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Guests Betting on Speeches

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Comments

  • #32
    Jip
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,418 ✭✭✭Jip


    Eh, how would that work ? You just place your bets as the speeches start, that's what usually happens.


  • #33
    oh well
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 255 ✭✭oh well


    whatever you do, for gods sake, keep speech short, witty and don't ramble on and on thanking the world and his wife and all the people who helped bring ye together .... one of the worst things at weddings are the length of speeches and no wonder people started betting. Was a wedding of cousin few years ago and father of groom was fluent irish speaker - rest of the room (including the wedding party) only understood the first few words and last few words but it didn't stop him talking for about 20 minutes in Irish. Great respect and understanding for anyone's culture aside but can you blame people for getting bored and fidgety and thinking up games if speeches go on for ever and ever. A quick thanks to " everyone who helped bring the day about " and a few funny stories (well vetted) are better than 20 minutes of rambling on.


  • #34
    Tattoo Stan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 45 ✭Tattoo Stan


    prinz wrote: »
    Or maybe it's because when I'm at a wedding people have some respect for the occasion and the speech-givers, and in this case the groom.

    I agree, it's f*cking stupid.

    I've seen it many times and been force to join in on "the fun". It's fun to the same people who think fancy dress is fun - dull morons who never go out.


  • #35
    Jip
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,418 ✭✭✭Jip


    Seriously, get a par of balls tattoo stan and learn to stand up for yourself. Doesn't say much about you if you feel you're being forced into doing something you don't want to. Your post contradicts itself.


  • #36
    bensoneb
    Closed Accounts Posts: 177 ✭✭bensoneb


    I experienced this 'speech betting' for the first time at a wedding on Saturday and it was fantastic craic. No one took it seriously and the person who won the money bought everyone at the table a drink with the proceeds so I can't understand how anyone could even liken this to gambling...

    And, I'm not dull and I don't wear fancy dress. We were a table of very respectful intelligent people who participated in some very harmless craic!!!


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  • #37
    prinz
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,598 ✭✭✭✭prinz


    bensoneb wrote: »
    I experienced this 'speech betting' for the first time at a wedding on Saturday and it was fantastic craic. No one took it seriously and the person who won the money bought everyone at the table a drink with the proceeds so I can't understand how anyone could even liken this to gambling...

    And, I'm not dull and I don't wear fancy dress. We were a table of very respectful intelligent people who participated in some very harmless craic!!!


    As a matter of interest if the groom of this wedding was a friend of yours, or a family member and had come to you before hand asking you not to partake and try to discourage it from taking place at your table..... would you laugh at his request and let him know you were going to do it anyway?

    IMO the betting is harmless enough if mindless, but the reaction of the guests to the grooms simple request is far more important.


  • #38
    seamus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 68,173 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    prinz wrote: »
    As a matter of interest if the groom of this wedding was a friend of yours, or a family member and had come to you before hand asking you not to partake and try to discourage it from taking place at your table.
    If the groom had the gall to tell me how to act at his wedding beyond "Go to this church, eat in this hotel", he wouldn't be a friend of mine, nor a family member I'd have much respect for.

    If his mother thought that drinking was wrong, would you find it a perfectly reasonable request if the groom asked you to not drink out of respect for his mother, and discourage everyone else from drinking too?


  • #39
    prinz
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,598 ✭✭✭✭prinz


    seamus wrote: »
    If the groom had the gall to tell me how to act at his wedding beyond "Go to this church, eat in this hotel", he wouldn't be a friend of mine, nor a family member I'd have much respect for.

    If his mother thought that drinking was wrong, would you find it a perfectly reasonable request if the groom asked you to not drink out of respect for his mother, and discourage everyone else from drinking too?

    (A) He didn't tell anyone how to act. He asked them to refrain from doing a superlative childish 'game'.

    (B)Of course I would. It is after all the groom and bride's day, not mine. If I want betting and drinking at my wedding that's my choice. If a groom invited me to a wedding and said it was fancy dress - I would dress in fancy dress or not attend. Likewise if it was black tie. The attitude of people on here that the bride and groom have no say or control in how the guests behave is staggering. If my friend came to me and said 'you know what, my father was a raging alcoholic, so it is our wish that people have soft drinks/water or whatever....... I'd either comply or not attend.


  • #40
    Clareman
    Moderators, Sports Moderators, Regional Midwest Moderators Posts: 24,074 Mod ✭✭✭✭Clareman


    Do the people not know that it's the mother's day, she got her hair done, she's wearing a lovely hat, she had the stress of carrying gifts to the alter, seeing as it's her day people should repect her wishes.

    Oh wait, nothing to do with her, as I say to my mother, her job on the day is to wear a hat, enjoy herself and keep quite :D


  • #41
    seamus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 68,173 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    prinz wrote: »
    The attitude of people on here that the bride and groom have no say or control in how the guests behave is staggering. If my friend came to me and said 'you know what, my father was a raging alcoholic, so it is our wish that people have soft drinks/water or whatever....... I'd either comply or not attend.
    They are *guests*. They are there to be looked after by the bride and groom and to be entertained. Not to be herded or "organised". A wedding is a fun event. If people's definition of "fun" is placing harmless bets or getting completely ossified, then you either let them do that or only invite those people whom you know won't bet/drink.

    If I had a good friend that I knew was incapable of attending an event without stealing money from people's purses, I simply wouldn't invite them.

    Asking for a dress code is an entirely different matter because it doesn't require anyone to act in a certain way. Though insisting on black-tie or fancy dress is still very much on the side of "Get over yourself FFS" to me.


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  • #42
    BnA
    Closed Accounts Posts: 616 ✭✭✭BnA


    My 2 cents

    Firstly, betting on the length of speeches is pointless and freggin stuiped. I'd say it's been at about half the weddings I have been at. It was funny the first time maybe, but that's about it.

    That said though, it is completely harmless. I know you don't want to upset your mother on the day, but she will have to meet you half way. It's not as if you are having a roulette wheel on the dance floor. Also, everyone who wins, always go straight to the bar and buys a round for the table. It not really gambling at all, because all you actually "win" is the hassle of going to the bar for everyone. In fact, the last time I won it, because of hotels inflated prices, it ended up costing me more to buy the round than I actually won.

    I know it is your day and of course whatever you want goes, but I do think you would come accross as a bit of a tool asking your guests not to do it.


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