Family wedding in Canada

Valli

re the car hire - do you HAVE to hire a car? Could you borrow the brothers?

I would be honest - I would tell them you would love to go, but the flights are so expensive you are really going to have to tighten your belts - can they suggest anything (ie free/cheap accomodation for you)

also I do hope they are going to be gracious and would rather have your presence than presents.

wondercollie

I'm Canadian and trust me our weddings can either be push the boat out events or down home family style.

First thing, our stag nights are pretty tame. No wild trips to Vegas (when we do those, we tend to do them with a couple of close friends not the entire bridal party). They usually involve a bar crawl and strippers, so a couple of hundred dollars will cover it.

Is the reception in the backyard or in a hall? BBQ or buffet?

The east coast is very different from where I live. It's beautiful and most martimers have a very strong family network.

Has the bride been consulted on living accomodations? Usually we put people that travel up for the event.

Halifax is beautiful, one of my son's is stationed in New Brunswick. Very historical and lots to see. July is also a huge month in our tourist season. The July 1st (Canada Day) weekend is always busy and booked up hotel wise.

In all honesty, I doubt your children will really appreciate the trip. They will whilst here but not for long. I barely remember being seven and that was the year my family moved to Canada. All I remember is my granfather at the train station when we left Scotland, and my brother waking up on the ship and seeing Newfoundland. No memory of crossing Canada on the train, nada.

Veronica.B

Yeah, borrowing a car isn't an option as the happy couple live in Scotland and are travelling to Canada to get married too. I'm told that a car is a must as there is no public transport to speak off and they seem to think they are neighbours if they are a 30 minutes drive away! We will definately be in touch with the Canadian contingency re the accomodation. It's all a bit of a minefield at this stage.

wondercollie

In my neck of the woods, a one hour drive to the shops is considered nearby.

Have the happy couple thought of doing one reception in Scotland and one in Halifax? Easier on all the relatives that way.

I married in one province and went home and took the family to lunch.

Veronica.B

I guess that they want their family to be with them on their special day and if we manage to combine it with a family holiday it will be great. We love them both dearly and it would be heartbreaking for us if we couldn't be there, especially when the other members of the immediate family will be there too. We just have to find a way of doing it on a budget that we can manage, without going into any debt. Without have been in Canada/Novia Scotia we're a bit green with regards to flights/holiday lets/car hire/ etc.

Rachie_B

forget the hen and stag do's .... and chat to them about not being able to afford a present AND the flights,accom,outfits,spending money etc

prescence rather than presents n all that

will they not have a "party" for their local Scottith friends and family upon their return ?

gadjah543

Why not look into a house swap with someone from that area that includes the use of a car.This would solve a lot of problems and I am sure there are plenty of Canadians wanting to visit Scotland.It also means you can self cater easily so can cut costs even more.:j

Start looking in charity shops now for clothes for you all .You can get some lovely stuff if you have the time, which you do.

fluffbrush_2

Hi,
We are in a similar situation - having to visit Canada with two children! However we have just booked yest for July 2012. A deal through travel zoo with Canadian travel services (sun wing) £600 cheaper than Canadian affair or transat have quoted!! Well worth keeping an eye on! It's direct flights from glasgow to Toronto. This is first year they have done this route.
Car hire from Toronto airport for two wks is about £450-£500, just need to check policy for fuel etc - or can you get cheap connecting flights closer to where you will be staying through a Canadian airline?
Im really looking forward to visiting our family and discovering Canada - just hopin to do do on a budget!!
Although its an expense, it will give you great memories - the kids will remember more than you think - a great adventure for you all!! Good luck and above all enjoy the wedding x

travellerboy

Fluffbrush wrote: »

Im really looking forward to visiting our family and discovering Canada - just hopin to do do on a budget!!

No way can you do Canada on a small Budget as nothing in Canada is cheap, I believe they don't want or deserve any Tourists as they rip them-off every eachway. I wanted to do an Alaskan cruise and tour the Rockies, now after a lot of research intend to realise my dreams but will be based in Seattle not Vancouver.
We will visit Canada for just 4 days and spent most of the time in the States of Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and Washington where you get equally good scenery at half the cost.
Everything is significantly more expensive, take Car hire £450 in Vancouver against £280 in Seattle (same Car/14days), National Park pass $136 in Canada and $80 in the US. I could go on and on...........

You get so much more for your money in the US than Canada it is understandable why Canada's Tourist numbers are declining.

kalaika

One suggestion that you might not like the sound of but would be an option would be for your husband to go on his own, without you and the kids.

I went to New York a couple of years ago for a close friend's wedding. The bride's sister was her maid of honour but the sister's husband and children didn't go as they couldn't afford for all four of them to go. For them, they felt it was better for her to go without her husband and children than miss her sister's wedding.

I appreciate that you and the kids would love to go (and I know I would find it very hard if my brother was getting married that far away and I couldn't take my wife and son for financial reasons), but if you can't afford for all of you to go it may mean a lot to your husband's brother for your husband to go on his own rather than none of you.
(Keep trying to find a way for you all to go, but this might be worth bearing in mind as a back up plan if there's no other way)