two of you. A year before our wedding my then fiance and I vactioned at an all-inclusive adults only resort. There were several weddings on property while we were there. Some just included the bride and groom. They were so beautiful and intimate. I left wishing I had married there in Jamaica!

 

Best wishes!!!!

[rodder1971]

My fiance and I are getting married on the Carnival Ledgend the day we port out of Tampa. It will be just me and him. I am going to do my own hair and make up. We are going to have a reception when we come back so that our friends and family will be able to celebrate with us.

[vannagreen]

I totally understand...but there is still quite a bit of time before now and the sailing date so people may change minds.....in our case we had a lot of last minute deciders.... We originally had about 40 "for sure"....but over time a lot of people started backing out when it got close to having to make the final payment. One week before final payment we were down to about 16 people...!! But low and behold...by the time we ended up sailing our group size was back up to 33! I think some people in our group figured they could get better deals if they waited to the last minute. Some actually did get good deals and fre upgrades.. So you never know who might end up joining you. And if it does turn out to be just the two of you....it will be wonderfully romantic and private and memorable too...and no matter what I am sure you will have a fantastic cruise.

[Cruiselover7279]

I can say that I am getting better with knowing that it is just the two of us. Like my finance said hey with it just being us there is no one to tell us what to do and when to do it. We can do whatever we want!!!!!!

 

So I booked the 1 night CTN and we are leaving a day ealier. We have the same cabin so we will be able to get unpacked and settled in before the cruise even starts. Now all I have to do is rearrange our transportation plans to the peir and we should be all set.

 

I am sure it will all work out as it always does... It's just a bit of a shock when you think everything is all set and ready to do.

 

Emerald Beach here we come!!!!

[PaddleAddict]

I am so glad to hear you and your fi have made the best of things. You will have an amazing time no matter what.

 

When you booked your cruise to nowhere did you ask the TA if you will have to pack up and vacate your room, then return to the ship again for the start of your "second leg"? You might want to double check b/c some lines make you do that when you do a back-to-back sailing and it might be more stressful than what you were planning.

[scottsdalebride09]

That is a real bummer...we are getting married on embarkation day, but we had several close friends that were going to cruise with us, and we were super-excited about it...I even picked the Mexican Riviera to make it more cost-effective and easy for our friends and family to join us, since most live in the Southwest & California...now, though, due to several unforeseen circumstances (babies, finances, marriage troubles) it appears that we might be on our own for the cruise.

 

Our situation is a little different because we have a great many people coming to the ceremony, but I was so looking forward to having friends cruise with us (it's our first cruise), and was a little miffed because I even picked a cruise that I didn't necessarily want, to make it easier on them.

 

But, I'm pretty much over it now, and am excited for the big day to get here. My FI and I will have just as much fun alone, and hey, maybe we'll make some friends. :D

[fungirl76]

Although you are devastated by others not joining you try and remember that this day is all about the two of you. DH and I too did a cruise wedding and when deciding it was the way we wanted to get married, we also had to except that not many people would be able to join us. We too had people that backed out on us, but again we had to be prepared for that. We knew we wanted to be married in the sand in the Caribbean and that was most important to us. We had a fabulous day filled with wonderful memories eventhough most of our family and friends could not be there. In the end we remembered that it is our life and it will be the two of us so it was a perfect way to start off our life together..

[obnancy]

I am sorry to hear that your close friends and family will not be able to attend. I am debating a cruise ship wedding and this is one of my main concerns. However, if no one could go, I would just look at the postive. You don't have to worry about Uncle Joe getting drunk, who will sit with Senile Aunt Mary and your husband's best man getting too drunk to say the toast:p.

 

You may want to consider going on this board over to the roll call for your cruise and make some new friends there. I am sure you will find another lady who would be delighted to help you do your hair and make-up and get your ready for your special day. Plus, you can plan a gathering on the aft bow for sail away or something and meet new friends who can help you celebrate throughout the week.

 

Don't take people not coming personally. Times are tough and many people are just afraid to spend any money they don't have too...

[Michylove]

So here i am just randomly reading threads as i always do! and i came across your post....OMG its like i was reading my story! I actually was going to plan a destination wedding to Punta Cana....then one of my BFF gave me the cruise idea.....so i researched and fell in love with the idea.......all of my close friends were down to go......so i booked my cruise and sent out my save the dates i got all the info about deposits for everyone well in advance! and was in wedding planning heaven....well as time went by i noticed "hmm nobody has booked their cruise????" well long story short my wedding cruise is 3 months aways and only two people have booked their cruise and i have gotton every excuse under the sun about people probably not going. At first i was devastated just like you but Fiances are sent from heaven because like yours mine made it all better by reminding me that this was about us! So i was always getting married on embarkation day so my family and friends will still be able to see me get married and celebrate with us and when its all over The new MR and MRS shall sail away on their Honeymoon! sorry my post is soo long but i had to share my story YOU ARE NOT ALONE! xoxoxo unfortunatley times are tough now with the economy = (

[Cruiselover7279]

So here i am just randomly reading threads as i always do! and i came across your post....OMG its like i was reading my story! I actually was going to plan a destination wedding to Punta Cana....then one of my BFF gave me the cruise idea.....so i researched and fell in love with the idea.......all of my close friends were down to go......so i booked my cruise and sent out my save the dates i got all the info about deposits for everyone well in advance! and was in wedding planning heaven....well as time went by i noticed "hmm nobody has booked their cruise????" well long story short my wedding cruise is 3 months aways and only two people have booked their cruise and i have gotton every excuse under the sun about people probably not going. At first i was devastated just like you but Fiances are sent from heaven because like yours mine made it all better by reminding me that this was about us! So i was always getting married on embarkation day so my family and friends will still be able to see me get married and celebrate with us and when its all over The new MR and MRS shall sail away on their Honeymoon! sorry my post is soo long but i had to share my story YOU ARE NOT ALONE! xoxoxo unfortunatley times are tough now with the economy = (

 

Wow your story is pretty much a carbon copy of mine... We actually planned this as a vacation with our close friends and then decided that since our friends are going to be with us why not get married while we are in St Thomas. Wonderful Idea at the time but as time went on no one was booking and the worse part is no one really even talked about the wedding which I think made it worse.

 

It was a shock that no one was going with us at first and I as the bride really had problems with it since I had issues with my bridal party for my first marriage. But Now I am a very happy bride and can't wait til be leave in 44 days and a short 49 til we are married!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

We actually might have one couple go with us. We are not really close but it will be nice to hang out and party!!!

 

Good Luck and everything will go just fine.... At least that is what I keep telling myself lol!!!!

[lmurphy048]

I cant wait to see your pics from Emerald Beach! I have always dreamed of having my wedding in St. Thomas, but afraid of the same thing that has happened to you (and others). Best of luck :)