Help me plan our wedding

[Herculesandtheloveafffair]

DP and I have been engaged for 15 years. We’ve just never got round to sealing the deal. We’ve now got 3 children and want to get married finally.

We’re caught between not wanting a gigantic wedding, but also feeling like we do want a celebration with friends (probably around 60/70 people at most).

We’re in London. We don’t want spend a fortune. In an ideal world we’d have a lovely meal and dance the night away in the same venue that’s somewhere nice and cosy.

Is this possible? Any ideas on how to keep costs down. Any weddings you’ve been to which had brilliant ideas I could steal??

So we had the same numbers, and although we're in the north west so cheaper did everything for £2700 including all the outfits etc..

We did registry office, and then because we got married in January got free exclusive hire on a really nice restaurant hotel. Did a hot buffet meal of our favourite foods and then cheese and cake after. Very relaxed, no seating plan, speeches after welcome drinks so everyone could relax and then kids and everyone else dancing the night away! We wanted rooms attached as we had three young kids and didn't want to have to leave our own wedding at 7pm!

Congratulations! Could you do a Registry Office and then food/party in a pub function room? I’ve been to a couple of wedding receptions like that in London, usually a big upstairs room. The one pub I can remember is the Colonel Fawcett around Camden.

My friends did this in London. It was one of the best weddings I’ve been to. Registry office, then a pub that had a late licence, a friend DJ’d, and we all had a blast. They put a little bit of money behind the bar to cover a couple of drinks, some pub snacks. We weren’t there for the food or drink obviously, just to see them get married and have a party. It was a great night and didn’t cost them a lot at all. Look for a pub that’s not usually open on a weekend (City area), you can rent them out quite cheaply.

Not UK based but got married on our 15th anniversary, registry ceremony with parents and siblings only, lovely meal in a restaurant for 25 of us then moved to a bar for a evening party with DJ and nibbles (70 guests total). We did a free bar to make up for not inviting friends to the dinner lol. We weren't bothered with getting married but loved our day and we're so glad we did it.

These weddings all sound lovely and definitely the sort of thing we’re after. We will almost certainly do a registry office wedding.