Please come and critique my wedding plans!

[FunkyChunk]

Hi All,

I'm in the very early stages of planning our wedding for next September and would appreciate some feedback! Please be honest

We are looking at a wedding in the City of London. It works out cheaper as the venues only charge a min spend on weekends, so we are avoiding a hire fee. So, rough plan as follows:

Mid afternoon ceremony, 3pm? Coach/big red bus to pick up guests from central point near home (SE London). 25-30 minute journey to ceremony venue.

3pm Ceremony in hotel - near Tower Hill / Fenchurch Street.

5 min walk (or continue bus?) to reception venue in Leadenhall Market - Lamb Tavern pub.

4 - 5pm Drinks reception at pub which also has outside area in the market with canapes (scotch eggs, honey glazed sausages, crab fishcakes etc).

Photos - do NOT want to take long doing this, I hate having my photo taken and would rather be eating the canapes! Candid shots throughout the day will be better, I think....

5 - 6.30/7pm Dinner in the pub, speeches etc. Canapes to replace starters (hopefully), with a dinner of fish & chips and chocolate brownie with ice cream.

7 - 7.30pm Back downstairs to pub/market area for evening reception. Some more guests arrive, DJ to start playing in the back ground before...

8pm First Dance.

8.15 -10.30 Live band plays outside in the bar/market area, evening buffet served (sausage/bacon butties, cheese boards, wedding cake).

10.30 - 12.00 Back into basement of pub for DJ until late.

We would like something quite relaxed, not too formal. I really don't want the guests to have long periods of hanging around. We also don't want to go too overboard with the costs, but will probably also provide a photobooth for some entertainment later on.

Do you think its OK that we provide transport on the way to the wedding but not return? There is a major station which is about 10 mins from the venue which runs services to/from our area. Guests could get the train back or taxis for around £25-30.

Any thoughts?

PS: No cash requests on wedding invitations

PPS: A pic of the pub venue...

[ParadiseCity]

Sounds lovely but I would sack off the transport altogether, people can get themselves 30 minutes each way.

Why not get married at the pub - whats the point of the hotel part?

What happens if it rains?

[FinnFamilyMoomintroll]

Yep agree re:the coach - you're in central London! Public transport is easy. People can walk 5 mins to the pub easily. I went to a wedding in the City a couple of years ago and we all walked from the church to the reception, it was fun.

Paradise I think the 'outside' bit of the Lamb actually under the market roof? Haven't been there in a while but if so it won't matter about rain.

[GinIsIn]

Sounds lovely!

[FinnFamilyMoomintroll]

OP the timings, food etc sound pretty good to me - the most important thing is readily available food & booze and lots of places to sit down, none of which are a problem if you're in the pub!

[specialsubject]

sounds excellent apart from the point about needing a bad weather plan. Minimal faff and regular feeding which is all that really matters. Make sure numbers are such that you can get to speak to everyone.

coach is considerate, ask people to tell you if they need seats, many will probably get public transport.

[FunkyChunk]

Thanks!

I did consider that about the transport, it isn't hard or expensive to come up on the train. I just felt bad for elder guests/ones staying over locally from further away!

Unfortunately the pub doesn't have a wedding license. The hotel is literally 5 mins walk away from there though, we would like to keep both parts close together.

And the market is fully covered so not too worried about rain! (see pic) They also provide heaters and blankets if its chilly, although fingers crossed early Sept is usually still warm. People can also stay in the bar area if they prefer...

[OdinsLoveChild]

You could provide your guests with disposable cameras (do they still make these?) to take photos during the day and then you wont need an allocated time slot for photos.
(I looked at my stupidly expensive professional ones the day I got them and filed them somewhere that I don't know where they are. Never looked at them since over 20 years ago)
I agree about transport too, London is very good for public transport so shouldn't be an issue.

[LizardBreath]

We had a bus, people loved it! We also had tins of Prosecco, gin and tonics etc - went down really well!

The only thing I'd say is that I also hate having pic taken and wanted candid shots. Whilst I do like the candid ones I do regret not having more groups, posed ones etc!

[ClubTropicanaDrinks]

Sounds lovely. Had a similar wedding.

Would just say that even though it wasn't REALLY necessary and people could've made their own way our guests loved getting Ye Olde London Bus from the registry office to the pub!

Also, we had our 'couples shots' photos taken before the ceremony which was great as it meant we could crack straight on with drinking/chatting with our guests afterwards. Depends on whether you care about seeing each other before your grand entrance!

[FunkyChunk]

I am worried/miffed that a photographer is coming in at around £1000! Everything is so bloody expensive.

LOVE the idea about prosecco/gin and tonics for the bus!

After reading the responses on the other active thread about wedding favours I think that's something else I can cut from the budget. No one really cares about them do they? The only ones I've ever noticed were edible .

Trying very hard not to get carried away with all the extra faff! I WILL NOT buy seat covers and matching bows.... even though they are pretty..... googles chair covers

[ClubTropicanaDrinks]

Yeah, our photographer was expensive. Thankfully we loved the photos so that softened the blow a bit!

[birdsdestiny]

Don't bother with favours or any faff, I think it is very kind of you to arrange transport. I probably wouldnt have bothered! I have never been to a wedding with transport. The best wedding I went to was pie and peas at a village hall, it was fab. Wedding mostly in a pub sounds lovely.

[ParadiseCity]

Decent photos are worth it, imo, I got married 13 years ago and it is nice for DC to see the pictures. There are people who've died since and so having the pictures is lovely.

Great news about the roof, I hadn't twigged! Is there any reason the pub couldn't get a wedding license? It would be SO much easier. Tell them to pull their fingers out and get one sorted.

Definitely no need for favours and YY chair covers are RUBBISH. A chair is either nice or it isn't. Dressing up a chair just shows that you have realised they are rubbish and drawn everyone's attention to it. Its like a toilet roll cosy. Most of the time the chair will be covered by a lovely guest.

Happy Wedding!!

[LizardBreath]

I bloody love favours! I realise I'm in a minority here though. We had little layered cocktails in mini shot jars (like that other thread I guess?), they were well received and also ridiculously strong as I got sick of worrying about measures - not sure if good or bad there. Lots of people kept the jars and also then took the ones that people had left so they had a 'set' I guess.

[pinkyredrose]

That sounds a wonderful day! Not much vegetarian food though or is that not an issue?

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

It sounds brilliant. Agree that the food doesn't sound v veggie friendly though.

I think the bus idea sounds great, and would give some brilliant photo ops.

Might be worth contacting local unis/colleges and seeing if a couple of students might be willing to do photographs?

[FunkyChunk]

I don't think we have any veggies our circle, however the venue does do a yummy sounding option for dinner and buffet. I'll make sure there is something on offer anyway incase of meat overload!

[JulietteBarnes]

I'd rather have the coach home than on the way there tbh but sounds like it will be a lovely day!

[FunkyChunk]

Thanks Juliette. My thinking is that organising one for the way back will be trickier due to people wanting to leave at different times etc. I did think of it at first... But then I don't want people (like my Nan) relying on a bus home when she might want to leave a good couple of hours earlier? Hmm.

[JulietteBarnes]

Ahh good point!

[ApocalypseSlough]

It's very kind of you to arrange transport. Even Londoners get very aerated about traveling around especially older relatives.
Sounds lovely!
City churches are very quiet at the weekend, hve you considered it- have a look at the ones nearest the market.

[Partiallycloudy]

At my cousins London wedding they had the old buses and did a little mini London tour... So had pics taken at all the London sights, Big Ben, Westminster, Tower of London etc they got some amazing pictures and a lot of attention from tourists!

[GreenGoth89]

No veggie choices! Just check there's no veggies in attendance first otherwise it sounds all lovely - 12pm doesn't sound late to me but I used to be a party animal!

[Ladybird08]

Use the wed pics app. Guest upload their photos of the day.
My friend used this at her wedding and it was brilliant .

[MaudlinNamechange]

Sounds lovely. No missed meals - everyone leaves the house after lunch and gets dinner! ;)

About transport: it is not usual for people to be brought to a wedding and that is extremely considerate. you could sack it all off (but if you want to have hotel -> pub only just for fun, that is more "integral" to the day). If you lose one or both of the bus occasions, you can still book taxis, there and back, for particular elderly guests (agree a bus back will be nightmare, they only really work when people are genuinely in the middle of bastard nowhere and know they need it and know they have to leave at the same time as everyone else)

Sounds fab!