I did not want to the first to say this but I completely agree. Steve, keep your car. I got married at the church we attended for free. Right after sunday morning service. hundreds of people in attendance. Church put on a reception in the fellowship hall afterwards, again , free. In the end ya gotta do whats right for you. I've already told my daughter (19 yrs old) I love you but I aint paying for a wedding.
I agree with the consensus; cut the wedding cost down. Give the young couple a frank talk about 'your dreams versus my dreams'. I'm afraid that if you sell the car you're going to be bitter about it which may cast a shadow over the future of your relationship, maybe theirs too. If God forbid it doesn't work out you'll really resent it. In my opinion it's crazy to spend that money on a wedding even if you have the dough. Give them what you can afford and advise them to spend it wisely (a house down payment will last a lot longer!). Patrick
Two weeks is kinda short notice , you just now found this out? If that be the case everything is scheduled with non refundable deposits...so it sounds as if this a done deal
(IMHO) Keep the car; - in the end, your daughter will go her own way and do her own thing; - you'll be out the car and sitting with regrets. Never, ever dump something that has been a passion and a fueling force in your life to just to raise cash. You say that car has been your life, it may have held you together through your other trying times and you didn't realize it. You will end up regretting it to your dying day. Particularly if it's on something like a wedding. Oh sure, everyone says they'll last forever; but I ask you, what the most cherished memories of your own wedding(s)? Chances are it's something that lasted a few fleeting minutes and was done. The only thing I remember from my own is that I'd never go through a horse and pony show like that ever again. Help her on something big like a house, sure, but a wedding? If it were up to me, I'd politely decline that and suggest there has to be another way. Just sayin'...
Wow! That's Good stuff. I needed that. I can't Thank yo guys enough! I did not want this to be a pitty party! Believe me. But I made this Bed. I have to sleep in it. My wife in kids. Do NOT want to here about this car getting sold. They are 100% against it. My Daughter getting married has no idea about the notion. She lives in her own bubble. I am not paying the entire bill. Her and her fiancé are paying too. And BRAD ( and the rest of you fella's) I'm with you. But anyway How do you sell a car that no one wants to sell. That's the million dollar Question. Lucas I feel that I am following your story. Someday soon will be walking in your footsteps. But I'm here! Don't want to dwell. But imagine Brad having to sell his car. That's how WE feel about us selling our cars. And we know what he has.
Hugger I'm screwed. Yes this day is here. But if it comes to this. How do you sell? Is the auctions the best way. Don't feel like the forum is the best way. I just don't know. I'm just throwing this out there. So if that day comes I want to make the best decision.
With both of our daughters we gave them a 10K budget. Anything above that was on their dime. Sounds like you were blindsided by your daughter in that you just found out. It may be time to get tough. I would guess it is their name on any contracts and not yours so you now have a tough decision to make. I'd keep the car. May sound cruel, but No one should expect their parents to cough up 80K. Soounds like maybe they feel entitled if they just sprung the cost on you and expect you to pay up. I know what I would have told either of my daughters had they done that.
Steve you read the post reply's but sounds like your mind is made up. You really should bust your Daughter out of that bubble now and she will thank you for it years from now. Life is not all warm and fuzzy all the time.
Ditto, Wedding expectations are outta control. Keep the damn car and give em what you can towards a down payment on a house/ property. Your daughter can't expect you to take a hit like that. Weddings are fletting, and some marriages are too. She can't possibly expect you to give up your lifes dream for what may be. 50 percent of marriages end in divorce, give her 50 percent of what you feel is a fair price for your car and have her do with it what she may. ... smart money would buy real estate, not hand it over to dove wranglers and wedding planners. Keep the damn car or be ok with booting yourself in the ass constantly. Your daughter SHOULD understand .
I'm with everyone else here. Do not sell that car. 80K is crazy expensive for a wedding. How long have you known about the cost? Or was this just suddenly sprung on you? It isn't just a car. I'm really surprised that you even thought that.
Ps: I stopped on the way back from the track and had sum killa margerhitas. I think I should be able to like my own posts. ...Jim
You need time to sell a classic or be prepared to except far less money than your dream is worth and far less than it is worth to you. If the groom to be can't pony up some cash , you need to have a sit down with his old man and draw a line. If he won't or can't poney up some cash , expectations are gonna have to drop radically. This is your chance to keep things in check between the two families. Take it, have the sit down and hold your ground. Of course this may be the Tequila talking. Still good advice in my book. GL STEVE, JIM
And I can assure you that ain't going to happen. In fact, the all of the 3 "special" cars are tied up in a trust. They cannot be sold. Period. And, by the luck of the draw, she ended up with the prototype anyway. We've had this talk already (she's almost 25). No way, no how. Hold to your guns, Steve!
Seems like $20k is a fair amount, anything over that they need to cut back or kick in for themselves. It's unreasonable for kids to put that kind of strain on their parents when the amounts are excessive. My neighbor had to dig in to his retirement to fund a wedding. Don't put undue pressure on yourself over this, keeping your car is not too much to ask. If a big deal is made about the money then there's probably a charachter flaw and it's not really about "family". Best of luck to you.
$80,000 for a wedding? No offense intended, but I gotta be honest - that's nuts. My bride and I financed our own - I had to sell my beloved '62 Chrysler 300H to do it, but our $750 wedding has lasted 46 years. Later when we could afford it, we hiked in the Swiss Alps, stood on top of the Eiffel Tower, toured Rome, parasailed in the Bahamas, sailed the Panama Canal, have crossed the Atlantic eight times - once by ship, had a beer in front of the Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco, toured the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Stood on the cliffs overlooking Omaha Beach, rode the White Pass and Yukon Railroad in Alaska, visited the Grand canyon, and much, much more - and collectively it didn't cost $80,000.
Bad thing is like stated above selling a car of high caliber doesn't happen quickly especially a Buick I wish that wasn't the case but....I'd sell my daily driver to carmax or something first
When my parents got married in 1973, my Mom wore something white that she had and my Dad one of his work suits (he was salesman for a pharmaceutical company). Then all nine (including the priest) went to a local restaurant ($30). After that they walked into a photo studio and had their picture (one) taken. I would be mortified to inflict a $80K burden on my parents for a wedding. If that money has to be spent, I'd rather have it go into something useful like a house downpayment.
Keep the car!! I agree with all of the previous posts. $80,000 is just plain ridiculous unless you are all millionaires and even then it's nuts. I have a friend whose wife had money-no-object weddings for their three princesses. Now he is 66 years old and works one full time and two part time jobs because they wound up owing more $$ on their home than when they bought it. Stepson & DIL married three daughters off with very nice weddings, great venues and food. The whole family helped set things up and kept them from going broke.
