Congratulations to you! How exciting. You are talking about a party 13-14 months away. I wouldn't worry about it yet. When you decide on the date, time, and location of your party, just send invitations out the usual few weeks before; don't send out "save the date" cards. Don't call it a wedding reception (six or seven months later is just too much for that, and anyway, you're having a small celebration in Las Vegas, not eloping) or an anniversary party (too early), just "a party" or "a Las Vegas cocktail party" or whatever. I wouldn't even mention the wedding on the invitation. You don't have to announce that the party is in celebration of your marriage, because they all know you got married anyway and will figure it out from the timing and the Las Vegas theme besides. So mentioning the wedding on the invitation might look like a prompt for gifts, as if to say, "We chose to have a destination wedding and not to include you, but we don't want to miss out on getting gifts, so after 17 years we are trying to have it both ways." I'm sure that's not really your purpose, but you don't want to spoil the feeling of your nice, fun party by creating that impression in even one guest. Just give "a" party -- everyone will understand why, and you won't look pushy or greedy.

Hmmm, I was once invited to an ex-boyfriend's wedding and I attended. The bride threw the bouquet at me! For my part, at the time, I saw my ex-boyfriend as a friend only and I think that was part of why he invited me was to show his wife to be and the world that's where things stood. It made her uncomfortable and then she threw the bouquet at me! They did ultimately divorce but that's another story. I think when people no longer matter to you, then they really don't matter in the same way. Why be threatened? On the kids participating, why bother? One caveat, last Thanksgiving, we went to SD35's home for dinner. She invited her mother as well, BM. I have no axe to grind with her and wanted to attend the dinner. Long story short, it was weird, she would talk to DH and then drift off when I showed up. So unnecessary as I am not worried that way. I doubt that I will attend anything else like that with her there, not because I am worried about her, but because she has her own mixed feelings. My adult skids did not attend my wedding to their father or the reception which hurt my feelings and that I never forgot. Keep it simple for yourself. Just invite them but don't put them in to the mix of the wedding. That will probably be more comfortable for everyone involved especially you.

She's getting an awesome deal on the photographer, but sometimes you do get what you pay for. I know a few that would charge $4500 for wedding photography. It's an all day job (follow the bridal party all day, pre wedding, wedding, reception) then go home and process the pictures--it's a lot of work. I see no problem with family making meals for weddings. My husbands family does it quite often. My favourite wedding meal was pulled pork and oven roasted potatoes with home made dinner rolls. Saved the bride and groom a bundle of money. When I got married, we used a JP and got married at my mother in laws back yard. Only the bridal party and immediate family had dinner in a restaurant, and everyone met back at the house for a fire pit party. We got married for under $1000 (including the JP, our clothes for the day which included our kids and my wedding dress, and dinner out) and 24 years later, we're still married. I don't expect wedding favours (who does that anymore?). How much one spends on their wedding is up to them. I specifically asked for no gifts when we got married as I had been away from home for 13 years at that point and didn't need or want anything. People feel they have to give a gift anyway. I'm not a fan of e-vites. If you have a computer, print your own invites and RSVP note cards (there's a million templates online) and mail them out. I used my typewriter to do that 25 years ago. LOL It took FOREVER! All in all, it's her wedding. She can do as she likes. In the end it doesn't have to affect anyone else. Also, I can't remember ever going to a wedding where the guests didn't pay for their booze. Other than a bottle of wine on the table to toast the bride and groom, we've always paid for our drinks. ETA: also, the wedding is all about the bride and groom, and not what's in it for the guest. Just because you spend $ on a gift, doesn't mean they have to give you a gourmet dinner and a 'favour'. In my day, we went to weddings to be witnesses to a joyful event. We danced. We had fun. And we gave gifts. We didn't expect anything in return. This post was edited by debby_ab on Fri, Nov 7, 14 at 8:19

I knew two houses, growing up, with master suites I liked. These are "squared bubble diagrams", no dimensions are given, this is just rough placements. The first, I like that there is a dressing area so you can "finish up" before/after dressing without getting your stocking feet wet. I'm pretty sure there was a door to the bath at the open area, which may have been more to the left, away from the wet area. This next one, I liked how there was a short "entry" to the whole suite; as I recall the door was arched. The closets were to the right, they were reach-ins so it was basically a walk-in but with doors in front of the clothes. Tidy. And at the end was a door to the bathroom. The bathroom also had a door to the master bedroom, so you could do a circle. But you could also use the bathroom in the night without a long trek, and could also get ready for the day or for bed without disturbing a sleeper. Neither required a long hallway. And remember, no dimensions are given, these are just placement.