Two Strangers and a Wedding

RoxyHart

I've been following the progress of this so called "social experiment" being carried out on my local Beat FM radio station. Bascially...they have an expert panel of psychologist, relationship counsellors etc. the public apply, they whittle the applicants down to one bride, one groom, who then go on to marry on the 6th April.... but here's the good bit, they won't see each other until they come face to face at the altar. They've two women left at the moment battling to become the bride, whom both seem interesting, sociable, intelligent and apparently they're attractive ladies. I just wondered what the ladies on here think of this....would you be interested and willing (or crazy enough) to trust someone else decide who you spend the rest of your life with??

ntlbell

Going on threads on boards

I think most people would like everyone else to decide everything for them

for what to cook for dinner tonight down to what one should buy their partner for valentines.

I think it's a great idea for people who can't do f*ck all for themselves.

Baggly

RoxyHart wrote: »

I've been following the progress of this so called "social experiment" being carried out on my local Beat FM radio station. Bascially...they have an expert panel of psychologist, relationship counsellors etc. the public apply, they whittle the applicants down to one bride, one groom, who then go on to marry on the 6th April.... but here's the good bit, they won't see each other until they come face to face at the altar. They've two women left at the moment battling to become the bride, whom both seem interesting, sociable, intelligent and apparently they're attractive ladies. I just wondered what the ladies on here think of this....would you be interested and willing (or crazy enough) to trust someone else decide who you spend the rest of your life with??

Not a woman, but would certainly do the groom bit. Hadnt heard of this before. It would be a laugh, maybe develop into something more, and sure 50% of non arranged marraiges dont last, so this has as good a chance as anything

shellyboo

Wouldn't risk marrying the person, no. That's madness the way the legal system is here.

Pherekydes

Are you sure the date of the proposed wedding isn't April 1st?

How do the couple get around the 3 month rule?

RoxyHart

Yeah it's definately 6th April, you can check their website if you wanna be watertight . Actually i was wondering that myself and also i thought couples have to undergo a "marriage guidance course" courtesy of the local parish church. It's undoubtedly a civil ceremony....plus one of the shortlisted brides was a divorcee from the U.K. which pretty much rules out a church wedding. Still a legally binding contract whicever way you look at it! I mean it's hard enough to have enough faith in yourself to make the right judgement when it comes to partners...but to have no involvement at all, jes you could end up married to some closet psycho....a la "Sleeping with the Enemy"!! Would people rather be married to a stranger than tagged with the "batchelor" / "spinster" tag?

Pherekydes

RoxyHart wrote: »

Yeah it's definately 6th April, you can check their website if you wanna be watertight . Actually i was wondering that myself and also i thought couples have to undergo a "marriage guidance course" courtesy of the local parish church. It's undoubtedly a civil ceremony...

You only have to undergo a marriage preparation course if you're being married in a church, but you have to give 3 months' notice to the state, including the names of two witnesses, in the case of all marriages. Can't see how they get past that, to be honest.

Cmol

This has been done a few times in NZ - only article I could find on it, I know one of the couples has been together 10 years or so now, with kids etc...

http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/51426

Baggly

Pherekydes wrote: »

You only have to undergo a marriage preparation course if you're being married in a church, but you have to give 3 months' notice to the state, including the names of two witnesses, in the case of all marriages. Can't see how they get past that, to be honest.

Vegas

SeekUp

RoxyHart wrote: »

Would people rather be married to a stranger than tagged with the "batchelor" / "spinster" tag?

My God -- if those are the options, there's no hope for anyone!

No, I wouldn't do it . . . all of the "experts" may be experts, but at the end of the day, I'm the one who has to go home and sleep with the person -- I'd want to be darn sure who I'm getting into bed with!!

Malari

You can't apply expert knowledge in that way to human relationships before they occur, it's ridiculous.

What would be a more interesting social experiment is to take a married couple and ask the "experts" to match them out of a bunch of 10 people.

Queen-Mise

Only for the fact I am married at already, i would definitely go for it. You never know how you may get on together.

What about the wedding night, would that count as sex on the first date :pac::pac::pac::pac:

minidazzler

Cmol wrote: »

This has been done a few times in NZ - only article I could find on it, I know one of the couples has been together 10 years or so now, with kids etc...

http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/51426

He's a Horse Trainer, she thought she was getting a Cowboy!!!!:D


I'd do it, because I think all women are of varying degree's of crazy anyway, and you might as well go for the craziest!!!:D:D:D

Alicat

Didn't they do something like this on 98FM/FM104 a few years back?....

Anyone know what happened with that couple?

Stheno

Pherekydes wrote: »

You only have to undergo a marriage preparation course if you're being married in a church, but you have to give 3 months' notice to the state, including the names of two witnesses, in the case of all marriages. Can't see how they get past that, to be honest.

You actually can get around this by going to the family law court and explaining to the judge on that day, why it was you couldn't/didn't give three months notice in writing and they can waive the three months notice requirement.

Pherekydes

nouggatti wrote: »

You actually can get around this by going to the family law court and explaining to the judge on that day, why it was you couldn't/didn't give three months notice in writing and they can waive the three months notice requirement.

That's only in exceptional circumstances, like illness. I don't think this radio station gimmick counts as exceptional circumstances*. Besides, the couple must attend the registrar's office in person to submit their paperwork, which kinda precludes their meeting for the first time at the altar.


*Maybe I'm wrong.

Stheno

Pherekydes wrote: »

That's only in exceptional circumstances, like illness. I don't think this radio station gimmick counts as exceptional circumstances*. Besides, the couple must attend the registrar's office in person to submit their paperwork, which kinda precludes their meeting for the first time at the altar.


*Maybe I'm wrong.

I had to do it as I was on secondment with work in Florida and the date to submit the paperwork passed whilst I was there.

The judge was fine with the explanation, I'd agree that the radio gimmick thing would be a bit different.

Board Walker

im good mates with a presenter on beat and by all accounts one girl is amazing alltogether but a bit of a bimbo and the other is good looking and a really nice genuine girl.

i personally couldnt do it. im very shallow. if i was presented with a woman i didint like i'd run.

Karen_*

Alicat wrote: »

Didn't they do something like this on 98FM/FM104 a few years back?....

Anyone know what happened with that couple?

They got on great and got married for real shortly after. But I don't know if they are still together. It was on 98 FM.:)

misswex

I'm also following the story on Beat, they are picking the grooms this week, the guy this morning didn't turn up as he apparently met someone at the weekend so didn't want to go through with the 'experiment'!!

I'm also wondering about the legality of the wedding, I just got married there in January and we definitely had to register 3 months before the wedding and we both had to go together to sign the papers!

wicklori

I've been following this on and off and wondering if it's for real to be honest. It's worked really well for Beat as cheap advertising as they have been in most of the papers over the last few weeks. Call me cynical....

Mary D

The way they did it on 98 was the couple had a dream wedding but the marraige wasn't legal. They applied for consent to marry themselves and got married 3 months later. Think they're still together, if I'm not mistaken the last I heard they were trying for a baby.

ashes2002

I am not against this whole idea, I’m not really for it either, as far as I am concerned consenting adults can do what they like,

However, I do know the groom and I have to say I cannot believe that professionals and psychologists have decided that this man would make a good husband.

I like Beat and as I said I have nothing against what they are doing but I think they should take a closer look at this guy.

This man is not honest and not particularly nice. Out of a group of six of us who know him, none of us would go out with him let alone marry him.

[FONT=&quot]I think the serious flaw with this is that your gut or intuition-whatever you want to call it doesn’t get a chance to tell you what it thinks of the other person. Instead the bride is relying on the expert opinion of professionals to reassure her that this man is a decent guy-and they have got is seriously wrong this time. [/FONT]

Katgurl

je$u$ f**king chri$t not a chance in hell, so what if he's goodlooking / good job / trustrworthy / whatever.

you need to have all that stuff AND feel a connection. what if you didn't like the sound of his voice / smell of his skin / the pressure of his touch.

what is wrong with the world? that is f**king off the wall. I wouldn't even agree to KISS someone based on recommendations of friends / psychologists.

ratmouse

I think the whole notion is completely nuts. You cannot beat meeting someone, whether it be on a night out, through work,through friends, etc and them fancying you (and vice versa), going on dates, the excitement of getting texts and phonecalls from them, trying to figure out if they really like you as much as you like them, etc., and all with someone that you were drawn to by your own choice. To be honest, i think it says alot about the people who participate in something like this. It's not like it's some fun, no-strings-attached bit of criac like a blind date. It's a wedding and a marriage something that is very serious. Call me a prude if you want!

sallysaucer

I'm not really sure what I think about the whole thing... Didn't i read some where also she has a small child??? Correct me bout that if any one knows but on that basis fair enough to get yourself into something like this its not fair on the child!!

Monday is the big day so i suppose we'll find out about it all then!! As far as i know they are having a civil cermony in Hotel kilkenny and i think its vodafone & some estate agent in wexfords are giving them the house!!!

Also have heard that if they break up within 6 months they loose everyting including the car also being sponsored to them!!!

I dunno....6 months isn't long to have to put up with something when you think of what they are actaully gettin out of it!!

Both sound like genunine people so hopefullly is not a complete sham!!!!

allie13

hey ashes, details please.

RxQueen

they got married yesterday the pics are up on the beat website

http://www.beat102103.com/index.php?option=com_gallery2&Itemid=66&g2_itemId=4116

racheypachey

well neither are attractive but good luck to them

Dream Believer

I think its a mad idea!!! Sure its a social experiment to see if they could match up two compatible people!!!

Salome

I think they have to make the marriage legal in July - which means that they get 3 months to get to know each other.

She looked ok but he looked a bit skanger-ish IMO. They must be mad or attention whores.

johnnyskeleton

Pherekydes wrote: »

You only have to undergo a marriage preparation course if you're being married in a church, but you have to give 3 months' notice to the state, including the names of two witnesses, in the case of all marriages. Can't see how they get past that, to be honest.

Local Circuit Court Judge can order an exemption.

RoxyHart wrote: »

Still a legally binding contract whicever way you look at it!

If it doesn't work out they could always apply for nullity on the basis that they lacked capacity to consent, having never met nor having any say in who they marry.

allie13

hey, did you all hear, they have not been getting on very well at all, in fact not even on talking terms, they are coming home from honeymoon today and aparently only the bride will be speaking to the radio station. i wonder if there is another thread on here about this part.

anplaya

Board Walker wrote: »

im good mates with a presenter on beat and by all accounts one girl is amazing alltogether but a bit of a bimbo and the other is good looking and a really nice genuine girl.

looks like yer mate was misleading ya,nothing goodlookin about yer one at all lol,i wonder what the other one looked like then lol

Dream Believer

So they split up now, going by the papers they didnt get on well at all!!!

road_high

Yea she REALLY did not like him by the sounds of things! Not even "just friends"; never wants to see him again .
Would love to have been a fly on the wall there

994

Dream Believer wrote: »

I think its a mad idea!!! Sure its a social experiment to see if they could match up two compatible people!!!

No, it's a publicity stunt to boost ratings.

RoxyHart

Split already, wow, thought they might have lasted a couple of months at least!! Just proves nothing can replace good, old fashioned chemistry and you own intuition, love can be blind, but it aint deaf or dumb!! Pity for the two people involved though, it must be a bit dispappointing, not to mention slightly embarassing :rolleyes:

Oryx

Heard her talking on the radio the other morning. Was very flippant about it, and was fair to the guy, but you could hear between the lines that he behaved like an ass. She was basically shrugging off the whole thing as a fun couple of weeks with no long term repercussions. Even said she was getting more male attention since it was on.

He was on, apparently, but I missed his interview.

Before the 'wedding' very little was made of the fact that a real wedding would not take place, in fact the publicity was based on these people making such a big decision in a radio stunt, when in fact, it was fake.

The interviewer laughed it off as an experience for her that 'only 24 other women in the world have experienced'. Kinda made me think of the thousands of women (and men) subjected to forced marriage. They do the stranger marriage bit without any publicity, and tbh, they could do with it.

Lilym

Meeting your husband at the the alter for the first time absolute madness . It had divorce written all over it !!!!

olympia1

in your dreams - baby!

dragonfly!

Oryx wrote: »

Kinda made me think of the thousands of women (and men) subjected to forced marriage. They do the stranger marriage bit without any publicity, and tbh, they could do with it.

I had been thinking that the other day!

Darragh29

Oryx wrote: »

Heard her talking on the radio the other morning. Was very flippant about it, and was fair to the guy, but you could hear between the lines that he behaved like an ass. She was basically shrugging off the whole thing as a fun couple of weeks with no long term repercussions. Even said she was getting more male attention since it was on.

He was on, apparently, but I missed his interview.

Before the 'wedding' very little was made of the fact that a real wedding would not take place, in fact the publicity was based on these people making such a big decision in a radio stunt, when in fact, it was fake.

The interviewer laughed it off as an experience for her that 'only 24 other women in the world have experienced'. Kinda made me think of the thousands of women (and men) subjected to forced marriage. They do the stranger marriage bit without any publicity, and tbh, they could do with it.

The whole thing looked to me like a pathethic 3 way attention seeking project. The radio station are obviously reeling for attention and struggling for listenership in a recession especially when you consider the context here, falling advertising sales and as for the girl who has admitted that she is "getting more male attention" since she participated in this stupid charade, that says enough about her neediness. He probably just went for the free beer. It's sad that this kind of childlike carry on makes it into the papers and television.

lolli

God i didnt think it would end so quickly!!!

Ah at least they got a free holiday out of it.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

Actually, it's been raised over on a few other sites how very insulting this is to gay people who want to get married but are told they can't because of marriage being a sacred bond between a man and a woman. I can see their point tbh, I mean, I know this wasn't a legally binding marriage or anything (just a silly, but effective publicity stunt) but it really is making a mockery out of it a little bit.

Dream Believer

Anyone see the papers yesterday?????

Reminds me of this

http://www.nriinternet.com/Marriages/A_Z/M/%20Anjali_Mansukhani/index.htm