The best wedding you ever went to?

[Tictocrobot]

Just a follow on from the thread about terrible wedding food (yes I did read every post in case my wedding was mentioned, ha!)

What was the BEST wedding that you have been to? Not your own, unless it was especially epic

Winter wedding in a converted barn.Civil ceremony in a side room then back into the main hall with a bar and a ceiledh (bit of a theme on this thread - everyone of all ages gets involved!). Open fire, and Christmas decorations up. No need to worry about the weather. No hanging around for photos that I remember. Drink and food was right there. Was really really good.

@Scarby9 it actually is the stuff of a romantic film - but too outing to share here! Snippets are that it’s set on a remote island, our paths crossed a decade before we then “re met”, overcame expected infertility and living happily ever after!!! ❤️❤️

@LowlyTheWorm
Now I have a wholesome, warm fuzzy feeling and can go to bed happy!

Big family weddings

One where there was a good tournament the next day

Two remain memorable.
One was 1989, it was in a small vineyard in Italy. The bride’s uncle married them, we borrowed the local carpenter and his horse. My friend and I (who worked in a local stables) plaited the horse’s mane and decked the cart in flowers and the bride went to the ceremony in it. There was a buffet and fiddler band afterwards. It was so simple but absolutely beautiful.
The other was in Bath. They hired the entire Roman baths in the evening and we had champagne by candlelight. The guides were available to show us around. It was such a lovely experience.

One of DHs friends in La Ciotat.

Ceremony in beautiful church overlooking the beautiful French coast and harbour on a beautiful sunny day, everyone looking very stylish.

Then off to their second home, up in the hills overlooking the coast with a beautiful tropical looking garden, complete with swimming pool and cat dipping its tail in pool for champagne and canapes

Then off to evening event with beautiful food in a chateau also overlooking the coast, with beautiful gardens. The guests were dressed in evening dress and looked out of a film set. Dread to think of cost and still staggered that was their holiday home.

A friend got married in a small village church that was packed to the rafter with his massive Irish family and his wife's massive Polish family. Afterwards we walked across the road to the village hall where some local ladies had cooked a few chickens and made a few salads and everyone danced around - the elderly relatives and the young cousins while babies crawled under our feet. It was so unpompous and informal and friendly and lovely.

I love weddings / the only ones we haven’t enjoyed have been ones we’ve not been fed enough and ones where people have insisted we bring children.

I think if you feed people and have no kids, you can’t go far wrong..

Banks of a river in Scotland followed by a ceilidh. Next day, Sunday roast for all guests in a lovely hotel and total booze up in the bar

@DukeOfEarlGrey I was about to post the exact same story about the best wedding I've ever been to! Greek/Northern Irish couple. Gorgeous Greek island. Finished up the night in the sea at 6am. I wonder if it was the same wedding...

I'm excited about a 2022 wedding I have an invite to. The invitation includes a timeline of the day, that's so helpful for eating, those with kids. It bodes well

Mine was epic. A weird and wonderful fusion of mine and DH's very different cultures with elements of the third culture of the country in which we met mixed in. A lot of my friends said it was their favourite wedding ever!

I wanted a big tradition wedding in a church then formal-ish venue with a sit down 3 course meal.

Then I changed my mind and we’re now booked for a UK get away wedding; getting married in Devon overlooking the coast from a wooden gazebo on a view point; venue has a private beach where there’s a fire pit to toast marshmallow and warm up in the evening as the tide comes in, having a Slightly later wedding as the food is a bbq follow by a ‘cheese’ cake rather than a wedding cake because who doesn’t love cheese, meats and biscuits in the evening. 4 days at the venue with use of two outdoor heated pools throughout the stay for us and all of our guests.

Dead excited; looking forward to everyone just being able to relax and have fun.

There's always good bits to weddings but my overall favourite was probably 2 English theatrical friends who got married in Dublin, church wedding with amazing music followed by big upstairs room of a pub, sit down meal where everyone talked properly, followed by top flight cabaret from numerous young Irish performers. Top fun.

Two theatrical friends got married in London . We crossed the city in a London bus with lots of tourists taking photos. His Uncle married them and colleagues sang and played at the ceremony. Their first dance was the best I have ever seen as they work in musical theatre. The evening DJ was a fairly famous guy who got everybody up dancing .

Mine.

It was abroad in the sunshine, intimate with less than 20 at it. Ceremony at 3pm. We spent time with those that mean the most no running around trying to make sure we spoke to everyone.

The meal was great, the party and the dj after too. We got amazing photos. Best I think was the free bar (well we paid for it lol) cocktails and amazing drinks all night 😃

I actually hate weddings they are so boring. Well until the evening bit. Much better to be an evening guest lol The worst part is after the ceremony when ur hanging around waiting for them to get their photos done and sometimes it's 2-3 hrs! Uv not had lunch coz u were likely travelling/getting ready so ur absolutely starving. At my wedding we had a wee buffet after the ceremony as I hated to think of anyone being hungry!

Apart from our own the best wedding was my sil,S. Local church village hall, very chilled , ceilidh, no pomp or fuss or extravagance. Just a simple family day, couple still going strong after 30+ years

Worst was someone’s who’s wedding cost an arm and a Leg, the father of the bride made a cringeworthy speech about how expensive it was and how much his daughter kept going over budget, the food was minuscule and mediocre and it was full of “look at me” and “look at how much we have spent” Lasted all of 6 years!

My elder sisters wedding, in a barn.

Loads of food around at all times.
Blankets in baskets for the evening.
Incredible live music.
Hair grips, bobbles, hairspray and other bits and bobs in baskets in the toilets. Really useful.

Really laid back, chilled atmosphere.

DH's best friend's wedding. It was at a Scottish castle which we had sole use of for 5 days, it looked like a film set with huge open fires, flagstone floors and massive velvet sofas everywhere. Just gorgeous.

The ceremony was very simple but beautiful, and the bride looked stunning in a Vera Wang dress. Food was incredible and free bar. We drank champagne on the battlements and watched the fireworks. No other wedding will ever come close.

But the very best part was that I properly got to know the bride and she's now one of my closest friends 18 years later.

The best weddings for me are the less formal ones with no speeches, buffet food, good selection of music and guests are served with snacks and drinks and have somewhere to sit while the photos are being taken. I do enjoy dressing up to the nines though.

I always think the best weddings are the ones where you know loads of people and can be relaxed. You can't do much about that though! So one person's best wedding ever where they caught up with family and old friends might be a bit boring for someone else who only knows the couple. In general, less formality and more fun. Don't skimp on the booze or hold it somewhere people feel it is so expensive they can't buy a drink. No need for all the extras like favours.

While we’re on the subject of weddings

Has anyone here not done ‘posed’ photos for the photographer. I really can’t be arsed to stand still in position while a camera is clicked at me, it feels so unnatural and fake.. which totally shows on my face from past experience. I’d rather get a really good photographer who just took loads of ‘in action’ photos of everyone just enjoying themselves, natural photos, in the moment. - had anyone done this or regretted not having formal pictures?

@MyMabel definitely - look up documentary wedding photographers. They just do candid shots. There is always a granny who wants a posed group shot though ;)