Wedding on an teeny, teeny budget

[happilyflowingalong]

At the age of 80, my uncle is getting married again. He and his bride to be are the loveliest people and as they're religious have opted for a church wedding and small reception. The church itself isn't very pretty inside so I've been asked to come up with some room dressing ideas but on a small budget. They're both pensioners with very small income but have said they just want the room to look 'pretty and weddingy' and are happy for me to decide how to do it.

Things I'm currently thinking!

White stretchy chair covers (to cover ugly chairs)
Simple flower arrangements on windows
Create an 'aisle' perhaps with large glass vases and fake LED candles lining it.

I'm looking online and hire seems to be SO expensive. Has anyone planned a wedding with a tiny budget and got any tips for sourcing nice decor?

What time of year will they be getting married? You can do an awful lot with flowers and greenery to jolly a place up with not much money.

I'd go for nice white tables cloths, good flowers, and not worry too much about chair covers.

It's amazing what you can buy second hand on ebay and Facebook marketplace. Maybe take a look there?

Some good ideas here www.rockmywedding.co.uk/budget-wedding-ideas

I’d go tea lights, foliage , bunting etc. If its an old village hall then the ‘vintage’ tea party type theme could be good.

For the church look to arrange the wedding after a festival or religious day when the church might be decorated.

IKEA for jars, vases and candles. EBay For buying chair covers, then you can sell them again after. Craft shop for big ribbon and Amazon or Ebay for chiffon chair sashes. We did all of those things for 89 people for under £100.

What is the budget?

tissue paper pom-poms are great and cheap. I would scrap chair covers personally, do they really matter?

Depends how far into planning you are but could you find a prettier church? Then you wouldn’t have to spend any money decorating the ceremony space and could use all the budget on the reception!

Gather some Ivy and buy a reel of white ribbon to make bows with trailing Ivy to attach to the pews to look pretty as going up the aisle.

Look for people selling things like after their own weddings

Is the reception at the church?
Just confused by the idea of chair covers, as the church would usually have pews.. so wondering potentially is the reception in another room within the church?

Or have you got to decorate the church and the reception venue?

Oh, some great ideas here! It's in August and yes, it's so lovely that having both lost their partners, they have found love again.

The church is the one they attend so the venue can't be changed and urgh, the chairs are pretty ugly so wondering if there is a cheap way of buying or making chair covers.

The budget for the decor is realistically about £200. Though I'm happy to chuck in a wee bit extra to help out too.

I'm going to go for a big hunt on eBay now!

Does the church have a Friends/Flower Guild? They'd normally be the ones to decorate, probably for a fee which you might be able to haggle down for a sob story if you specified the cheapest possible foliage. Do you have access to gardens of friends and family?

We made paper cones out of music paper to hang at the end of the pews and popped simple flowers in each one and they looked lovely. Remember ivy as you can find if for free and it wraps around things and trails so can look lovely. If anyone is handy in the garden get them to grow some flowers, my mum did this and it bulked out bought flowers so it was cheaper.

How lovely. Get seed sowing, cosmos, cornflowers, Ammi (similar to cow parsley) they will be ready for August. Pennies a package

Go to aldi or lidl on the day and see what flowers they have ! Buy and rearrange loads of them.

Could you cobble together some vintagey bunting ?

Do you have a local free cycle page or group on Facebook?

Maybe ask on one of these sort of pages, I'm sure people would be happy to help.

Definitely speak to flower ladies in church -they will know the couple and want to help!
Start collecting jam jars now, get family to do it too -lots of cosmos and Ammi as mentioned above will look great in jam jars! These flowers you grow yourself lend themselves to this look more than supermarket flowers.
Loads of second hand wedding decor on fb marketplace normally.

Was about to suggest the same. Offer to make a donation for the flowers.

If the couple are well known at the church, the members will make an effort anyway.

If they are church regulars I bet the Mothers Union or similar group would help out either by helping decorate or by donating flowers.

Have a look on ali express!

Find a prettier church!!!You cannot "shop around" for a church to marry in.... like a hotel or register office. Am imagining religious uncle will want to use his parish church. If you want to marry in a different parish,you have to have familial links with that church.

I wouldnt worry about the chairs. They want look great whatever you do so best to ignore them.

What about some white or gold or some other colour balloons?

I think lighting has the biggest impact.

People will be dressed up. You really don't need to fret about the room not looking wedding'y

Are there any other weddings taking place on the same day? Maybe you could all share the cost, if everyone can agree on the same colours, flowers etc.

Think about how much time you have to set up and clear after, some churches are like a production line in August, one out next one in.