I need lots of wedding ideas please

[Snargaluff]

Have name changed as dp knows my username and this is a secret. I am planning on proposing this Christmas time (long running joke between us, he definitely won't mind that he's not proposing etc)

Been thinking about the wedding. We don't have much money but we have a lot of friends who we'd like to share the day with.
It will be a church wedding and I have started to think of a winter one. Would you come to a wedding that started at about 4? Then I was thinking it would be fairly dark and could be candle lit in the church.

Not sure what kind of venue would work well, would go straight there and eat though after some photos. I wanted to have mulled wine/ feuerzangenbowle but as for food I have no idea!!

Obviously not even engaged yet and would have a year to plan but I like to plan ahead! What do people think?

[karinmaria]

Now this is the kind of wedding thread we need on a Sunday night. How exciting.

Join Pinterest for great ideas and DIY designs etc too.

A winter wedding starting at 4pm sounds lovely. FWIW I got married at 4pm and then had the reception after. Quite a few guests commented on how nice it was to be eating in the evening and that the wedding didn't take over the whole day. Plus it saves money as you don't need to provide a wedding breakfast and an evening buffet.

Enjoy planning!

[karinmaria]

And mulled wine sounds gorgeous. For food think Christmas but without the turkey - venison, pheasant maybe? Red wine jus and sour cherries. Roasted squash and parsnips. For pudding dark chocolate mousse or winter berry mess...

[BellaOfTheBalls]

Candles sound divine. Love the food ideas! Think warmth and cosy things! Sloe gin/damson gin in little bottles for wedding favours.

[Snargaluff]

Ooh Bella that sounds amazing for favours!

[BellaOfTheBalls]

I've had that at two weddings I've been to. At one, they had tied brown paper luggage tags to each bottle with the persons name on so they doubled up as place cards.

drinking it neat out of the bottle like we were doing shots seemed a really good idea at 1am

[AnythingNotEverything]

Sounds lovely! The only thing is say is that you won't get good photos by candlelight, even with a professional. That might not bother you though!

Enjoy - I loved planning our wedding.

[Snargaluff]

Yes you're right, I'm not sure if I'm too bothered about photos in the church though, it's not the nicest looking church ever!

Venison sounds incredible but I think that sort of meal might be too expensive for us! I'd personally love a German sausage stall like a Christmas market, but not very likely to happen, but that's the sort of food I'm thinking!

Need to plan the proposal before the wedding though as well, getting a bit carried away here!

[Snargaluff]

Sorry no idea why I just went overboard on exclamation marks

[karinmaria]

Aaahh then you're looking at more hog roast territory? Love the idea of a German sausage cart! You'd be amazed what you can hire for relatively little money if you're not doing the hotel sit down meal thing.

We did our reception in a gastro pub in London with a garden. There was a buffet instead of a sit down meal and we didn't have a table plan. Wanted it to be a pub evening with all our favourite people in the same place. Saved a lot of money doing it this way! Think the buffet was £35 a head. And think a friend was quoted £10 a head for a hog roast last year (in peak wedding season though).

[overmydeadbody]

Sounds lovely!

You probably can find a german sauage and market stall food type of stuff for your wedding if you look hard enough. OR even just ask next time you are at a German or Christmas market?

[Snargaluff]

Yes definitely could ask them! Not sure if German sausage is what other people would want at a wedding though.
Hog roast is definitely an option, maybe with wedges or something, or parsnips and wedges. Mmm.

[babyicebean]

We got married in December - on his birthday so he can't forget - and we had a hog roast

[absentmindeddooooodles]

We are going with a hog roast with a tapas buffet. Doing all the tapas ourselves ao noce and cheap and we can make sure theres somwthing for everyone.

Love the idea of a christmas wedding. Candles sound perfect.

We are collecting jars and bottles and wrapping a strip of brown paper and lace aroind them....then just dottingthem around with wild flowers in. And lots of fairy lights!

Favours.....little brown envelope of your fav seeds? We are doing forget me nots. And then a home grown mini multicoloured chilli plant. So so cheap and easy to do and look really quirky!

You coild do your own german sausage cart. Either hire the cart ( loads of companies do this) and order a load of the meat online ( very cheap) or hunt round markets!

[Titsalinabumsquash]

Can I come to your wedding?

This sounds so much nicer than the more traditional wedding.

Hog roast sounds great as does German sausage.

Baileys hot chocolates would be lovely.

Lots of holly, ivy, candles in jars and twinkly fairly lights.

It's sounds magical.

[Snargaluff]

Holly sounds like a really sweet idea! As does your wedding absent.

I really want something laid back and fun. I'm glad no one has said 'no way' to a late wedding. Squee

[WaitMonkey]

Your wedding sounds amazing. I would love to go to a wedding like this.

[MummyBeerest]

Late weddings are the way to go. We did ours on a Friday night. Prices were insanely cheaper than Saturday and everyone had a 3-day weekend.

If you book in December, a lot of halls will have Christmas specials and will be well decorated for the holidays.

You could use a big xmas tree and put little bulbs with everyone's names on them with their table numbers. They can double as favours.

You can use jingle bells for speeches/announcements.

Holly and evergreen garlands will make great table centrepieces.

Good luck and best wishes!

[raisah]

Don't forget your vegetarians but the whole thing sounds lovely. Lits of fairy lights, holly, ivy just lovely. My friend got married at Forty Hall in Enfield and they have special winter rates. That type of venue would be ideal for a winter wedding.

[BlueChampagne]

If you want a fizz option for toasts, try sparkling shiraz.

[ZingWantsGin]

we went to a December wedding and it was fantastic!

• the whole wedding was red/ green, white/ gold themed
• the church was decorated with poinsettias and candles
• dinner venue had Christmas trees
• instead of cards they used red glass tealight candle holders with your name on (to show where you sit) - and my favourite thing : she had a red velvet cape/over gown thing (I don't know the proper name) to keep her warm and it looked so elegant.

they are two of our really good friends, one of the best weddings I've been to!

hth

[ZingWantsGin]

photos - buy disposable cameras and place one on each table for guests to take pics of each other.

We did this for our wedding. it worked well, got great photos

[chubbychipmonk]

I got married in Dec on the most perfect winter day you could ever imagine, turquoise sky & snow on the ground! Just as well as the whole wedding was snowflake themed! Rundown of wedding;

Snowflakes on invites, all stationary, menu cards, name place settings, table plan etc

Bridesmaids in red dresses with berry & green bouquets

Church service at 2pm to allow for getting to reception at 4pm in order to get some photos taken when it was still light enough

Xmas tree, candles, holly ivy etc in church

Mulled wine or champagne on arrival at reception

Photos taken outside in snow . . Stunning! Pink skies as it was just turning dark, great photos of me & the bridesmaids kicking up snow with our dresses hitched up & ugg boots on!

In reception room, red & white stripe candy canes hooked over every wine glass, white lace snowflakes scattered on tables lit by candleabras, top table had star lit curtain behind it & big swag of holly, ivy, pine cones etc at front of table

Mince pies served with tea & coffee

Favours were snowflake Xmas decorations with our names & date printed on ribbon to hang them on tree.

Santa visited reception (one of the ushers!) just before the speeches & gave out presents to all the kids to keep them entertained.

Cake was made to look like stack of 3 christmas parcels wrapped up in varying designs or red, white, snowflake paper

Fairy lights & Xmas tree in reception room.

Loved loved loved it! Not sure how it would have turned out if it had been pissing with rain but the snow made it the most perfect wedding ever. . And it has snowed every year on my anniversary since!

[ThurlHoHoHow]

I have no ideas bar a pub quiz, but a proper winter wedding, one that just went with it being cold and dark with things like people have suggested above, would be amazing!

A wedding at 4 would be fine. Better than one of those 1pm wedding where you just end up starving all afternoon!

[Tillyscoutsmum]

I had a winter wedding at 4pm. I wore red (think there may still be pics on profile), we had mulled wine and mince pies whilst photos were taken. Love the idea of German sausage cart

[MortifiedAnyFuckerAdams]

Od love a 4pm wedding. And a candlelit venue, and a hog roast.

Any local bands you like who could come and do a set?

Fire poi?

Big bonfire, everyone outdoors in warm.clothing (wellies under your dress)

Bacon baps at midnight and set off a load of paper lanterns.