Posting here for traffic... Unconventional wedding

[Purplesndteal]

After bagging my partner to get the ball rolling... We've agreed to have a fairly unconventional wedding. Our dog will play a major role and she'll even have guests. I'm.not wearing a dress and instead I'll be wearing ankle length smart trousers, converse, a t-shirt and my all saints leather jacket. He'll probably be wearing something similar. All t shirts will have tongue in cheek phrases in the vain of "I just got married and all I got was this lousy t-shirt". The guest one will say something like "just came for the open bar" etc...

Would people get it? Not that it matters but I don't what to end up with an "off" atmosphere if people don't get our extremely relaxed and jokey theme. Tia!

Unlike a lot of others, I'd be really happy to be given a T-shirt to wear, but I really hate shopping for and wearing traditional wedding guest clothes. It sounds like a really fab wedding!

People remember great weddings for the fabulous time and fun they had.
Themes and favours are just so naf. Think of the champagne you could buy with the t-shirt money.

Sorry to sound like a killjoy but the t shirts are not a very sustainable thing. No one will wear them and they will end up in landfill.

Thank you @MissCherryCakeyBun I had no idea of that website it's definitely more our thing :)

My friend for her 40th made bowls for the tables from old vinyl records. Looked www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Vinyl-Record-Bowl/

You could ask some mates their thoughts- sound them out.

In terms of flowers and decor-

You could go for those large paper pom-poms in colours you like. Also you could use grasses, and reeds for table decor. Maybe have hoops suspended above with greenery above you hanging down and then lots of those paper Pom poms and get your hands on afew glitter balls.

I would keep the table long rectangular tables, and. Keep them crisp with white table clothes with grey/charcoal napkins. Again little hoops of grasses/pampas grass etc with reduced sized album covers names. You could get some cool chocolate guitars on each place name. That’s enough.

If the venue allows you could make a sort of after party area with sofas, low tables, put some bottles of jack Daniels etc and shot glasses on there. The drum kit could go there. Rugs down on the floor.

The more alternative weddings I've been to have definitely been the most fun ones. That said:

Concert ticket invites are fairly overdone, ive had at least 3 sets in the last 2 years.

Don't try and dictate what your guests wear.

Don't

Sorry ignore that last 'don't'

As guests in their 70s would have been in their 20s in the 1960s then of course they’d be fine with a hippy festival type theme (as a generation that is, these individual ones might have missed all that in their youth and remain uninterested)

T-shirts a bit cringe IMO, but informality (esp with summer of love theme) could work very well. As long as those who remember the first summer of live keep their clothes on this time around

Do you own a T-shirt factory?
Sounds cool though it’s your wedding so do as you like. We got married ten years ago, on a farm, festival style, live bands, camping etc. I did wear a dress and cons and the dogs came but I guess ours was more boho then you’d like. Even though it was very much ‘us’ the day was very much catered to our family and friends and giving them an amazing day to remember.
Have you checked out Rock n roll bride for some ideas?

It all sounds a bit Kurtan and Kerry from This Country.

We have someone who can print the t-shirts but with so many guests, that would add up very quickly. So maybe just get some for the children

Re the dogs - I've been running a dog walking/daycare for rather a lot of years now, and we've several times had bookings to help with dogs at weddings! It's always been one of my favourite gigs. The doggy funbus provides a safe retreat for the dogs and I'm around to keep them happy and pick up any poos.

@Purplesndteal the magazine is very good and the subscription is on a monthly basis and at £4.95 including postage it's well worth it.

@Moaning. How much do you usually charge? We do think we need a dog nanny :)

We wouldn't be telling anyone what to wear, wed simply let them know the bride and groom will be wearing t-shirts and trainers, so it's up to them to dress as they like

You have to consider your guests when throwing a party. You can plan everything out but it’s always the vibe that matters most. In your position I would just choose to have a fairly relaxed affair rather than trying too hard on an anti-wedding theme. It kind of defeats the purpose. If you have a dress code etc. people will feel just as stuffy as they would at a regular wedding. My biggest advice for anyone hosting a wedding would be that the only things that matter are 1. An appropriate venue (right size, accessible, enough toilets, nice atmosphere, 2, a good band, whatever kind you like and, 3. A fuckton on alcohol. Brits like a drink and get on better with strangers when tipsy. No one is going to remember what party favours you gave them, but they will remember having a really fantastic time.

OP you still haven't addressed the sizing issue. If you told me I had to wear one of your t-shirts, my main questions would be:

• Is it available in a petite length?
• Is it made of a stretchy fabric so as to accommodate a large bust?
• Is the fabric of good enough quality so it definitely won't be see-through?

The vast majority of specially-printed-for-events t-shirts are very badly fitting, and look awful on anyone who isn't of average height, relatively slim and with a small bust. And you're going to end up with some really terrible, awkward photos.

Anyone who isn't an average size can spend hours looking for basic clothes that fit properly. If you buy t-shirts for your guests and chose your own t-shirt company, you are really going to upset the people who will never look good in them no matter what. It's hard enough finding a nice outfit that looks good, but someone else buying clothes for me would be an absolute no.

If I was invited to a jeans and t-shirt wedding, I would still make a point of wearing a good quality t-shirt that fitted properly and looked good on me.

@tectonic if we were to do the t-shirt favours they'd be able.to choose the size from the website. I don't think they're super premium.quality but they're ok (he does the ones for the county's schools).

Thinking about 54 t-shirts ends up being a substantial amount of £££ so I think we'll end up ditching the idea and just getting some for ourselves/children

If you're only catering for some of your guests then I'm sure it's be fine, bit if you want to appeal to a wider selection of your guests I think you may not hit the mark. Having said that, it's your day.

I think wearing what you like and theming your own outfits, invites, food etc- all great. Theming your guests= not so great especially if they are not really going to get it. Let them relax, just let them know you are wearing t-shirts and casual clothes, they are welcome to join in, dress up, do whatever and leave them to it.

Theme yourselves, not your guests!

I don't think we'd be catering for anyone in particular apart from us :)

Do you guys not want elements of a ‘cookie cutter’ wedding bcs he had one before? Do what you want and don’t rule stuff out just bcs he had it before, every wedding is different.

No, i don't want a cookie cutter wedding because I simply never really wanted one. TBH I don't even remember what I originally wanted but things like a wedding gown are things I definitely don't want.

Regardless that you're choosing an 'alternative' style, you're still in danger of over thinking every detail like a traditional bridezilla. The real 'alternative' way is to be genuinely chilled about it.

I didn't have a conventional wedding at all. But one thing I learnt in the process (thankfully before the wedding happened) is that guests really don't give a stuff about details like t-shirts, what they're signing, playlists, gifts, decor or even what you're wearing. All they want is plenty of good food, plenty to drink and not to feel tied to too many timings or kept waiting around. Get those main bits booked and then wear what you want on the day. No-one will give a stuff in the nicest possible way.

I think the venue has to match the theme. We're thinking of a winery/ vineyard. There aren't that many around but at least one had decent pricing! Oh and there would be an open bar :)