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Beginner November 2021 Lincolnshire

Should we go ahead or postpone? fil very ill.

Groom001, 7 October, 2021 at 14:15 Posted on Planning 0 5




Hi, First time post here.
My fiancé and I are currently due to be married a month from now. About a month ago we found out future FIL has cancer. He has gone downhill since then with infections and that have prevented him from getting any treatment. We got the crushing news last week that the doctors are looking at end of life care.
We had agreed over the past few weeks to dramatically scale back the wedding (from 120 guest to around 50) and cancel the band etc. Her family have said to go ahead with the wedding but we are worried that we along with the guests will all just be too upset on the day (missing chair etc). There is also the lingering though in the back of our minds if something happens before or on the day of the wedding. Her family have also been making some comments (most likely due to grief) about us mentioning the wedding at all over the past few weeks, and in my fiancé's words "she doesn't want to look like the bad guy" if we go ahead.
I had suggested a simple ceremony and no meal/reception but the venue we have booked with would charge a fee on top of the money already paid.
AdditionalContext: We have moved our wedding three times already due to Covid-19. Our original wedding date was July 2020. Hence why we are reluctant to just simply postpone this time.
Grateful for any advice/ stories from experience where others have experienced something similar. I am obviously trying to be there as much as possible for my partner but with four weeks to go we are just unsure how to proceed.

5 replies

Latest activity by RomanticGreenStationery27135, 12 October, 2021 at 20:15
  • C
    VIP April 2022 Wiltshire
    Charlotte ·
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    Where to start, my heart breaks for you both having to deal with such a devastatingly sad situation at what should be a joyous time and ultimately a decision that probably wont be right either way. Could you maybe go ahead but tweak times so you can visit him in your outfits to make him part of the day still? Or you could get married as planned, if he is able to be there, and then push the reception out a few months if your venue would allow?

    My cousin had a similar situation and in the end they went ahead and visited him and then had a video link so he could still be part of the day, so that could be an option, there are a few live stream wedding sites that are free so may be worth as look.

    The main thing is to let her make the decision as her feelings and emotions will be all over the place right now and she simply may not feel she can do it without him and want to concentrate on spending quality time with him. I lost my father at a young age and it breaks my heart he wont be at my wedding, so she also needs to weigh up (as hard as this will be) how she would feel if you wait and the emotions of him not being there.

    I will be thinking of you, there is no right or wrong decision, you just both need to be comfortable in whatever you decide and that it is right for you, no one else's opinion matters in this situation. wishing you both all the love and best wishes X Smiley heart X

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  • Michelle
    VIP July 2026 Cheshire
    Michelle ·
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    I dont know what i can say to help but i am thinking of you both at such a hard time. My fiancee lost his mum to this awful thing it was so quick got told one day then two weeks later we lost her i would think about what charlotte said But you should not be made to feel like the bad guys no one can ever say whats going to happen its just a shit world we live in i send all my love at at this time and hopr you and your family stay strong together x💗 instead of arguing i dont think he would want that he would want you both to be happy x
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  • MrsW
    Dedicated May 2022 South West London
    MrsW ·
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    I'm so sorry for you both. Of course, you have to do what is right for you but honestly, if it was me I'd still go ahead. Even if you delayed it again it would still be bittersweet for everyone who knows and loves him. If there is a chance he could make it (even if by video link) I'd want to take it.
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  • Yorkshirelass
    Super July 2022 Surrey
    Yorkshirelass ·
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    I don’t have much to add that others haven’t said. I feel so sorry for you. What a terrible predicament and it’s one that worries me. As my fiancé’s mum is 87 and we don’t get married until next year I worry something will happen to her and what would we do about the wedding. It can feel like people are having a go at you but obv you must do what’s right for your fiancée. Having postponed already as well I think I would be inclined to go ahead with possible video link as others have said. Good luck whatever you decide
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  • R
    Genius July 2020 Monmouthshire
    RomanticGreenStationery27135 ·
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    First of all, sending lots of sympathy to you both and to your family - such a sad situation to be facing for you all.

    You mentioned what the family want, but what does your future FIL want? I'd be surprised if he didn't want the wedding to go ahead, especially if there is any chance he could be there for it, even if just by video link. In every situation like this that I've known (and I've come across several, including our own wedding) the person concerned has been very keen that the wedding should go ahead as planned.

    If FIL wants it to happen, then go ahead. If he doesn't, that is much harder - for your fiancee's peace of mind, I think you may need to look at postponing, because getting married when she knows her father wanted it postponed is going to cause a lot of long-term pain to work through.

    As for people being sad - if he's not able to be there, then it's going to be tough whenever you get married. My father died 7 years before our wedding day and I still missed him terribly on the day, and one of my friends lost her mum over 20 years before she got married and felt the same. No amount of time passing makes it ok that someone you love can't be at your wedding.

    If you decide to go ahead and he is too sick to attend, then look at a video link for him to watch or maybe visiting the hospice/home in your wedding outfits if you are near enough. Incorporating something belonging to your FIL in the wedding might also help your fiancee feel more connected to him - e.g. adding a small item to the bouquet. I got a charm with my father's writing on it attached to my bouquet, and I've known other people who have done this for parents who can't be at the wedding due to Covid (e.g. they live abroad and couldn't travel)

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