Extras at a wedding - what do you actually enjoy?

[Bridecilla]

Guests will be fed and watered. Not wanting to go mad with £££ that won't make a jot of difference.

We've booked a really good wedding DJ. Beer on tap.

Glitter bar? Photo booth??

Our friends had a pic and mix bar and it was great fun but I wouldn't have missed it if it want there.

You've got canapes and drinks in the afternoon. Whenever I go to a wedding, by that stage I'm absolutely gasping for a nice cup of tea and a sit down (in the shade if it's hot), while the inevitable photo session goes on.

On dear God @glitter bar
Are you old enough to get married

@BogRollsBOGOF We went to a wedding once where the gap was so long between the morning service and the evening meal, with no other food and absolutely masses of drink, that starving hungry and rather tipsy DH and I snuck off for a bag of fish and chips...

I actually disagree about photo booths. We had one with lots of hats and wigs and other accessories and people really got into the spirit of it and had a lot of fun. A glitter bar could be fun too.

But the food, drink and music are the essentials so focus on those.

Don't spend huge amounts on the decorations, don't do pick and mix or anything like that (assuming you're putting on enough food already) and don't bother with favours.

We went to a wedding that started at 11am and had a cold buffet for the main meal which ran out of food and just the cake for evening food. There was an open bar all day though so I ended up hammered and starving by about 7pm

The best wedding I went had lots of wine, a good meal and a split bar/ dancing area so people danced or sat chatting if they wanted to. They had a photo booth too but it was manned so they kept control of it- 2 copies of each photo, one for the person in it and another for the guest book and some of the best pictures from the wedding were from that!
You know your guests best. If I have a 3 course meal during the day then spending more money on food is wasted on me. Your plans sound lovely. If you think your guests will enjoy the glitter bar then go for it!

I'm 42

My point being food is so important 😂

If you have a glitter bar, please use biodegradable glitter. I love glitter, but it is so bad for the sea.

Love a photo booth but WTAF re the glitter bar - what exactly does it do/what is the point of it?

Apart from it looking totally shite, it's devastating for wild life

Definitely biodegradable. The venue is a working farm.

The main reason for booking was their food. We've been for dinner a few times and it's proper rustic, farmy food!

Is there a dessert for those who don't eat cheese?

Dessert table with 12 ish choices of massive home made cakes, brownies etc.

Cheese is for the evening

As most people have said . Food drink decent DJ and not waiting around for long periods of time .

Best evening do I went to had a baileys fountain with chocolate shot glasses !

Photo Booths, an amazing photographer, the best catering you can afford, music for lots of dancing and a free bar!

I am biased as my family's business is in events.
My husband owns a photo booth business and is an event photographer. My sister is an event planner and my father was a musician.

Please say NO to the Glitter Bar lol.
I think you may need to Marque in case of bad weather - unless there is enough seating inside.
What you have sounds lovely.

Dessert table +ice cream bar sounds good especially as you are not having cake (UABVVVU IMO!)

Well I think it all sounds really nice OP. I would be happy to come.

Just keep it light and easy! I like a wedding that doesn't drag on so the fact your ceremony is in the afternoon would be a bonus for me. Don't go nuts on entertainment - I went to one wedding where there were endless activities for guests: lawn games, a magician, a pianist, a photo booth, a craft-y "make your own favour" type thing and a craft-y guestbook thing, a DJ later on. It was lovely but exhausting - there was no time to chill out and enjoy a drink and chat. We were shunted from one thing to the next without a break!

I have been to many weddings. Some very posh ones in lovely country estates, no photo booths, glitter bars, sweet counters. Very traditional. Then I have been to ones which were in there large garden, BBQ, live music and a burlesque dancer. My nieces wedding was lovely and she did have a photo booth, sweets counter for the kids. It was a boozy wedding and she had organised for mini burgers etc for the guests later in the evening. The photo booth was a hoot however it really does depend on your guests. One wedding I went to had an on hand nanny who looked after the kids...

Best wedding I went to had a crèche that totally made the wedding.

This reminds me of a wedding we went to- they had a sodding casino, but no canapés despite not sitting down to eat until 4pm, after a midday ceremony- and, when it finally materialised, the food portions were so stingy. I was still ravenous after the wedding breakfast. Evening buffet was all meat and there was nothing I could have (vegetarian- the couple had asked about dietary requirements and I had let them know. I wasn’t the only hungry veggie).

I think that it’s the food that people find memorable (when it’s lacking)- everything else about this wedding was lovely, but if I mention it in passing now, DH’s only comment is “Do you remember how hungry we were?”

Consequently we probably over catered at our own wedding

I like a calidh personally. Then a DJ. Also quiet areas to recover.

We did 3 hours of photos as one wedding the guests were absolutely battered by the speeches.

Also in "rustic" settings the distance between bar and loo is sometimes a trek.

Go for the glittering bar if it makes you happy.
It's your wedding!

Relaxed vibe. Plenty of food. Sufficient toilets. Somewhere to smoke (because otherwise we congregate in places non smokers get irate about). Seating for all. Quite room/ space for people to pop off too if it all gets a bit too much.