A Letter to Ann Landers

Dear Ann Landers:

I am 29 years old, and my husband, "Jeff," is 25. We met a year ago, and after six months of dating, we were married in a civil ceremony in Las Vegas by a justice of the peace. We had intended to have a big church wedding with all the trimmings a few months down the road, but that trip to Las Vegas changed everything. We figured our parents would be upset if they knew about the quick hitching in Nevada, so we decided not to tell them.

I met Jeff's parents at Christmas, and they were very sweet to me, assuming that we were engaged and living together. We sat down w

ith his folks and planned a lovely church wedding. Several days before the event, my in-laws somehow found out about our civil ceremony in Las Vegas and became very upset. Jeff's father said it was a waste of time for him to travel eight hours to see a "fake wedding." He refused to come.

Jeff's mother hollered at us for a solid hour, which made me a nervous wreck. Nevertheless, she did show up, along with Jeff's brother. On top of that, three of Jeff's best friends were angry that we hadn't told them we were married in Nevada, and they folded out at the last minute. I was left with three unescorted bridesmaids. As you can imagine, the wedding was a disaster.

I realize we should have told Jeff's family that we already were married, but nonetheless, I think their behavior was unbelievably rude. It ruined what should have been the most beautiful day of my life. My family, thankfully, was very supportive.

Meanwhile, Jeff and I have been fighting nonstop since everything hit the fan. I am seriously considering divorce. Please give me some sensible advice.

— Lost That Loving Feeling in Texas

You can learn a lot about Ann Landers here and you may see Ann Landers' response here.