Tell me about your VERY modest, low key wedding

[Lottapianos]

We were planning a civil partnership for this year but obviously circumstances overtook us. We've started to think about planning again. Neither of us can stand the thought of being looked at / fussed over/ centre of attention so we're thinking of maybe just us for ceremony and a meal and drinks at another time for family and friends. 30-ish on guest list

Witnesses are an issue as we dont have two obvious friends to choose and I dont think my nerves could stand asking random folks on the street

Please share your stories of similar situations. Group celebration would be plenty of food and drink, no dancing, no 'party' as such. We're in London if you want to recommend specific venues. Thanks

I had just me, DH, kids and we each have a younger sister so they were witnesses. Friends and family (maybe 50) were waiting at a nearby gastro pub. Private free bar, buffet, casual seating. We did a magician for kids in separate room, playground outside too. Cake. No speeches. All in the afternoon so everyone cleared off by about 5! Felt wedding like but very low key as DH hates fuss!

No help to you at the moment but DH and I married in Florida Keys .
We just watched "Breaking Dad" tonight (Bradlet and Barnes Walsh on their USA roadtrip ) they were in Florida Keys .
Brought back memories .

Just DH and I . We "borrowed" 2 witnessses who were the boat owners family ................oh yes , we got married on a boat at sunset

We eloped so no guests, and our venue was free despite being a gorgeous place:

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Hard to imagine more low-key than no guests and a free venue! And we got married in the evening as the sun was setting and the fireflies were starting to come out. My biggest spend was my flowers.

(That's not me in the picture). If anyone wants to see more pics of the free venue, it's Chapel Dulcinea in Austin, USA.

16 guests ( friends and v close family) very late church wedding followed by a meal at a hotel where we all sat around a huge table together. No bridesmaids, no best man. We had cake and speeches then DH and I left to stay at another hotel. I have never ever regretted it.

We eloped and it was beautiful, I just wish we had taken more pictures of the day. Wasn’t there a wedding where two mumsnetters acted as the witnesses? Maybe a year or two ago. The bride had gorgeous wellies.

Registry office, then a picnic by the river with 5 or so friends and parents. It was lovely.

These sound lovely! People who eloped, what did you do about witnesses?

I had 12 guests. That's it. My mum and dad. His family. 1 friend.

Boom.

Loved it. Loved the ceremony. Loved the sit down meal. With my family. That's it. Wonderful it was and I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

I am American and in England on a fiancée visa. I had a very short time frame to get married (and a very small budget due to airfare and visa costs). We had a registry office wedding with myself, my husband and my four-year-old son from my earlier marriage and invited my new husband's best friend and his wife as witnesses.

We lived 200 miles from my husband's family but his parents and siblings wanted to come so they informed us only a few days ahead that they wanted to be present. Even in a tiny wedding was there stress. Lol

We had a lunch in a hotel in the city center which was nice. Because we didn't expect there to be more than five people, we didn't have a cake. We ended up drinking at a pub in the city and later ate pizza together.

It sounds a bit sad when I write it out but it was rather lovely.

People off the street and we took them for a meal after

Not us but a friend - bring a dish instead of presents, bride side bought main, groom side bought dessert. Really chilled party. I know some on MN would throw their hands up in horror but it suited the couple and their friends.

My relative and his wife had a lovely small wedding.

Registry office then they booked a room just big enough for every to have a meal in the small hotel round the corner and a couple of drinks after in the bar.

It was just them their children and closest relatives
Parents
Siblings with partners and siblings children and one cousin from the brides side who she was very close to.
Including children and the couple I think there was less than 20 people.

We had our parents (and sleeping toddler) in the registry office - literally a quiet wedding as we didn’t want to wake him Then lunch in a v posh hotel for us plus eight more, three close friend couples and two more children. Then the grandparents whisked the toddler off for the night and we went to the pub on our own and stayed over in the hotel. It was ace.

Isle of skye.

Outside...no isle etc just friends and family standing wherever they want.

Back to holiday let for a bbq and food then everyone went by 8pm and we just watched the sunset.

We just chose two friends we knew would be likely to be free at short notice on a week day — both resting actors! — and who wouldn’t make a fuss. We wore ordinary clothes — I wore a sundress — and went for an excellent lunch afterwards with our witnesses.

I do agree that hoping you can pick up two strangers off the street as witnesses is too much stress, and our registry office no longer allows staff to witness weddings.